Alumni Stories
As a school founded in 2014, we have a young alumni community. At UWC Dilijan we like to hear your post-UWC stories and to keep abreast of the milestones in your personal development. Your stories encourage our current students and give them ideas in relation to their own future.
Here are some of the stories
From Georgia with Love: Sandro helps save Armenian lives
We are proud to share with you a story about an initiative of one of our alumni - a story of not only the desire to help those who are in need, but also taking real action and bringing change. On June 4 Prime Minister Pashinyan announced that Armenian hospitals struggled to keep up with the number of COVID-19 patients. "After this statement, I thought that it would be humane to use the privileged situation of Georgia in order to help those who need help the most, in this case - Armenia," says Sandro Chumashvili, 2020 alumnus from Georgia. Sandro created a petition where he asked the Georgian government to offer help to Armenia. In around two hours, this news about the petition was covered in the media and was trending on social networks. On the same day, the petition reached the government. In the evening, David Zalkaliani, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Georgia, made an announcement that he just had a call with his Armenian colleague Zohrab Mnatsakanyan and Georgia was ready to help its neighbour. Several days later Georgia sent medics to Armenia to combat COVID-19 and the press secretary of Armenian parliament also issued a letter of gratitude to the Georgian people. Sandro closed the petition in around 36 hours after creating it since it achieved its main goal. Read some articles about this in English, Armenian, Georgian
Sandro (Georgia, UWCD'20)
From Ethiopia to Harvard: An inspirational story of our alumnus Workneh
Back home he would work hard for paying for his education and to help his family. During his studies at UWC Dilijan he saved his pocket money and built a new house for his parents.
"I can feel a really huge change in me... This has been a great place where I could actually find myself. I became able to get all the ingredients which can motivate and influence in education. I am going to contribute to my country and to the globe as a whole. After coming here I am able to see the whole world in one glance. I can see people doing great things here - I could feel that energy and that motivation here", says Workneh.
Workneh (Ethiopia, UWCD’18)
Kati (Germany, UWCD'18): My Armenia, we will never forget!
I may not have been born in Armenia, nor do I speak Armenian. Maybe, my Armenia, will I never truly understand what you say and maybe, my Armenia, will I never truly comprehend your pain.
But I see your strength and it inspires me. I see your colours and they reflect in my eyes. And I see your will to survive and it wills me to follow you.
Once upon a time, my Armenia, you gave me a home in the unknown. Through you, my Armenia, my eyes were opened and the gates to the world were unlocked. I will never forget, my Armenia, what has been done to you, as I will always remember what you have given me.
My Armenia, I have accepted it as my destiny to scream your name loud, cry tears the colour of your lake, paint flowers of hope in lilac and oppose the denial as your mountains have for centuries.
My Armenia, we will never forget!
Kati (Germany, UWCD'18)
From Hong Kong to Chaltura: Jeremy's journey of growth through Global Citizen Year
Jeremy Chan (Hong Kong) UWCD'18 reflects upon his experience living in Ecuador as part of the Global Citizen Year Program.
Upon graduating from UWC Dilijan in May 2018, and after many years of learning from textbooks, Jeremy decided to get some practical knowledge and applied to the Global Citizen Program. This decision took him to Ecuador where he lived for seven months.
This was an eye-opening experience for him on many different levels. Coming from Hong Kong, Jeremy was used to the hustle of big cities. In Ecuador, he was living with a host family in a rural community called Chaltura, in the province of Imbambura in the Andes mountain range of Northern Ecuador. There, the pace of life is not that of bustling, vibrant streets and skyscrapers. Life in Chaltura is very slow paced. Initially, Jeremy recalls how the language was a barrier or him. But, after a couple of week, being surrounded by a big, loving family as well as by cows, pigs, rabbits, chickens and other animals, neither the language nor the culture seemed foreign anymore.
During his time in Ecuador, Jeremy worked in a foundation that helped kids with disabilities, mostly doing media work but also learning about various therapies.
"In comparison to my time in academic studies, this was a very valuable experience, as it taught me practical skills that I could not have learned otherwise", says Jeremy.
Jeremy Chan (Hong Kong, UWCD'18)