Alumni Spotlight: Natali (Class of 2017)
Before she ever set foot on the UWC Robert Bosch College campus, Natali’s story had already taken her across borders. Born and raised in Syria, she left her home country as a teenager when the war escalated, and her family sought safety and stability elsewhere. They moved to Poland, where she spent two years continuing her schooling. Life there was a mix of adjustment and resilience: learning a new language, adapting to a different culture, and trying to carve out a sense of belonging far from home. When the family later relocated again, this time to Freiburg, Natali was excited to discover that UWC Robert Bosch College was right there in her new city. What felt like coincidence soon turned into an opportunity that would change her life.
When Natali arrived at RBC in 2015, she described it as walking into an amusement park. The campus was buzzing with energy, second-year students were reuniting after the summer, first-years were wide-eyed and eager, and everywhere she turned, there were warm greetings and open arms. She had imagined UWC would be mainly about academics, but she soon realized that the heart of the experience extended far beyond the classroom, into friendships, conversations, and the values that shaped daily life. Academically, Natali gravitated toward subjects that challenged her to think differently. Economics sparked a deep interest in questions of equity and fairness, while biology nurtured her curiosity about the systems that connect and sustain life. She loved the emphasis on critical thinking and reflection rather than memorization, a stark contrast to her earlier schooling. But more than any subject, it was the intellectual curiosity of her peers that left an imprint.
“Everybody genuinely cared,” she recalls. “People had goals that once felt unimaginable to me, and that made me more ambitious for my own future.” Outside the classroom, her UWC experience was full of small but powerful moments. She remembers late-night tea rituals in the common room, learning languages from friends, and long conversations that stretched into the early morning. A cancelled Bollywood dance class turned into a friendship with her Japanese co-year Maho that still lasts to this day, proof that sometimes the most unexpected experiences become the most meaningful. These moments, she realized, were as much about education as any class because they taught her to listen deeply, embrace difference, and reflect on her own identity in the context of a diverse community. Still, life at UWC was not without its challenges. Living in such an intense and diverse environment could be overwhelming at times, and Natali, like many students, had to learn to balance her well-being with the demands of academics and community life. “If I could give advice to current students,” she says, “it would be to take care of your mental health, lean on your support systems and go to breakfast.” That mix of practical and profound wisdom reflects the lessons she took with her: that resilience often comes from the simplest habits and that community support is just as important as individual effort.
After graduating from RBC in 2017, Natali eventually chose to stay in Freiburg, a city that had become a second home. She set herself the challenge of mastering German in record time, which she accomplished before enrolling in medical school. For her, medicine felt like a natural path, a field where science, human connection, and care intersect. It was also a path her parents had always envisioned for her, and while she has grown to love it, there were moments when she questioned whether it was truly her choice or theirs. The intensity of medical studies brought pressure, but it also gave her clarity: that she could both honor her family’s hopes and make the profession her own. Today, as she nears the end of her degree, she continues to carry UWC’s lessons with her. She has pursued electives focusing on medicine for vulnerable groups, inspired by the idea that healthcare should serve everyone, regardless of background or circumstance. She approaches patients not just as medical cases but as people with stories, values, and contexts that matter.
Looking back, Natali sees a clear thread linking her UWC experience to her present path. “UWC taught me that challenges are never just one-dimensional,” she reflects. “There are always multiple perspectives and factors to consider. That lesson is just as important in medicine as it was in our community.” Her commitment to listening, to seeing complexity, and to valuing human dignity are qualities she credits directly to her time at RBC. For Natali, UWC was not just a school, but a turning point: a space that expanded her horizons, nurtured her resilience, and inspired her ambition.
