Nomzamo Mavimbela

UWC attended: Waterford Kamhlaba United World College of Southern Africa (Swaziland)
Class Year: Class of 2016

I was born and raised in Swaziland. I am the last born in a family of three children. Throughout my primary and high school education, I have always been interested and enjoyed administrative work, numerical and statistical exercises.  This, combined with my two years of doing business studies at IGCSE level and two years of economics in IB at higher level, has influenced my decision of wanting to enroll in an economics/finance course.

Currently, my own country is facing economic and financial difficulties. Even though this is not the main reason why I want to enroll in this course, it has enabled me to see the important roles that economics play in everyone’s lives. I believe that in college I will be able to acquire the skills that are required to understand such situations and be able to help other citizens in my own country or anywhere in the world. I also believe that the skills I will acquire in college will allow me to explore my career with confidence.

I have been privileged, having the chance to attend at Waterford Kamhlaba UWC. Besides its excellent academic program, it also offers a wide variety of activities. Throughout my years at Waterford I have been involved in different activities such as netball, volleyball, badminton and many different kinds of community services. Taking part in the different activities has given me the opportunity to work with other people outside of class and learn how to work successfully in teams or groups, and to also work with people from different backgrounds and learn to appreciate all the people around me.

I have not yet had the chance to travel a lot especially outside Southern Africa. However, being in a UWC has given me the chance to interact with people from all over the world. So I am grateful for that experience.

Coming from a very small country, I believe Lewis & Clark and Portland are the best fit for me as I do not want to be overwhelmed by the hype in big cities and colleges.

As my economics teacher once said, “exposure is a key element to success.” Therefore, I believe that Lewis & Clark will carry on exposing me to all the materials or knowledge that I need to pursue my career.  I look forward to the new challenges in college because they will also lead to my success and the success of the community I live in.  I believe I am principled enough and my academic motivation will enable me to handle the new experiences.