2008 Graduating Class

Pranat Laohapairoj
Thailand
Red Cross Nordic UWC, Norway
Macalester College
UWC experience changed me. It’s the place where ideology and realism meet. 
I learned a great deal, and I became more ideological, but at the same time, I gained a better understanding of what is realistic and what I can expect from the world. The best two years of my life!

Pui Chi Jeanie Lau
Canada
Li Po Chun UWC, Hong Kong
Dartmouth College
As a member of the varsity equestrian team, I enjoyed traveling and competing and the family-like spirit of our team. I also helped launch a chapter of the international organization Student Movement for Real Change. The movement has been working diligently to build the Mashlati School in the Limpopo province of South Africa and a water pipeline in rural Kenya. We hope to have the chapter recognized by the college and are discussing fundraising activities to contribute to the Kenya water pipeline project. 

Nhung Xuan Hong Le
Vietnam
UWC of the Atlantic, Wales
Westminster College
I’ve majored in biochemistry with a minor in mathematics, been a volunteer pharmacy assistant and mathematics tutor, and worked at a nursing home. I plan to attend graduate school after college. I think that “It was the best of times; it was the worst of times” (Charles Dickens). Enjoy your life, and, if at first you don’t succeed, try, try again. Thank you so much for giving me the chance to study, learn, and meet new people.

Kieran Ross Ledwidge
Australia
UWC-USA
Princeton University
My time at Princeton has been some of the most challenging and rewarding of my life. Through the generosity of Shelby Davis, I’ve been fortunate enough to learn from and work with some truly inspirational people. In this context, I have continued to explore and develop my understanding of music and international politics. I have a strong desire to work in international law, particularly human rights law; however, my path to realizing this goal is not yet clear to me.

Yeatso Lhamo
Bhutan
UWC-USA
Wellesley College
While the UWC brought the world to me, Wellesley allowed me to go out into the world. Many opportunities enabled me to nurture and reinforce interests I developed at UWC. The learning experiences and friends I made have been invaluable to my personal growth. Studying economics has opened my eyes to the ever-intriguing world of development and has strengthened my conviction to return to my country and really make a difference.

Jireh Li
Hong Kong
Li Po Chun UWC, Hong Kong
Princeton University
I contributed to public policy research on-campus as a Law and Public Affairs Program associate. I was business manager for PRISM, a literary journal about diversity; vice-president of the Hong Kong Students Association, and president of the Argentine Tango Club. I participated in French theatre L’Atelier, International Relations Council, Glee Club Concert Choir, and served, through music, at Westerly Road Church. I’ve worked with the Civic Values Task Force and was a Mathey College undergraduate fellow. I plan to work in corporate finance in Manhattan.

Haydee M.A. Lindo
Jamaica
Mahindra UWC, India
Williams College
Attending Williams College was a perfect complement to my UWC experience. The stark differences between Williamstown and Paud, India, provided a broad education and perspective, while highlighting the common need for radical change. It is too early for full reflection on my university education, but, hopefully, between defending minority interests through the Minority Coalition, community service, and my political science major, I have been armed to eventually return home and effect positive change in Jamaica.

Celene Ayat Marie Lizzio
USA
UWC-USA
Princeton University
The title of this publication provokes this thought sequence: Our world moves nearly one billion km every 365.2422 days, while rotating 1,670 km per hour; ideas transverse atmospheric expanses in a blink. How can one keep pace amidst ineffable diversity and make a significant contribution — to move this world? I believe that public-interest engagement fruits prosperity, and I hope to mold this thought into a career. Thank you to al-Ahad al-Hamid al-Hakim and the Davis family for your investment and example. 

Victor Llanque Zonta
Bolivia
Red Cross Nordic UWC, Norway
Macalester College
I come from Riberalta, a small town in the Bolivian Amazon, where close to 80 percent of the population lives in poverty. Having witnessed severe poverty as a child, I became convinced that my goal was to contribute to economic development in Latin America. Macalester brought me a few steps closer to that goal and gave me unique opportunities to learn and grow. I studied economics and anthropology, and my future career goal is to work in microfinance in Bolivia.

Joshua Loehrer
USA
UWC of the Atlantic, Wales
Princeton University
At Princeton, I dedicated my time to community service, promoting civic engagement, club soccer, academics and, most importantly, my friends. Through participation in direct service work, I tried to reinforce an ethic of service in all students. Princeton was often difficult, but I developed, matured, and learned about myself, my friends, and the world. In the future, I will take advantage of opportunities in the private and social sectors and eventually work at an international organization or NGO.

Jane Yaya Lole
Sudan
UWC of the Atlantic, Wales
Williams College
As a student of political science, I am interested in studying power dynamics and their impacts on African societies. My independent-study projects include research on how government institutions function and why they do so in a distinct and/or predictable manner. I greatly appreciate the Davis scholarship for enabling me to acquire an excellent Williams College education, through which I realized a passion for politics. My plans for the future range from engaging in civic-life education to running for the presidency. I cherish good governance.

James Lojogo
Lombe Simon
Sudan
Simón Bolívar UWC of Agriculture, Venezuela
College of the Atlantic
The exposure to different social, cultural, and economic environments influenced my life and gave me a better understanding of myself and others. It also strengthened my appreciation for differences and my desire to make them. During my junior year, I proposed and implemented one of Kathryn W. Davis’s 100 Projects for Peace. I plan to expand this project, pursue a postgraduate degree in either business administration or public policy, and marry (COA junior and UWC scholar) Michelle Lawrence.

Jimmy Longun
Sudan
UWC of South East Asia,
Singapore
Macalester College
As a Sudanese refugee student hailing from one of the most war-ravaged countries in the world, I would not have dreamed of studying in the United States. Since my time at the UWC, I have learned the ways of life, I have dreamt big, and I have discovered paths I never would have walked in. I owe Shelby Davis a lot for making everything possible. I hope to one day follow his example and make this world a truly better place.

Chao Lu
China
UWC-USA
Princeton University
Through various internships and summer activities at Princeton, I have realized that there are many ways to excel and sustain the values developed in UWC. My residential advisor position and my involvement with Princeton University Language Project — a student organization that helps NGOs with translation — tell me that UWC graduates can be great assets and bring immense diversity and values to an American college. Now I need to bring what I have learned here with me when I go back to China after graduation.

Thembumenzi Lukhele
Swaziland
UWC-USA
Connecticut College
The two years I spent in New Mexico were the best years of my life because of the connections made with individuals of diverse backgrounds and the experiences I had with friends. Connecticut College presented me with a different set of experiences, which have been valuable in my personal growth and journey of self-discovery. Being a member of the Connecticut community and the UWC network, I have been presented with invaluable opportunities, which I will further exploit in my career in finance.