International Students and Scholars - Lewis & Clark

Davis United World College Scholar
Lester B. Pearson United World College of the Pacific (Canada)

I was born in Ethiopia, but my family moved to Germany when I was four years old. From a leaflet that one of my teachers read out loud I first heard about the United World Colleges. I was immediately fascinated by the movement and still consider my acceptance one of the happiest days of my life. In my two years at Lester B. Pearson College, I lived and learned with brilliant and diverse students from more than 100 different countries, which was a truly transformational experience. UWC had a great impact on me; it helped me mature and develop and, above all, realize that there is more than one answer to most questions, more than one idea that is worth being considered, more than one opinion worth listening to. I found myself trying so many new things and becoming more spontaneous. Hence, I have come to learn that even though new things may be intimidating at the beginning, and there is always the possibility of failing in them, it is extremely valuable to have those experiences and to learn from them.

I’ve been part of the drama activity in my school for several years and I really enjoy doing theatre. I always loved the challenge of switching into different roles. Even though I’ve never learned to play an instrument, recently I developed a love for the piano. I tried to teach it to myself, which didn’t work so well, but I am planning on continuing until I can write my own piece and play it on the piano.  For many years I’ve tried many different sports and the ones I loved most were tennis and soccer. I plan on starting to play tennis again.  Outside of school, I also did a lot of community service. Last summer I volunteered in France at an organization called Emmaus, which was an incredible experience. Tutoring was also something I did for many years and enjoyed. I helped mostly children with an immigrant background, who had language difficulties and whose own parents weren’t able to help or send them to professional tutoring.  

Lewis & Clark College immediately struck me as a place where there are many opportunities to challenge myself. Above all, I chose Lewis & Clark because I felt appreciated as an international student and felt it’s the right place for me to pursue my aspirations, which are both academic achievement and personal growth. I think in order to have a voice and to make changes, a good education is essential and that is what I am certain to receive here. As for now, I am planning on majoring in either economics or international affairs. I also hope to have an impact both on the internal campus community through getting involved in student organizations and theatre, and the external Portland community through service activities.