Outroduction 2023
July 4, 2023
On April 13 we hosted the fifth edition of the UWCM Outroduction for all Y13 (DP2) students!
UWC alumni played a key role in running the workshops to help the current students with the transition to life beyond UWC. The day started with a fantastic inspirational speech by the new executive director of UWC International Faith Abiodun and then we continued with three rounds of workshops. The workshops looked into adjusting to university life in various places in the world, preparing a gap year, budgeting, time management, reflecting on one’s time at UWC and exploring ways to stay connected and give back to the UWC movement. It was a wonderful morning and I would like to thank everyone involved and especially the over 30 alumni who honoured their pledge to UWC and contributed to preparing and leading the workshops and by doing so supporting the current students and giving back to UWC Maastricht. Some of the alumni kindly shared their impressions of the day, read more below.
Jule Schnakenberg, UWCM 2016 – I enjoy coming back to UWC Maastricht to give back and the Outroduction is the one thing that I have not helped with… I helped with the workshops about working in the sustainability field after graduation and giving back to the UWC movement via volunteering with the national committee. Outroduction started the year after I graduated from UWCM, so I did not have this experience and having done the workshop today and spent time with the students, I really wish I had something like this before leaving UWCM so I could learn from the experiences of others.
Jacob Silkstone, UWC AC 2007 – My talk was about the UWC history which is a topic I really enjoy. I think it’s interesting and important to know how the movement got started and where it’s going. As an alum, and a representative of the past, I came to talk to the current students, the present, to talk about the future of the movement. It is important for the students to have this knowledge at the start of their UWC journey because as it was said this morning graduation is only the start and it’s important to know one’s roots.
Tagwa Ali, UWCM 2016 – I think that the Outroduction is a brilliant idea that implements feedback in a way that’s actually effective. We can obviously give each other feedback and talk about our experiences but unless it’s implemented in a way that helps to pass the knowledge in a healthy and interesting way to the next generation, it won’t work. I just love that! Now I feel I put my experience to use for someone else in a way. The workshop that I got to co-lead with Lidia Paladini, UWCM Class 2018, about nurturing one’s inner child in the next chapter of their journey was so useful. I hope this continues at UWCM.
Augustine Nthenge, UWC RBC 2016 – This is my second time supporting the Outroduction and I keep coming to give back my wisdom and experience but also to learn from the students about their worries and challenges and try to help them to calm down a little, take some of the pre-exam pressure off. During the workshop about creating one’s new social bubble, which I co-led with a number of other alumni, I give advice based on what I wish I was told when I was in their shoes. This time it was not only special to meet and talk with the students but also to hear Faith’s speech and be reminded to keep uplifting people who look like me and have the same background as me.
Matej Bilik, UWCM 2016 – I came back to campus to run a workshop about being a UWCer for life and about studying in the UK. I think it was interesting to see the students and to hear from them about their worries regarding their future and I recognize a lot of the anxieties that I also had as a UWC student. It felt good to have the opportunity to chat with them, listen to them and try to give them ideas which they might or might not use in the future.
Victoria Gutierrez, UWCM 2016 – I decided to come back because I love volunteering for the school and being connected with the UWCM community. I was able to join different workshops because there are so many areas where I had something to share: national committee volunteering and UWC life in the US. It was great to interact with the students and share some hopefully useful tips. I am taking away that so many people take on so many different paths, and it all works out in the end.
