I come from the city of Antananarivo in Madagascar. Throughout most of my journey as a learner, I was taught to memorize facts, dates, and definitions, all of which would be tested through short answers or fill in the blank questions. When I went to UWC Pearson, I took on an education that took things much further, where we engaged topics that required considerably more effort and critical thought. At UWC, even when class was over, the learning experience did not stop. There are several things to be learned, such as the fascinating stories of my peers, working with groups during extracurriculars, or even new sides of myself.
My experience was predominantly marked by the individuals that surrounded me at UWC. Whether it be when going on a trip into town to watch a movie, studying together, canoeing, attending events, or having late night philosophical conversations, Pearson was made special by all the individuals, including students, teachers, or staff members, who smile every time we cross paths.
I chose Lewis and Clark mainly because of the diversity, which will allow me to hold nuanced and critical conversations while learning about different cultures. The location being near Portland and the Pacific Northwest also particularly appeals to me because of my previous experiences at Pearson. Overall there were several reasons that determined my decision, but the most influential factors were the value and the diversity.
At Lewis and Clark, I’m considering majoring in Economics because I am interested in the functioning of systems within countries that determine its position in the world because, coming from a developing country, I wanted to understand what was really happening, and more importantly, why.
One of my most valued hobbies is singing, whilst playing chords on the piano. I overcame my fear of performing at Pearson, and discovered my liking for it then. This is closely seconded by football, which I played competitively for several years.
Academically, I was always interested in more scientific subjects, but arriving at Pearson, I developed a deeper liking for subjects such as Philosophy and Economics because of the aspect of abstractness associated with them, as well as the applicability of their theories into practical scenarios.
I travelled across the world to attend Pearson, and spent some time over the summer in different parts of Canada, learning about the culture and learning about certain issues faced by the Canadian First Nations.
At Lewis and Clark, one of my main goals is to truly understand who I genuinely want to become, and determine concrete objectives I want to achieve as this person. Using the tools, knowledge and experiences acquired, I will begin my journey towards manifesting this idea and make it happen.