As I look back on my first weeks at Pearson, I can already see how much personal growth, unexpected events, and great interactions I have experienced compared to my life before. I am surrounded by passionate future world leaders who are not scared to express themselves here. I believe that there is no better environment to grow as a person. I have already had the chance to learn a great deal from my co-years about their cultures and the regions they hail from as we engage in fruitful conversations a lot not even during classes but in the dayroom or at lunch. Knowing that I have already had these rich experiences, makes me even more excited about what’s to come during my two years. I am grateful to everyone who helped to make this experience possible.

My two years at Pearson coincided with tough times for my country. Therefore, it has been both more and less challenging for me than for other students. Even when I wanted to feel sorry for myself, I understood that many of my acquaintances have worse conditions due to the danger of military action, shelling and the lack of electricity, internet, and mobile communication. Instead of feeling despair and homesickness, I have been organizing events that support Ukraine. Instead of wondering how I will rest in the summer, I helped in Ukraine by equipping shelters, working with children who have felt the terrible breath of war, and developing applications to improve education safety in dangerous regions with the possibility of instant missile attacks. So, I am grateful to fate, Pearson, and Canada for a safe shelter and thorough education, for all my achievements and meetings, and for opportunities I could not even dream of. I am grateful to Ukraine and the Ukrainian diaspora in Victoria for their support and the opportunity to hear their native language and songs.

Reflecting on my first year at Pearson, I can see how much I have grown as a person. I have learned, and continue to learn, so much from my peers about their culture and the part of the world they came from. There are always opportunities to engage in a healthy discussion and I appreciate that students have a safe space to share our own individual perspectives about important global issues. Because of this I am inspired to study social sciences and pursue a future career in international relations.

Pearson College UWC was a transformational experience, a single pivotal moment in the trajectory of my random movement on this planet. Before I came to Pearson I was a girl from a small town in Ukraine with big dreams and no pathway or a clear plan for their implementation. After two years I grew up, matured in many ways side by side with passionate thinkers guided by strong moral principles and drive for change, and in a more practical sense learned what steps I need to take to be able to pursue what I truly cared about.

Almost 10 years have passed since I first landed in BC and arrived on campus, and it has been quite a journey! As an idealist 16-year old from a small Ukrainian city, I could not imagine that in a decade, I will be working in London for one of the world’s development banks supporting the governments and clients on the climate agenda, from developing renewables in Central Asia to just transition of coal mining regions in my home country.

At Pearson, I learned to be more open-minded, I have understood the sense of community that is beyond my immediate family and school/activities circle. What I love so much about Pearson is that it opened to me the world of shared duty and volunteering. I started to be inspired by the idea to bring a smile to someone’s face and unleash my creativity even in the smallest things, as long as that would brighten the mood, lift the spirits or send a good message across the community.