Alumni Spotlight: Lia (Class of 2024)
Finding Hope, Creativity, and a Voice for the Future
When Lia first heard about UWC, it was almost by chance. A close family friend from Costa Rica who had studied at Waterford Kamhlaba often spoke about how the movement had opened her world far beyond her small hometown. Years later, when she saw friends applying, she felt an irresistible pull toward the idea of a place built on shared values, global understanding, and young people living and learning together. By autumn 2021, as the world was still emerging from the isolation of the pandemic, the prospect of joining a community after so much solitude felt like stepping toward something bright and expansive. When the acceptance email arrived letting her know she would be joining UWC Robert Bosch College in Freiburg, she was “beyond excited” — in her words, she had never wanted anything more.
The transition wasn’t entirely seamless. Coming from Berlin, Lia remembers the difficulty of explaining UWC to people back home who simply didn’t understand what it was or why she would choose a boarding school in the south of Germany. Life on campus brought its own challenges too: balancing academics, friendships, and wellbeing in such a busy, high-paced environment could be overwhelming. As someone with family ties to Israel, the events of October 7th and their aftermath also weighed heavily on her during her second year. Her reflections on these experiences are thoughtful and grounded in empathy, highlighting a community doing its best—always learning, sometimes getting things right, and sometimes needing to do better. Yet alongside these challenges, Lia describes her time at RBC as full of joy, connection, and unforgettable moments. One memory that stands out is her urban sketching CAS; every other Saturday, she gathered friends and wandered through Freiburg or into the nearby forest to sketch together, sometimes merging art with music when musician friends busked while the group drew. More profoundly, RBC transformed her outlook on the world. Before arriving, she had felt increasingly nihilistic about climate change and global crises, a mindset the pandemic had only intensified. But hearing different perspectives, meeting peers who cared deeply about global issues, and experiencing what a values-driven community can feel like restored a sense of hope she didn’t realize she had lost. “Hope is something very special and not so common with young people these days,” she said, “and that is really a gift.”
After graduating in 2024, Lia took a gap year, working in Berlin and visiting friends across North-, South America and Europe, experiences that continued the spirit of exploration and interconnectedness she had found at RBC. This autumn, she moved to London to begin her degree in Comparative Literature at UCL. Her passion for literature had been present before RBC, but she credits her English classes, particularly with Ell and Lydia, and collaborative creative projects with friends for deepening that love. Living in London feels like the beginning of a new chapter. She is discovering parts of her identity connected to her British heritage, immersing herself in museums, theatres, and cultural spaces, and enjoying the feeling of living in an English-speaking country for the first time. “It feels like I’m exactly where I’m supposed to be,” she said.
When asked what she misses most from RBC, Lia doesn’t hesitate: the energy of the community, the shared values lived out daily, and the trust that formed the foundation of life on campus. “You can’t really replicate that,” she said. “It’s special because of the place, and also because of the age you are.” Though she has moved on to new places, the friendships she made at RBC continue to shape her life—many of them scattered across the world, still in regular contact, still part of her daily life. And perhaps the most meaningful legacy is the shift in outlook she carries: a sense of hope, creativity, and belief in what’s possible when diverse young people live and learn together.
