Sina Heng

UWC attended: United World College of the Atlantic (Wales)
Class Year: Class of 2017

My name is Sina and I am from Cambodia, a small town near the Thai border. I have never been away from home until two years ago when I was selected for UWC Atlantic College, Wales, UK.

Two years at my UWC was a life-changing experience. It was a mixture of tension and fun. However, what I really like most about UWC life was “challenge.” To me, physical activities such as climbing, mountain biking and skiing were as tough as the IB and its extra curriculum, but they are also enjoyable. However, time management was the most difficult one. During my free time, it was always hard to decide whether I should enjoy myself, listen to music and chill out with friends, or revise and do extra school work.

I graduated from Atlantic College in 2013 and earned my diploma. During my summer holiday, I worked for United World Schools, an NGO working on education in Cambodia, as a volunteering translator. I went to the poorest part in Cambodia with international students, who went on a UWS summer project, to teach poor children who have never been to school. The project lasted for 3 weeks. At the moment, I am ready to move to the Lewis and Clark community. It is exciting.

Through I had a hard time making a decision, Lewis and Clark became my first choice. After talking to two of my friends who have just graduated from Lewis and Clark, I discovered this school is similar to UWC in terms of school environment, leadership and challenge. Also, Lewis and Clark is located in a beautiful green area with fine weather conditions.

At the moment, I have been thinking about what I am going to major in. Between environmental studies and biochemistry, I am not sure which one I am going to go for yet. Honestly, I am not very good in literature, reading and all. Therefore, I think I prefer doing science. It is more like practising.

I am now ready for my adventure in Lewis and Clark. I am pretty sure that the academics are not very easy, but I will do my best. In the meantime, I will also use this chance wisely to explore the school as well as Portland. I hope to make many friends and learn from them plus have fun together.