UWC (United World Colleges) is a program which provides the opportunity to study in one of 17 colleges in the world for two years and to become a part of cultural exchange, unrepeatable experience, high quality education bearing the big honor of being a changemaker. UWC is a program of great humanitarian values and respect. It’s a program of love, peace, kindness and care towards the world, the others and yourself. 
You might have heard about one of the 17 UWC colleges, my friend. One of them is in Dilijan. And we - Armenians, should be very proud of having such institution in our country. We should be proud of the fact, that even when people were emigrating from Armenia to study and to find job, there were hundreds of students from all over the world who were coming to our country to get education in UWC Dilijan. There’s another college of which you should have known, my loyal friend. I’ve told you a lot about UWC Adriatic. It is my college: at the edge of the  sea and harmony, at the intersection point of dream and reality. UWC colleges are peculiar as regardless of their geographic  location   they provide all the students with the same opportunities. Me and my co-years from Armenia, Germany, China and India are all studying the IB program (International Baccalaureate). It is challenging meantime being rigorous and strong. However, IB is just a little part of UWC. We are living with a big perspective of changing the world, as we have the chance to explore ourselves and to to raise our voice and as we have the chance to introduce our culture to people from other countries and to get to know theirs. For instance, there are cultural weeks being organised each term in our college. This term it was Asian Middle-Eastern week. By the way, for first time in my life I’ve tried to dance K-Pop and Bollywood. People say it was not bad. Next term we will have the Eastern European week. Last term our holistic Italians had prepared a show for us. 

Besides going to school every morning and doing our homework, we also attend to sport activities or visit villages and towns nearby to do a community service. Me and my friends go to Monfalcone every Thursday to teach English Italians of different ages. I go swimming every Wednesday and Friday. When I arrived at college, I didn’t know how to swim. It was a bit pity: I was going to live near the sea and wasn’t able to swim. It seemed really difficult to learn swimming. And that is UWC. Now I am swimming freely and energetically with the way I couldn’t imagine a few months ago. And besides, my swimming coach is the best and the loveliest person to practice and improve my Italian skills with.We talk a lot. It will be hard to describe how much I get inspired hearing “Tu sei brava” after every conversation. Tuesday is my day of singing. And my solo-singing teacher is the best. Performing during college concerts is another pleasant feeling. 
Besides the friends who become our mates in college, we also have small tutorial groups. My tutor is a language teacher. She speaks a lot of languages and also understands Armenian. We gather every month and fill the tables full of national dishes with warm conversations.

I will not tell how difficult studying  here is my friend. You know, challenges are to be faced and difficulties are to be overcome. If we see a brightness in everything and find a reason to smile, we will be able to love everything.

And yes, my dear! There will be nights I will mash my eyes tired of lamp’s light and will be tired even to yawn. There will be days my alarm will not ring and I will wake up with intuition (which, by the way, had never let me down). There will be songs I will not manage to listen to, because I would have to study for Ecology test or would have to finish my analysis of Philosophy. And there will be days, when I will want to drink a cup of light coffee to stay awake, but my hand will automatically take the kettle and will make tea deep down knowing that coffee is not for me, I’m a tea-lover. And there will be days I will text mom that I’m OK, I’ve eaten and lessons are going well, but will not manage to call and talk. It will happen, that I will no longer be able to recall the exam days of my close friends with the way I used to do before. It will happen, my dear, it will happen...But I will love and appreciate those days with the same pure and dedicating love with which I love the purple sunset and our talks...Those talks, in which I am speaking and you are replying me with the best response ever: with holistic silence.

The understanding of hardness or easiness should not be the thing that should create a picture of UWC for you...You should realise, that from the day when you become a part of this vital movement, you take the huge responsibility of changing the world and making it a better place on your little body and tiny shoulders...I love this responsibility...I love it so much...I love it to the moon and never back…

And yes...Last year this day we were participating in last stage of UWC selection full of great hope towards future...Happy this day...One of the most colourful and the most memorable ones in my life...

Anahit Badalyan, UWC Adriatic, class of 2020