Waterford Kamhlaba UWC was founded only 50 years ago with the goal of challenging the Apartheid government that ruled in South-Africa at the time. Under South-African law, black students were not given the same level of access to education as white students. The founders of Waterford came to Swaziland with the goal of setting up a school that gave everyone the same opportunities regardless of their skin color or economic background. To this day, the Mission Statement still reflects this determination to provide equal opportunities to all.
I can’t begin to sum up my last six years at Waterford Kamhlaba, I have had so many wonderful experiences I don’t know where to start. Some of my favorite memories from my time at Waterford are as a result of the incredible community service that the school values above any class room education. One of the main traits that Waterford instills in everyone who passes through the campus is a sense of community-mindedness. To me, this was the knowledge that I had been granted an amazing education that many Swazis could only dream of, and the community service departments gave me the ability to go into local communities and share the knowledge the school had given me whilst at the same time learning as much as possible from the people we were visiting. When looking for colleges to apply to I knew I wanted to continue working with local communities to help anyone who had not been given the same opportunities I had. Lewis & Clark seemed to hold many of the same values and I knew it would be a great fit for me.
My favorite activities include reading (I enjoy almost any fiction or suspense filled books), obsessing over TV shows, chatting with friends for hours on end or simply listening to some good music.
While looking at college, Lewis & Clark also stood out for its incredible biology programs and support for students in the natural sciences. While I am still largely undecided as to what I will be majoring in, I have fallen in love with biology during the IB program and am sure that I will be studying it further during my time at Lewis & Clark. Having been born and raised in a country that provides breathtaking scenery everywhere you look, I love spending time outdoors taking in the natural beauty of my surroundings. I know that there is no shortage of outdoor activities to make me feel right at home at Lewis & Clark. While Portland may be half way round the world, I am confident that I will find a welcoming community of like-minded students.