Ciaaaao! My name is Giulia Cordella, the sun and the sea are two of the things that I will never be able to sacrifice, which makes me worry a little, but apart from this I cannot wait to be on campus in the flesh. I would have never expected to be given this amazing opportunity, especially coming from a very small town in the south of Italy, where travelling around the globe is considered to be nearly a legend. My life was a routine, until I became part of the UWC community. I must confess I didn’t even have an idea that such colleges existed in the world! It was more than a school, it was and it still is a big family. Life in UWC helped me to find out who I am and what I like to do. I became a better person, my personality grew stronger, I became more independent, I learned how everything has contrasting points of view and perspectives. But, most importantly, I met new people coming from all over the world, with astounding ideas and stories. They say IB life is hard, and trust me, it is, but as hard as it could get, leaving everything behind is a challenge. A challenge?!? Facing a challenge is what I thought was better and now I am more than ready to get started with a new adventure in Oregon. Lewis & Clark reminds me of that magical atmosphere that an international environment creates and I already consider myself part of this new family! This is one of the reasons why my eyes burst out in tears when I received my acceptance e-mail and why Lewis & Clark was my final choice.
In the past four years, I learned that humans fascinate me: understanding the complexity of the human mind, the subconsciousness and unconsciousness behind the ethical and rational decisions that a person takes, the conflict between nature and nurture when defining who someone really is. The new environment around me made me realize the diversity of individuals, foreshadowed by the relation that they build up with the people around them and the ability of humans to express their identity in multiple ways. I became able to recognize parts of myself in many people and I learned that the first step to discover my identity is in the deepest interpretation of others’ personality. Psychology is now my major interest. I believe that Psychology represents the base to every human and social study. Since I was inspired by diversity, what could be a better environment than Lewis & Clark to master my passion?
My other interest is Art. I was very close to taking art in my diploma program, however, I did not want it to become just a subject. Instead I preferred to keep it a hobby. Painting and drawing was my stress-release technique. I discovered body art and tattooing, as well as street art and graffiti. I would be very satisfied if it became an academic major and a future possible career to master and I believe that Lewis & Clark gives me the opportunity to study Art with passion.
Speaking about Art, photography is another hobby that I love. I find it stunning how a simple picture can hide many stories and how a printed paper can capture all the emotions of a single moment. Fun fact, one of the hardest things for me to do is deleting photos. It is like a part of the memory you have goes in the bin with the file and this is why you will always find the memory of my phone/laptop full.
I never travelled outside of Europe, so this will be a total new experience and I cannot wait! I expect to get to know amazing people, visit magical places and make the most out of these four years. See you soon everybody!