ONE° NORTH
Vol 19 March 2022
The Alumni Magazine of UWC South East Asia
Celebrating 50 Years United
Alumni Values In Action Awards
UWCSEA IfP Toolkit launches
Introducing UWCSEA Connect
Our UWCSEA experiences showed us that
with open eyes, open hearts, and open minds,
we can continue to learn from others, care for
others, and share with others."
Ju Shen Lee ’88 and Jeevan Sellappah ’76
Read more on page 4
One°North is published by UWC South East Asia annually for alumni, staff and friends of UWCSEA. Reproduction in any manner is prohibited without written consent.
We welcome your feedback; please send comments, suggestions for future issues and/or address updates to alumnimagazine@uwcsea.edu.sg
Editors: Renée Gallant, Kate Woodford; Design: Selina Low; Photographs: where possible, attribution captioned
Printed on recycled paper | MCI (P) 067/11/2021 | ALUMNI-2122
Inside
08
2020–2021 YEAR
IN REVIEW
Alumni Foundation
Council
10
BRINGING THE
MISSION TO LIFE
Launching our Values
in Action Award
12
GRADUATION
2021
Welcome to our
newest members
of the alumni
community!
14
50 YEARS IN
SINGAPORE
Milestone moments
from our first
five decades
02
A MESSAGE
FROM THE
PRESIDENT
Carma Elliot, College
President
04
UWCSEA: HERE'S
WHY AND SO
WHAT?
Ju Shen Lee ’88 and
Jeevan Sellappah ’76
06
READY TO
BREATHE:
ALUMNUS
COLLABORATES
WITH CANTABILE
Rahul Advani ’08
07
HUMANITARIAN
& SPORTS LEADER
Gavin Dinsdale, Head of
High School Activities,
UWCSEA East
Featuring: Tahlia
Nesfield ’18 and Lauren
Pendleton-Nash ’19
16
CREATING
CONDITIONS FOR
PEACEBUILDING
Launching the
UWCSEA IfP Toolkit
Featuring
Qamaruzzaman
“Q” Amir, Kimheang
Chham ’16, Geovania
(Debby) Guterres
Ornai ’15 and Felipe
Andres Fontecilla
Gutierrez ’14
18
PAYING TRIBUTE
TO THE GIFT OF
FRIENDSHIP AT
UWCSEA
Alumni Support
UWCSEA’s first
Giving Day
Featuring Class
of 1997 Alumnae
Mamiko Kutsukake,
Mei (Michelle) Chan,
Kate Christopherson,
Ranmali Lintotawela,
Selma Nadarajah,
Ashima Thomas
19
UWCSEA ALUMNI
IN HONG KONG
Our first regional
alumni chapter is
launched
20
CELEBRATING 50
YEARS UNITED
The Story of UWCSEA
in Singapore
21
CHANGEMAKER
Musa Henry Kpaka ’04
22
REUNION 2021
A Reunion Like No
Other!
24
NOTES FROM
THE ALUMNI
OFFICE
Alumni Services
25
INTRODUCING
UWCSEA
CONNECT
COVER
Bhutan—Real.Life.
Photos by Ju Shen Lee
Ju Shen uses her
camera to connect
to her subjects. The
camera does more
than capture images
of the subjects; it
also projects the
photographer’s good
faith, good intent,
and goodwill to the
subjects.
March 2022 OneºNorth 1
of IfP events, each having profound
and long-lasting personal impact on
participants while extending the impact
of our mission.
And then to the culminating event of
Term 1, Founders Week. It began on
Monday, 13 December with another
inspiring Kishore Mahbubani Speaker
Series event—a conversation with
Faith Abiodun, the incoming Executive
Director of UWC International. I was
joined by two of our High School
students, Ruth and Anthony, in an
inspirational discussion with Faith on a
wide range of topics that resonated with
our community and really connected
with our students. Faith shared his
vision that “UWC is possibility—plus
agency”—and that he hopes students
will see what can happen, and know
that they can make it happen. We were
pleased to welcome so many in the
UWC global community to the event,
which was Faith’s first public appearance
in his new role. It was an inspiring
glimpse of the possibilities for the future
of our global movement, signalling the
depth and breadth of the discussions
that will take place in the UWCSEA
Forum Learning to Shape the Future,
scheduled 22–23 April 2022.
On Tuesday, 14 December, we began
our first ever Giving Day with a splash
when 50 Dover staff jumped into the
pool to kick off the 30 hours of giving!
I enjoyed baking 1,500 cookies with
This year we are celebrating our 50-year
history in Singapore, and as I reflect on
the collective activity that has already
taken place alongside all of the ‘business
as usual’—the learning, the teaching, the
operations and the care—I am grateful
to be a part of such a wholeheartedly
committed community.
There have been so many opportunities
for us to be ‘together in purpose’ this
year. Our 50th celebrations kicked off
in earnest with the Alumni Reunion
in August bringing together, virtually,
some 700 alumni and former staff
from across the globe. While rekindling
connections with former classmates and
teachers, our alumni were also keen to
explore what the College is today and
understand how they can give back by
continuing to live the mission in their
lives beyond the College. The UWCSEA
Alumni Values in Action Awards were
launched that weekend, and the
awardees announced during Founders
Week in December at the book-end
alumni event, our Holiday Reunion. It
was humbling to see the ways in which
our 19 awardees are making a difference
in their communities, supporting
inclusion, peace, sustainability and
community wellbeing. You can read
more about the inaugural recipients on
page 10.
Activity around the theme of peace
gathered pace in September, with
the launch of our first White Paper
Message from
the College
President:
50 Years United
Educating for peace: UWCSEA Mission
for Future Peacebuilders. UWC Day, on
21 September, was celebrated across
both campuses by students and staff.
That evening, I was honoured to host
series namesake, Kishore Mahbubani,
on the East Campus for a conversation
examining perspectives on peace in
front of a small audience of students
and staff, and a much wider online
audience. The messages of peace and
the importance of the role of youth
in the process of peacebuilding are
continuing to spread, as the video
recording of that discussion has
continued to gather audiences in the
intervening months. While we will
have more to share on this topic later
this year, we were also pleased to
announce UWCSEA’s partnership with
the National University of Singapore’s
(NUS) Asian Peace Programme (APP) at
the event.
Alumni were also central to the launch
of the UWCSEA Initiative for Peace
(IfP) Toolkit at the end of September,
and we welcomed alumni, students
and staff to an online event which
served to highlight the importance
of this programme, and the impact
that initiatives such as IfP can have
on the lives of young people and their
communities. We have funded an
experienced IfP facilitator to take care of
the nascent programme, which we hope
will grow to become a global network
2 OneºNorth March 2022
parent volunteers on both campuses
and had the joy of handing them out
on our birthday, joined by scholars,
students and members of the leadership
team. The whole College community
came together to support scholarships
and there were multiple staff and
student challenges across the College.
The generosity of our community
was overwhelming with more than
S$450,000 raised by 735 donors in
support of UWC scholarships. Our
sincerest thanks to everyone who
was able to support this special day,
which will fund a number of scholars to
experience a UWC education, including
a young woman from Afghanistan who
will attend UWC Thailand.
Wednesday then marked 50 years to
the day since former Prime Minister
Lee Kuan Yew opened the College
on Dover Road. We were fortunate
to receive a congratulatory video
message from current Prime Minister
Lee himself, which you can read
alongside my own, or view the video
on our 50th anniversary website. It is a
remarkable honour to have a message
acknowledging the special history
UWCSEA has with Singapore, and of the
value that is placed on our contribution,
as a school and as a community. We
hope to remain closely connected
with Singapore; we know that we will
continue to be inspired by our host
country for the next 50 years.
And then we launched our highly
anticipated 50th anniversary coffee
table book, 50 Years United: The Story of
UWCSEA in Singapore, with service and
other Singapore partners and friends
joining us in the Dover Campus Library.
The book is a wonderful collection of
stories and memories in recognition
of UWCSEA’s intimate connection to
Singapore’s story. I am grateful for
the care that went into creating such
a thoughtful record of our story, our
achievements and our inspiration—and
for your contribution to that many-
faceted tale.
When our College opened in 1971,
we effectively turned one school in
Wales into a global movement, now 18
schools strong, and began expanding
a global community united by our
common mission and a vision for
inclusion and equity. How wonderful
to celebrate together in such rich and
meaningful ways.
Warm regards,
Carma Elliot CMG OBE
College President
A birthday message from
Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong
Delivered 15 December 2021
My warmest congratulations to UWC
for 50 successful years in Singapore.
Fifty years ago UWC was set up as
one of the first international schools
in Singapore educating the children
of expatriates posted here. Since then
UWC in Singapore has grown into an
established and trusted educator. It
has 5,600 students from over 100
nationalities and successful alumni
all over the world. UWC’s success
is intertwined with Singapore’s
development and progress.
Throughout this journey the College
has made valuable contributions
to the wider community especially
through your vibrant service
programmes.
These last two years have been very
difficult for everyone because of the
COVID-19 pandemic. In particular,
it's been tough on the international
community here. You have had to
comply with strict travel restrictions.
Some families have endured long
periods of separation from members
abroad. The economic uncertainties
have also heightened local-foreigner
anxieties in our society which you
may have personally encountered.
I would therefore like to thank the
international community here for
standing shoulder-to-shoulder
with Singaporeans through these
difficult days.
Thank you for contributing to the
economy and society and for being
part of the extended Singapore
family. We welcome you and value
your contributions. We hope you will
integrate well into our society and
wish you and your family a productive
and happy stay here. Singapore will
always be an international hub, open
and welcoming to ideas and talent
and we thank UWC for helping to
make Singapore a good place for
expatriates to live and work.
I look forward to the College
continuing to play a valuable role in
Singapore for the next 50 years and
beyond. Happy Golden Jubilee.
March 2022 OneºNorth 3
Here’s Why …
UWCSEA taught us to build bridges to different people from
different cultures living in different worlds. Our UWCSEA
experiences showed us that with open eyes, open hearts, and
open minds, we would learn from others, care for others, and
share with others. We have continued to gather immense
benefit from our UWCSEA lessons and experiences.
Driven by Ju Shen’s passion for ‘Real.Life.Photos’, we have
continued to leverage these invaluable lessons and experiences
as we have travelled on our annual, month-long photo-
expeditions: Bhutan (2013,2014), Cambodia (2015), Laos (2016,
2017, 2018), and Myanmar (2019). We have come to appreciate
that we did not graduate from UWCSEA but, instead, we
graduated with the spirit of UWCSEA as a part of us.
Here is one of our experiences that tells the story of this
profound influence.
Merak, Bhutan
We were marooned in Merak (3,520m), a Brokpa village along
the Himalayan range in a remote area in eastern Bhutan.During
our trek through the Sakteng Wildlife Sanctuary, we learnt
that the Nakchungla pass (4,153m) and the Labtsekha pass
(3,300m) were closed by heavy snowfall. Our guide, Kesang
Tshering, decided that it would be dangerous to continue on to
our destination, Sakteng (2,950m).
The Brokpas are a semi-nomadic yak-herding tribe, ethnically
and culturally distinct from the Bhutanese. After spending
the summer in the high alpine pastures with their herds, they
return to their homes in Merak and Sakteng for the winters.
Unlike the rest of Bhutan, which is Buddhist, the Brokpa are
animists, and few speak Bhutan’s national language, Dzongkha.
With an overwhelming generosity of spirit, the village headman
opened his home and his village to us for three remarkable
days. We had arrived in the late afternoon and as dinner was
being prepared, villagers started thronging the headman’s
home to meet us. To dissolve the multiple language barriers,
Ju Shen whipped out her mobile phone and showed them our
family photos. This was not only an instant hit, but created a
bond like no other because, no matter where you are, families
are important. When Ju Shen showed them our baby photos,
the mothers cooed adoringly whilst the children laughed
hysterically!
During our stay, the villagers proudly showed us their village.
They gave us a special performance of their traditional summer
yak dance and showed us the new village community centre
they were building. Everywhere we went, we were offered
endless cups of tea and a conveyor belt of snacks. The potent
traditional fermented grain liquor, ara, was also offered but
politely declined because it would have quickly debilitated ara
novices like us!
Ju Shen ingeniously used her camera to connect to her
subjects. The camera does more than capture images of
the subjects; it also projects the photographer’s good faith,
good intent, and goodwill. Everywhere we went, she would
show the villagers, on her camera’s screen, all the photos she
Ju Shen uses her camera to connect to her subjects. The camera does more than capture images of the
UWCSEA–
Here’s Why and So What!
Ju Shen Lee ’88 and Jeevan Sellappah ’76
4 OneºNorth March 2022
had taken in their village. This brought much joy and quickly
cemented the bonds built during our first dinner there. As we
walked through the village, Jeevan would be comically bent
over carrying the heavy camera pack, trudging several meters
behind Ju Shen in abject servility. This made the women
smile in solidarity with Ju Shen, whilst the men would nod in
resignation with Jeevan!
Following our recommendation, Kesang Tshering and his
company, Bhutan Wilderness Travel, were appointed to provide
the logistics and guiding services for UWCSEA’s Grade 9
Outdoor Education expeditions to Bhutan. We have also both
returned to give some pro bono support for Bhutan: Ju Shen
created a tourism promotion video titled ‘Flavours of Bhutan’
and Jeevan worked for a year with Druk Holding & Investments
Bhutan’s sovereign wealth fund.
… So What?
Our UWCSEA lessons and experiences have provided us
with solid and sustainable foundations that continue to add
fresh colour and vitality to our adventures in life. From our
serendipitous encounters with the humble, hardworking Brokpa
yak herders in Merak, to the Hmong hill farmers in Phoumieng,
the Intha fishermen and farmers in Nyaung Won, and the Lao
monks in Luang Prabang, we learnt three important lessons.
First: Whilst not everyone can be a hero to the world, everyone
can be a hero to their family and community. Second: Whilst
not everyone can be the best, everyone can be their best.
Third: Whilst not everyone can donate money, everyone can
donate their time to inspire and encourage others.
As UWCSEA alumni, you already know that this is simply all
about learning from others, caring for others, and sharing with
others. So, please join us to celebrate where our adventures in
life all started: UWCSEA!
subjects; it also projects the photographer’s good faith, good intent, and goodwill to the subjects.
Explore more of Ju Shen and Jeevan’s images and
impressions from their travels to Phoumieng and
Luang Prabang, Laos on the UWCSEA website.
“Team JS” Jeevan Sellappah ’76 and Ju Shen Lee ’88
For information on visiting these wonderful people,
photographing these beautiful locations, excellent
accommodation, and knowledgeable travel guides, please
contact Ju Shen and Jeevan via UWCSEA Connect.
March 2022 OneºNorth 5
READY TO BREATHE:
Alumnus collaborates with Cantabile
Rahul Advani ’08
Music always provided an outlet for me. When I think about
my time at UWCSEA, I fondly remember all the opportunities
I got to grow as a performer, from singing in the musical revue
“All That Jazz” and staging and directing an original Bollywood
musical “Pyaar Ki Dhun'' in the Exam Hall (now the expanded
Music Department!) to singing with Cantabile. During Middle
School I would sit in assemblies watching in awe as my High
School peers in Cantabile performed. Years later, it was
through Cantabile that I had my first taste of singing different
genres and styles and performing in professional venues
around Singapore including the Esplanade.
About a decade later (and midway through my PhD), I began
writing and recording songs that would form an EP. I knew that
the EP’s first track “Ready To Breathe”—a song about breaking
free from expectations and defining happiness on one’s own
terms—needed to feel like a celebration. The arrangement
leans heavily into the soul, rock and pop influences I grew
up listening to, including Elton John, John Mayer and Sara
Bareilles. Towards the end of the song, I had the idea of having
all the instruments suddenly come to a stop, with a gospel
choir clapping and singing the song’s refrain. Immediately,
Cantabile sprang to mind.
I connected with Michel Fox, my former teacher who first
encouraged me to sing, and in December 2019 I found myself
back at school to record “Ready To Breathe” with the current
members of Cantabile—how surreal! In many ways it felt like
my musical journey had come full circle. It was incredible to
see the Music Department’s growth, including its state-of-the-
art recording studio. At the same time, the enthusiasm among
the students remained just as strong as I remember during my
years at UWCSEA.
Just a few months after the recording, the world turned upside
down as the pandemic swept across the globe. I continued to
work on the EP music remotely, also shooting a music video
over Zoom with filmmakers and actors in Singapore and India.
Two years later, with the EP now finished, I can’t quite believe
that the Grade 11 and 12 students I recorded with that day are
now alumni themselves, scattered all over the world. I hope
that wherever their journeys take them, these songs will be
something they carry with them.
Keep an eye on upcoming issues of Alumni eBrief
to receive notification of the official release of
“Ready To Breathe” or follow Rahul on Spotify:
“Cantabile was the choir where I first developed my
confidence as a singer and performer. The recording
session was an absolute blast, and it was so much
fun getting to have current students be a part of this
process. The facilities at UWCSEA are nothing short of
astonishing, and it’s heartening to know that there’s still
the same excitement and enthusiasm towards trying
new things.”
Rahul (centre) with Cantabile members after recording “Ready to Breathe” in
December 2019
Rahul (left) in a 2008 performance of “Pyaar Ki Dhun”
"I remember Rahul being so encouraging, patient and
gentle in his rehearsal manner with the students. He
was also very modest as he spoke to the students and
answered their questions, particularly considering the
quality of the material and instrumental arrangements
he had just produced."
Michel Fox, Music teacher and Director of Cantabile
6 OneºNorth March 2022
HUMANITARIAN AND SPORTS LEADER
How the Activities programme prepared two alumnae for
life after UWCSEA
Tahlia during her volunteer experience in Nepal.
She remains involved in humanitarian efforts
alongside Geography and Development Studies at
University.
Lauren now works as an International Youth Football
Coach and Referee while pursuing her BA in Sports
Management and Coaching.
Travelling to Nepal on an international
humanitarian project to provide
vital assistance in an earthquake
zone requires someone who is
compassionate, can deal with stress
and translate understanding into action.
Tahlia attributes these characteristics
and confidence to several aspects
of her involvement in the UWCSEA
Activities Programme. Being involved
in Culturama dances with an audience
of 400 will certainly make you perform
under pressure but the learning is
much deeper than the dance itself.
Connecting with unfamiliar people and
cultures requires open-mindedness and
an understanding that each person is
unique and to respect the uniqueness
of others. Working with 80 delegates
in the Initiative for Peace ensured
she was comfortable having difficult
conversations, able to listen intently
to other perspectives and fostered an
ability to see the big picture. Being
involved in sports teams required trust,
Gavin Dinsdale, Head of High School Activities, East Campus
dedication and the ability to cope
with stress. Sport also teaches about
the importance of teamwork and this
prepared Tahlia to deal with demanding
and challenging situations especially
when dealing with other volunteers in
Nepal when tasks were physically and
emotionally draining. Being involved in
Activities brought happiness and fond
memories whilst at East but the deeper
learning which has been called on in
many challenging situations since has
proved the true value.
We often hear how Activities shape a student’s time at UWCSEA, but the preparation for life beyond the College is as impactful. We
strive towards developing students as lifelong learners where they utilise and build upon their past experiences. Reflections captured
from alumnae demonstrate how their participation in Activities helped them in unique ways as they began to forge their own paths.
The following shared by Tahlia Nesfield '18 and Lauren Pendleton-Nash '99 are powerful reminders of the learning that takes
place across our learning programme.
“I was alone, in the country, I
didn’t speak the language and was
navigating a landscape that has
been scarred by an earthquake”
Humanitarian
Sports Leader
Lauren is a passionate and impressively
qualified football coach who is currently
overseeing training sessions at five
locations in the UK involving over 500
students alongside studying for her
undergraduate degree. Participating
in team sports while at East Campus
taught Lauren the need to develop
interpersonal skills, to be inclusive
and trust her peers, qualities that she
has utilised in her fast track coaching
career. Conversations with Lauren
pinpoint her experience in the Chelsea
FC Leadership Programme as pivotal to
her success since leaving the College.
Student Leadership Programmes require
students to connect with people of
all ages and backgrounds including
students and staff. Learning how to deal
with different personalities, situations
and challenges prepared Lauren for
more demanding situations and gave her
the edge over others when seeking out
coaching and leadership opportunities.
Lauren has made it a point to build
strong connections with people that she
meets and has kept her network strong
by helping others. She continues to build
her network in her role as a Football
League Secretary and Fixtures Manager
involving hundreds of teams in the UK.
The learning from participation in the
Activities Programme has ensured that
Lauren has cultivated a network within
football in which she is significantly
contributing and flourishing.
Beyond the fun and enjoyment of
auditorium filled dances, sports teams,
clubs and leadership programmes
UWCSEA’s Activities Programmes
instil the cultural competencies
and interpersonal skills essential to
supporting not only our alumni but
also the communities in which they live.
March 2022 OneºNorth 7
DOVER CAMPUS
2020/2021 YE
Written by the Alumni Foundation Council; High School students who su
Rock Show
by Anusha, Grade 10
The annual Rock Show took place right
before the school shifted into remote
learning mode. Despite the planning
team of students, teachers and facilities
staff being unsure if it would occur, the
Rock Show was a resounding success.
We witnessed spectacular individual and
band performances, all thanks to the
teachers, students, and technicians who
worked tirelessly to make it happen.
TEDxDover
by Amanda, Grade 11
The theme for TEDxUWCSEA Dover
2021 was "Empower". The conference,
held on 14 April, included speakers who
shared their interpretations of the word
with the goal of collectively redefining
the term. Student organisers Enos and
Luis saw TEDx as the perfect way to
promote important ideas and make a
difference in their community.
UN Night
by Anusha, Grade 10
The show went on in spite of the
pandemic, shifting to virtual livestreams.
With performances from a vast array of
countries and cultures, students stunned
us spectacularly, with people of all
nationalities and ages coming together
to continue the UN Night tradition.
Rainforest Restoration
by Meg, Grade 11
Even though students weren’t able to
go around the island to plant in nature,
members of the Rainforest Restoration
Project on both campuses supported
the Million Trees Initiative by donating
20 saplings of rare plants like Hopea
ferrea and Parkia specios, to be planted
in tropical rainforests. Dover students
were also put in charge of a section of
Singapore’s new Green Rail Corridor
thanks to the College’s long term
partnership with NParks. Some of their
duties included weeding invasive species
and collecting data on the biodiversity
and health of the plants.
Drama Production:
Short Form 2020
by Meg, Grade 11
Short Form is an annual celebration
of student-written and directed work
and has always been an exciting event
due to the variety and creativity of the
different pieces. This year’s productions
were more diverse due to the
participation of students from all grade
levels. Due to COVID regulations, the
process was especially challenging, but
their passion and enthusiasm allowed
them to overcome these obstacles.
The final performances of Short Form
were recorded and available to internal
community members online to watch at
their leisure.
8 OneºNorth March 2022
EAST CAMPUS
AR IN REVIEW
pport and inspire the work of the UWCSEA Alumni and Foundation teams.
limited by restrictions, perseverance
was at an all-time high as the campus
continued to pursue the goal of uniting
people, nations, and cultures through
education.
Fridays for Future
by Roberto, Grade 11
Inspired by Greta Thunberg, Fridays
for Future served to empower change
within the school community. In
this event, the Service department
facilitated discussions about what
students and staff felt needed to be
changed in the school. They gave these
opportunities to community members
to uplift their voices as changemakers
for sustainability and a better future
on campus. Consisting of personal
anecdotes, connections with the UN
SDGs, and more, the event showcased
the diversity on the campus. Afterward,
to further align UWCSEA East with the
United Nation's SDGs, a pledge was
set up, committing the College and its
members to bettering the campus.
FIRST Robotics Competition
by Aakash, Grade 12
Team Wall-East entered the FIRST
Robotics Competition (FRC),
participating in a global challenge which
involves building industrial-size robots
to compete in various games, designing
a brand, fundraising and creating
STEM awareness in their community.
Collaborating with UWC Changshu and
teams in Turkey, United States, Taiwan,
China and India, they won the “Rookie
Game Changer Award” (for excellence
in STEM awareness and robot build) and
the Captain won the FIRST Dean’s List
Finalist Award.
Grand Walk
by Aakash, Grade 12
The Grand Walk could not take place in
2020 due to the Circuit Breaker
lockdown but was back in a revised
format in 2021, as a result of careful
planning and passionate community
support. Our seniors and Samba Band
split into smaller groups to walk around
the school, as everyone cheered from
their classrooms. Culminating with a
walk down memory lane, it was a
tradition we were glad to welcome back.
CultuRama 2020:
by Roberto, Grade 11
The annual dance show has always
been a highlight for the East Campus
community. Showcasing 13 countries,
CultuRama 2020 celebrated different
cultures through motion, emphasising
the rich diversity within our school.
This year, the theme was "Our Stories,"
highlighting historical and contemporary
movements while adding a new Spoken
Word segment for performers to narrate
their own stories in the form of spoken
poetry. To adjust to the pandemic,
the performance was streamed live
for all community members to enjoy,
irrespective of their location.
UWC Day 2020:
by Roberto, Grade 11
On 21 September 2020, UWC Day
was celebrated to honour the UWC
mission and values. The theme United
We Can empowered students and staff
to recognise their power to cope with
COVID-19 and stand together. While
March 2022 OneºNorth 9
As part of our ongoing work to identify how the College can
measure the impact of our UWCSEA education, and therefore
be accountable to delivering our commitment to the UWC
mission, we have begun to expand our thinking on our guiding
statements by describing the ‘mission competencies’ that
we hope our alumni take with them as they leave us and will
bring to their lives beyond the College. Beyond the ‘Essential
Literacies’ which all schools aspire for their students to gain, we
have identified four additional ‘mission competencies’ as key
ways in which we aspire for our alumni to bring their learning
from UWCSEA to life in the world:
• Peace
• Sustainability
• Inclusion
• Community wellbeing
The UWCSEA Values In Action Award recognises significant
and sustained impact made by our alumni community at the
local, national, and international level and celebrates those
who have gone on to bring UWCSEA’s mission and values to
life through action which creates a lasting, positive impact.
Bringing the mission to life
Launching our Values in Action award
Introducing our 2021 Awardees
Mission Competencies: Sustainability,
Community Wellbeing
Impact: Zero waste advocate and organiser
of Uptown Fridge whose dual mission is
to reduce food waste by rescuing excess
food and to help those dealing with food
insecurity
Aditi Varshneya ’14
Mission Competencies: Community
Wellbeing
Impact: Mental health advocate and founder
of HOPE, a non-profit initiative dedicated to
improving communities’ mental wellbeing
Alanna Sethi ’01
Mission Competency: Sustainability
Impact: Veterinarian and Founder/Managing
Director of Pan Animalia Galápagos
Ben Howitt ’11
Find out more and nominate yourself or
another inspiring alumnus for the 2022
Alumni Values in Action Awards here:
We have done this by using the following criteria to guide our
assessment of the award submissions:
• evidence of impact e.g. scope of impact, resources saved,
money raised or other financial contribution; elements of
positive change
• sustained and ongoing impact of the work or activity being
undertaken
• evidence of personal leadership
• potential to engage with current UWCSEA learners
By recognising alumni who are expressing these competencies
through their actions and lives, we hope to inspire future
generations of students to live a UWC-driven life beyond their
time in Singapore at UWCSEA.
In announcing the inaugural awardees, College President
Carma Elliot said, “In effect, with the launch of these awards
we wish to further create a cyclical economy of learning,
encouraging our alumni community to continue to engage with
us as they leave us to take action and then return with their
time and their stories to further enrich the spirit of community
and commitment to learning in which they flourished as
students. While the truth may be that we have always done
this, we would like to celebrate and find ways to inspire our
community by expanding our notions of what living the
mission in action might be.”
10 OneºNorth March 2022
Mission Competencies:
Peace, Sustainability, Inclusion, Community
Wellbeing
Impact: Founder and Director of the Green
Shoots International School, Hoi An,
Vietnam
Catherine McKinley ’89
Mission Competencies: Peace,
Sustainability, Inclusion, Community
Wellbeing
Impact: International human rights lawyer,
diversity-and-inclusion advocate and race
activist, volunteer crisis hotline counsellor
and community mutual aid organiser
Chihiro Isozaki ’11
Mission Competencies: Peace, Inclusion,
Community Wellbeing
Impact: International Humanitarian Law
Fellow at the American Red Cross and former
volunteer at refugee camps in Greece
Claudia Bennett ’12
Mission Competency: Sustainability
Impact: Independent filmmaker dedicated
to rainforest conservation, animal welfare
and CEO and Founder of Sun Bear Outreach
Patrick Rouxel ’84
Mission Competency: Community
Wellbeing
Impact: Founder of Million Meals Mission
who have provided over 306,000 meals to
food-insecure communities in Cambodia,
Yemen, Lebanon, USA and India over the past
five years
Samay Bansal ’16
Mission Competencies: Peace, Sustainability
Impact: Advocate of multidisciplinary impact
and Sustainable Development Goals with
extensive experience in non-profits, theories of
change, and impact assessment
Sophie Barbier ’12
Mission Competencies: Sustainability,
Community Wellbeing
Impact: Co-founders of BOOMI, whose
vision is to build an extensive and
trustworthy eco-system for all things
sustainability in mainland China
Emmanuel Dean ’14
Miguel Angel
Zambrano Boy ’14
Mission Competency: Inclusion
Impact: Co-founder of Enklude, a Jakarta-
based social enterprise whose vision is to
empower persons with disabilities to become
financially independent, and future leaders
of the 21st century, through education,
employment, and entrepreneurship initiatives
Havishyan Thakral ’16
Mission Competencies: Sustainability,
Community Wellbeing
Impact: Community Educator working with
low-income people on housing, environmental
and community advocacy concerns with
skills in Grassroots Organising, Facilitation,
Environmental Justice, and Strategic Advocacy
Evelyn Mayo ’13
Mission Competencies: Inclusion,
Community Wellbeing
Impact: Child protection specialist in conflict
zones in Liberia, DRC among others; worked
for War Child, Save the Children and more
Nidhi Kapur ’01
Mission Competency: Sustainability
Impact: Designer and founder of Mudra, a
conceptual, art led design studio focusing
on our relationship to the planet, as well as
each other and turning the unexpected into
beautiful conversation.
Renuka Ramanujam ’12
Mission Competencies: Peace, Sustainability,
Inclusion, Community Wellbeing
Impact: Amnesty International researcher and
human rights advocate specialising in South
East Asia
Rachel Chhoa-
Howard ’05
Mission Competency: Inclusion
Impact: Co-founders of Arriba, the first
community of first generation college
students and professionals in Peru whose
goal is to catalyse systemic change
Karla Huaman Ruiz ’13
Eyner Roman Lopez ’14
Mission Competencies: Peace,
Community Wellbeing
Impact: Humanitarian and activist for
Afghani refugees
Lola Sweeney ’21
Mission Competencies: Peace, Inclusion,
Community Wellbeing
Impact: Founder of Below The Surface, a
community organisation that celebrates
vulnerability in men through real and open
conversation and building communities of
support
Kudakwashe
Mushaike ’14
March 2022 OneºNorth 11
Wherever you go next, I guarantee you that
there is a Shingle Mountain. And in this day
and age where the entire world can feel like a
Shingle Mountain and so much is conspiring to
make us feel alone it's never been easier to say
screw it, kick back, watch the world burn.
But don't. You have too much to give and
honestly there's too much at stake for you not
to get out and join the fight. Your freedom is
tied up in mine, is tied up in your neighbours,
don't ever forget it. Change is very hard and
democracy even more messy but there is so
much beauty and meaning in the process.
Congratulations again Class of 2021 and sending
so much love to you all.
Evelyn Mayo ’13
GRADUAT
DOVER
If the pandemic has taught us anything, it
is that bonds of love and friendship don’t
need physical proximity to remain strong.
So as we depart and join the vast alumni
network, remember to look out for one
another. Check in with people that you
haven’t spoken to in a while. Say thank you
and goodbye to those that have made a
difference in your life. Be kind to yourself
and others because you never know the
impact it may have.
Elena Chesser ’21 and Erynn Lau ’21
Student speakers
As graduation returned to campus for the first
students wore their national dress to recei
Graduation is always a cause for celebration, an
community ensured the Class of 2021 had a ce
tightening of safe-distancing measure
Congratulations to the Class of 2021 and welc
#UWCSEA
25
scholars
52
countries
321
students
TION 2021
EAST
time since 2011, many of our 583 graduating
ve their UWCSEA High School Diploma.
nd determination and tireless effort from our
eremony to mark the moment—despite the
es across Singapore just days before.
come to the UWCSEA Alumni Community!
This is the end of the end and the beginning
of the beginning. We should remember
the people that have made us stronger
by making us more vulnerable. There’s
just so many of you that have made this
whole journey worth every bit of the ups
and downs and that goes for all of us. It’s
because of you that we have graduated
despite the odds. There’s something
uniquely vibrant about a moment of pure
joy during a period of hardship. Look around
you–this is that moment. I think it’s fair to
say good times never felt so good.
Phunziro Phuza ’21
Student speaker
AFOREVER
27
scholars
57
countries
262
students
1971
1972
Singapore International
School is opened by Prime
Minister Mr Lee Kuan Yew
as an associate member of
the UWC movement, with
the support of UWC President,
Lord Mountbatten and the
International Secondary School
Study Committee.
1975
1974
The first United Nations
evening celebrates the College’s
multicultural community with
food, national dress, music and
dance. UN Night on Dover and
CultuRama on East continue to
be annual highlights of student
performance and celebration.
Singapore International School
is renamed UWC South East
Asia, becoming a full member
of the UWC movement
and triggering a number of
developments, including
preparing to welcome our first
UWC scholars.
By 1974 Marathon Day, which
had begun in 1972 as a series of
madcap events to raise funds for
a number of service initiatives,
was raising over $10k through
a week of activities including
spaghetti-eating contests, a 48
hour game of bridge—and a student
remaining up a tree for 36 hours.
1996
1992
1991
1994
Footprints replaces
Mengembara as the student
publication dedicated to
College travel experiences.
Primarily focused on Project
Week, these reflections provide
a wonderful tribute to the power
and potential of this unique
UWCSEA experience.
The first student
expedition travelled to
the Lamdon School in Leh,
Ladakh, another step in
cementing a relationship
that now spans more than
30 years and reaches across
both campuses.
The iconic “Air Con Pool” is
drained bringing an end to kayaking
and student antics. A tent was raised
over the space in 1997 and the space
was filled to create today’s plaza
in 2015. The Tent Plaza is a central
gathering point on both campuses.
Middle School ‘EngHum’
(integrated English and Humanities)
programme is launched in the
College’s 25th anniversary year
which was marked by a Global
Concerns conference and UWC
International meeting.
2008
A five-year building and
refurbishment programme on
Dover Campus concludes with the
opening of the new High School
Block. Mirroring the transformation
of Singapore, the campus has
modernized while maintaining
reminders of the past.
2011
UWCSEA East opens its doors
to welcome 400 students in our
temporary campus in Ang Mo Kio,
as construction of a state-of-the-art
second campus in Tampines begins.
2016
2012
Mr Heng Swee Keat, then
Minister for Education, officially
opens East Campus in Tampines.
The newly constructed campus
is re-awarded the Building and
Construction Authority’s Green
Mark Platinum award.
Our 500th scholar graduates
from UWCSEA. Thanks to the
generous support of the UWCSEA
Foundation an increasing number
of scholars have been welcomed
into our community. By 2024 over
1,000 scholars will have graduated
from UWCSEA.
1976
1977
1984
1980
Our partnership with
MINDS—Movement for the
Intellectually Disabled of
Singapore is established.
Students make their first
visit to Tampines Home, now
mindsville@napiri.
A lavish production of The King and
I delights audiences. UWCSEA’s
strong tradition of performing
and visual arts continues through
our extensive arts programmes,
which are delivered in our
numerous performance and gallery
spaces across both campuses.
In 1977 UWCSEA became the
first school in Asia to offer the
IB Diploma, introduced as part
of becoming a full member of
the UWC movement. A-Levels
are discontinued in 1981.
Perhaps a catalyst for the
development of our bespoke
Outdoor Education curriculum,
Beluntu, our United World
Centre in Johore, is closed after
10 years. In addition to expedition
experiences, many academic
departments used the site for
study projects and field trips.
1997
2005
2002
OPUS is held for the first time at
the Victoria Concert Hall. It later
moved to the Esplanade, where
Dover students and staff still
perform in this annual concert.
1998
The decision to become a K–12
school results in a period of
construction, including the
Primary School block, a new
boarding house and the Roy
Bennett Theatre.
The first Initiative for Peace (IfP)
conference, Youth Connecting
Youth to Create Peace, is held.
Now a flagship programme at
UWCSEA, IfP has inspired numerous
alumni to pursue careers in peace
and conflict resolution. The IfP
Toolkit for youth groups and
schools was launched in 2021.
Community support launched
Project Aceh, a 10+ year
commitment in the wake of the
December 2004 tsunami which
included the Tsunami Education Fund
(TEF), a long-term financial support
programme for tsunami yatim piatu
(tsunami orphans) to encourage
them to complete High School.
2018
East Campus celebrates
10 years of educating for peace
and a sustainable future.
2017
2020
Restrictions imposed due to
COVID-19 transform life on
campus. Social distancing, masks
and several periods of home-based
learning pose unprecedented
challenges, particularly to our
Boarding community.
2021
UWCSEA celebrates 50 years
of UWC in Singapore with
a year-long programme of
celebrations and impact events.
UWCSEA East achieves CIS/
WASC accreditation, following
the successful accreditation
of Dover Campus in 2012 and
allowing both campuses to offer
the UWCSEA High School Diploma
in addition to the IB Diploma.
As one of the cornerstones of UWCSEA’s peacebuilding
curriculum, the Initiative for Peace (IfP) has been a definitive
experience for many UWCSEA students and staff since the
first IfP was held in 2002. We know because many have gone
on to use the skills and understandings they were introduced
to through participation in this one-year programme to bear
in their lives and their work beyond the College and across the
world.
We also know because former Dover teacher Qamaruzzaman
“Q” Amir (himself a UWC Pearson alumnus) was so inspired
by his role as IfP Programme Leader that he left UWCSEA
to pursue studies focusing on peacebuilding and Peace
Education. He is currently completing his PhD dissertation on
what makes the IfP so powerful and transformative, and his
research, involving interviews with 48 former IfP facilitators
and UWCSEA graduates from the period 2006–2018, has
thrown into relief the powerful effect of IfP on our students.
“Every single person, regardless of their profession or vocation,
everyone from bankers to UN Development Programme
workers to those still in university, all are asking, ‘What is my
impact? What am I doing with my life right now to create
impact?’ That’s a powerful testament—a sticky lesson. I look
forward to sharing more when my dissertation is done.”
And so, as part of our mission-inspired commitment to using
education as a force for peace, we were proud to launch
‘UWCSEA IfP Toolkit’ as part of our 50th anniversary impact
programme. The launch on 30 September was the culmination
of our September theme of Peace, which was celebrated on
a UWC Day that was capped off with a special livestream
event: Perspectives on Peace, a conversation between Kishore
Mahbubani and Carma Elliot.
At the launch, alumni from around the world joined staff and
students in a discussion which highlighted just how valuable
access to peacebuilding education can be for young people.
Felipe Andres Fontecilla Gutierrez ’14, now President of Centre
for Social Reality studies in Chile, explained, “Participating in
IfP gave me a lot of theories to frame peace, peace building and
conflict resolution, all of which were things I was interested in
when I joined UWCSEA. It also gave me a lot of professional
skills such as the facilitation training and curriculum
development in building the programme for the conference
that I continue to use in my work today.”
Creating conditions for peacebuilding
Launching the UWCSEA IfP Toolkit
16 OneºNorth March 2022
Kimheang (Kim) Chham ’16 is currently Sustainability Fellow
at Luther College in the US, and described the power of her
IfP experience: “What was so special about IfP for me was
the sense of empowerment I felt both in training as a student
facilitator and during the launch of IfP Cambodia. I remember
feeling this fueI from facilitating the conference in Mae Sot. I
wanted to do more. I wanted to do more with young people
and specifically with people from my hometown who had
never felt empowered like me, but who I knew had such
potential to do so much for our country. IfP and UWC instilled
in me that the people in areas experiencing conflict need to
do it for themselves. And in order to do it for themselves they
need both the tools and a sense of empowerment. I wanted to
bring that home and that’s what I was trying to achieve with
the launch of IfP Cambodia after graduation.”
That matching of personal connection and empowerment was
echoed by Geovania (Debby) Guterres Ornai ’15, a former IfP
delegate and facilitator who is currently working as an Evaluation
and Reporting Officer with the UNDP in her home country
of Timor Leste. It was the creation of a network of people all
focused on creating peace that resonated most strongly, “I
heard about peace a lot as a young person, but did not give it
much thought until 2006 when Timor Leste found itself in a
political crisis. I’d never seen anything like it. To then be involved
in something like IfP in my teenage years; to see with my own
eyes the agency and empowerment as a young person in the IFP
conference; I still remember it now. IfP gives you the power as an
agent for peace.”
Debbie’s first exposure to IfP was as a
conference delegate in East Timor in 2010.
She later joined UWCSEA as a scholar and
became an Ifp facilitator.
Qamaruzzaman “Q” Amir is now completing his PhD on Peace Education using
IfP as his principle case study.
Kimheang (Kim) went on to start IfP Cambodia after her experience as an IfP
facilitator in Mae Sot, Thailand.
Accessing the UWCSEA IfP Toolkit
The toolkit gives educators, students, organisations and
groups working to create peace, the resources required
to create their own Initiatives for Peace programmes or
conferences to meet the needs and circumstances of
their own communities. UWCSEA IfP Toolkit Coordinator
Louie Barnett is set to assist educators gain access the
toolkit, and we hope to grow a global community of IfP
programmes, crafted by young people who share the same
aspirations for peace.
Download our White Paper to learn more
about Peace Education at UWCSEA or
explore the IfP multimedia story and apply
for access to the UWCSEA IfP Toolkit:
March 2022 OneºNorth 17
Moving into Middle School Girls House was a milestone
moment for six members of the Class of 1997. Despite the tight
quarters (or perhaps as a result of them!), these classmates
formed an unbreakable bond that has stood the tests of time
and distance and has found renewed strength and meaning
during the pandemic.
Living together 24/7 in the hoarding house, Ash, Sel, Ran, Kate,
Mei and Mam became like family. They supported each other
through good times and bad, attending classes and activities
by day, studying and conversing well into the evenings, and
eating Indomie noodles on the weekend—a welcome change to
regular canteen fare!
After graduation, the group dispersed around the world,
relying on email and infrequent meet-ups at weddings (and
occasionally by chance) to keep in touch. Four of the six friends
also attended their 20th Reunion in 2017.
In March 2020, when one of the early COVID outbreaks struck
Italy, the friends established a WhatsApp group, initially out of
concern for Ranmali, now living in Rome. This chat soon began
to resemble the safe and comforting environment they had
created in the Boarding House as they shared updates about
each other and their families, engaged in lots of fun banter;
and generally reinforced the support network that they had
established almost 25 years earlier.
As they faced their own COVID woes, the group thought of
UWCSEA’s current boarding students, and at the height of
Singapore’s Circuit Breaker in the second quarter of 2020,
they thoughtfully reached out to their Grade 6 Mentor, Steve
Webster (who is now a House Parent in Dover boarding) and
arranged to have some treats delivered to bolster the
boarders’ spirits.
In December 2021, these classmates took the opportunity of
UWCSEA’s first-ever Giving Day to come together in support
of scholarships to honour their own time in the boarding
house and the bonds they created. “We are a very close group
of friends with a special bond,” said Mamiko. “The pandemic
has only reinforced our friendship as we continue to support
one another despite the physical distance. We would like to
dedicate our collective donation to the wonderful friendship
that UWC has gifted us and hope that future scholars will
benefit from the same kinds of friendships and experiences.”
Alumni Pay Tribute to the
Gift of Friendship at UWCSEA
Mamiko and her classmates were among the more
than 750 UWCSEA supporters who made our first ever
UWCSEA Giving Day a success. A key event in UWCSEA’s
50th anniversary Founders Week celebrations, Giving
Day was held over 14 and 15 December. In 30 hours,
alumni, parents, staff and friends of UWCSEA generously
contributed over S$450,000 towards UWC Scholarships
via the UWCSEA Foundation. This collective effort
means that three scholars will receive the gift of a UWC
education, including one female scholar from Afghanistan
who will attend UWC Thailand.
Shout out to the Class of 1997 and all of the alumni
who make our community so vibrant, and for emulating
UWCSEA’s 50th Anniversary theme that “There is More in
Us” to help create a better world.
We look forward to celebrating Ashima,
Selma, Ranmali, Kate, Mei, Mamiko and
the rest of the Class of 1997 along with the
Classes of 1972, 1977, 1982, 1987, 1992, 2002
and 2012 at the annual UWCSEA Milestone
Reunion taking place 26–27 August 2022.
“We were all together in
Middle School Girls House,
in an aircon-less, zero-privacy
8-person room, which I'm sure
the boarders today cannot
even imagine!!”
Mamiko Kutsukake ’97
Kate, Mam, Ran, Ash, Mei and Sel in 1997
18 OneºNorth March 2022