2008 Graduating Class

This section provides brief profiles and photos of the Davis United World College Scholars Program’s graduating Class of 2008.

During the preparation of this yearbook, each senior scholar responded to several questions from the Davis UWC Scholars Program. They wrote about the impact of their college experience on their lives, learning, and goals. Many also briefly described their plans and hopes for the future. The profiles that follow quote from their responses.

A B C D E-F G H I-J K L M N O-Q R S T U-V W-Z

	Nadine Abdallah Lebanon UWC-USA Earlham College My Earlham experience will be a memorable one. Its environment has been perfect as a means to continue our UWC mission. Earlham provides many opportunities for students to make a difference. In my third year, I created a Middle East theme house to share my culture with the Earlham community; hopefully, this project will continue after I graduate. I plan to go into the field of public health, work around the world, and, eventually, in my home country.

	Awo Akosua Kesewa Aboagye Ghana UWC of the Atlantic, Wales Swarthmore College At UWC, I was involved in EMC, and I planned extracurricular activities for children with developmental and social problems. My UWC experience gave me a love for working with children, with or without disabilities. At Swarthmore, I have volunteered with Dare to Soar, Chester Tutoring, and TopSoccer. TopSoccer, like EMC, gave me great joy to befriend children with developmental disabilities. I hope this experience helps to make me a better pediatrician in the future. Thank you for the opportunity to attend UWC and Swarthmore.

	Awo Addo Ghana Red Cross Nordic UWC, Norway Princeton Working with the founding team of one of the most important projects ever undertaken in Africa, the African Leadership Academy, was the highlight of college. A co-educational boarding institution for 16-18 year olds from all 54 countries on the continent, it aims to “develop the next generation of African leaders.” The experience affirmed Margaret Mead’s timeless saying: “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.”

	Tamim Akiki Lebanon Red Cross Nordic UWC, Norway Hamilton College The opportunities for cultural exchange at Hamilton are unlimited. Our location near the major immigrant city of Utica made volunteering and community service obvious choices. Over the past four years, I was lucky to work with energetic and driven student organizers who were, above all, interested in promoting the virtues of compassion, sympathy, and responsibility. These leaders were my mentors, my inspiration, and the architects of a different future.

	Hüseyin Aktürk Turkey Waterford KaMhlaba UWC, Swaziland Colby College My experiences in southern Africa have shaped the way in which I was involved in extracurricular activities at Colby College. I organized several events and a conference to raise awareness about humanitarian issues in Africa. I would like to take this opportunity to thank the Davis family and Colby College for allowing me to grow as an individual academically and socially in an exceptionally beautiful and sophisticated environment.

	Zain Omar Ali Bangladesh UWC of the Atlantic, Wales Carleton College The UWC experience made me realize that the fundamental conditions under which most humans live must be radically and irreversibly altered. I study biology now. Carleton has taught me what it means to be a scientist and an intellectual. It has shown me the raw power that flows from the creation of knowledge. I would like to use these two precious pieces of information to help catalyze radical transformations in the Third World and awaken the weary dragon of the global South.

	Nima Alidoust Iran Pearson UWC, Canada Middlebury College The uniqueness of my UWC experience, in addition to its fruitfulness, created a false sense of completeness and wisdom in me. Such an illusionary confidence was to be shattered by a liberal arts education and replaced by a desire for knowledge and excellence. The UWC years had to be complemented by such a thorough and inclusive academic experience in order to prove constructive in the long run. It has been the opportunity to polish my thoughts and actions for which I am the most grateful.

	Margret Achiro AllamYour Sudan UWC of the Atlantic, Wales Westminster College I am proud of having been a peer tutor in mathematical science since my freshman year. Even though I didn’t embark on a journey to save the whole world, I do believe I did my best by serving peers. During my senior year, I accepted a very challenging yet fun position, Tutoring Program coordinator. I am indeed blessed to attend this college; it has given me a sense of completeness.

	Anton Altement Estonia Red Cross Nordic UWC, Norway Middlebury College Middlebury’s liberal arts education allowed me to realize my passion for economics and finance, and I switched my major from political science to international politics and economics. My involvement in a variety of campus organizations, from Dialogues for Peace to the Student Investment Committee, allowed me to explore my interests, strengthen inter-personal skills, and gain leadership experience. I would not have been able to become the person I am without the support and guidance of friends and faculty. Thank you for these wonderful years.

	Felix Kwabena Amankona-Diawuo Ghana UWC-USA Carleton College Carleton College has provided me with a fantastic opportunity to do undergraduate research in chemistry. I’m very grateful to Professor Daniela Kohen, from whom I have learned a lot through research in computational chemistry. Aside from the rigorous Carleton education, I found a very engaging community where we challenged one another. I have had many interesting discussions with friends, staff, and faculty about various issues, and these, to a large extent, have shaped the way I view the world.

	Nurzhan Amanov Kazakhstan Red Cross Nordic UWC, Norway Methodist University My experience in UWC has helped me achieve things at Methodist academically, socially, and culturally. This would have been a daunting task had I not learned to think critically and globally as well as to cope with people, thus ridding myself of prejudices. Moreover, the dedicated and devoted staff at MU helped me to advance and shape my knowledge in fields to which I aspire.

	Shauna Aminath Maldives Pearson UWC, Canada Westminster College I have majored in political science and ecological economics, been a resident advisor, headed the fine arts section of Projects for Peace — Colombia 2007, and was finance committee chair of SGA 07-08, among my many meaningful experiences. Professors and other people I have met undoubtedly have influenced my opinions and will continue to shape my worldview. My friends have made these years incredible and will never be forgotten. I am interested in issues related to sustainable development and hope to work for an NGO/IGO.

	Dechan Angmo India Mahindra UWC, India College of the Atlantic After UWC, the opportunity to work with an NGO in Ladakh, India, in my gap year made me think about development. At COA, I’ve focused on developmental studies, alternative energy technologies, and material science and engineering. I’ve done research on Colletes bees’ nest cell lining, which has potential as a bio-plastic, and worked on an alternative energy feasibility study. I plan to go to graduate school to continue work in material science and engineering, and, eventually, hope to set up my own NGO in India.

	Alessandra Aponte Donaire Honduras Pearson UWC, Canada Carleton College My Carleton and Pearson educations have complemented each other. Pearson was invaluable because it exposed me to the issues I care about today, while, at Carleton, I was able to refine the tools I gained at Pearson. However, it wasn’t until I became aware of myself and of those around me that I realized I had never lived in a bubble and that both experiences actually have been samples of what is awaiting for me in the “real world.”

	Dafna Ashkenazi Israel UWC-USA Wellesley College Like most of us, I consider my time at the UWC the most formative period of my life. My four years at Wellesley have encouraged me to continue the journey I began at UWC by opening my mind to new ideas and my eyes to new cultures. Looking back, I can only be grateful for the way life has carried me in the most unpredictable directions. I look forward to what’s to come.

	Ali Aslah Maldives Mahindra UWC, India Westminster College I think that the valuable experiences I have had at Westminster College will help me to make a difference in the world. I have gained valuable knowledge from my classes and opportunities I took outside classes. By making close friendships with students from all over the world I have learned to appreciate different cultures and how to work together. My internship with an environmental NGO led me to believe that we can bring change by working at the grassroots level.