The Dream That Turned into Reality: My Journey to UWC Adriatic

I am Sona Hakobyan, from Armenia. Studying at UWC has been my dream since I was 12, and it turned into a goal when I was 14.

I was really fascinated with the idea that people from all over the world gather in one place and study together. Moreover, when I discovered that the educational system at UWC is IB and that it would be a key to my future career, I was sure that I needed it. I was attracted to UWC Adriatic because it is inexplicably beautiful, and Art is very appreciated and welcomed here. For approximately two years, I kept telling people that I was going to study at UWCAD, of course, as a joke, because I wasn’t even sure that the Armenian Selection Committee was going to choose me. However, as the Armenian saying goes, there is half reality in a joke. When I was searching for the subjects in different UWCs, I found it more beneficial for me to apply to Germany, Singapore, and other colleges that offer psychology, because I have plans for that in my future educational career. Nevertheless, the Armenian NC found that exactly UWCAD was for me, and coming here assured me of it.

What Inspired Me to Pursue This Path: A Desire to Grow and Connect

My biggest inspiration was the idea that I am going to study with young people from different parts of the world with the same passions as I have. Also, I was constantly following many students from my town who graduated from UWC colleges, and I was connecting their further success with UWC. Now I am more than sure that UWC shapes individuals, and the values and beliefs that people get here are a solid background for further success.

Overcoming Challenges: The Reality of UWC Life

Before coming here, I was romanticizing life, thinking that everything would be perfect, no homesickness, no obstacles. On the very first day here, I already realized that something was not as perfect as I imagined, and this was not the reality that I was expecting. This may sound cruel or disappointing; however, this surrounding shaped me. I started to realize that yes, even in the best country like Italy, I can miss my little hometown; in a surrounding of 200+ people, I can miss my own little family, and in a perfectly structured educational system, I can have difficulties and failures. I learned how to do things alone, and it is not that scary. I didn’t manage to make friends from the very first moment, and I spent my adapting period alone, even when there were many people with whom I was talking every day. But it is completely normal because when I found my people here, I understood that the best way of making true friends is to know everyone, to have experiences with everyone, and then decide which experience is worth it. At UWC, I understood that I am not alone with my problems and that many young people are surrounding me who also cry, fail, and misunderstand. I realized that I am responsible for myself, and I will take responsibility for everything I have done.

What strategies help me manage the rigorous academic demands of the IB program

The best strategy to overcome difficulties in IB is to plan your time wisely. Many young people here do not consider academics their priority. This is completely normal, and everyone’s decision should be respected. However, at the end of the day, this is school, and it has its own difficulties. I plan my time very wisely. Every day, I make a long to-do list, and with every tick, I feel that I use my time wisely.

Personal Challenges

Back in Armenia, I always had some problems with Math. That subject has always been hard for me. When the subject choice time came, I was pretty sure that I was going to choose the easiest Math course. But wait: What about personal challenges? Guess what? I took a Math High-Level course, and even if I am not dealing with every assignment easily, I feel how it’s shaping my willpower and passion to go ahead.

The Unique Spirit of UWC Adriatic: More Than Just a School

The uniqueness of UWCAD is that it is an open campus. I don’t feel that I live in a boarding school because every day, I see Duinese people, say ciao, buongiorno, and smile, and that gives me a very interesting feeling. I feel like I belong to this big community and am responsible for its safety and trust.

How does international environment shape my experience: Beyond Just Academics

From a language perspective, I really improved my English in only four months, and listening to Italian speech every day can’t prevent my better understanding of Italian. However, I find that it also shapes us in terms of our values, as we see people from different backgrounds, each of them strong individuals, and I usually listen to controversial things compared to what I have heard in Armenia, which makes everything complicated, but more interesting.

Connecting Cultures: Embracing Diversity Through Extracurriculars

First of all, I do my best to represent the culture of my country. However, I am very open to knowing other cultures, and especially going to cultural cooking events is my favorite.

Every week, I go to a city near the campus called Monfalcone, and I help people with disabilities play volleyball. It gives me a huge amount of hope that I am making their experience better and providing what they need. Besides that, I am also doing MUN, which is just crazy in UWC, as we have real delegates from every country, and the debate sometimes turns into something more serious. I am also doing swimming and academic peer support to students who need help with Biology.

Proud Moments: Organizing Armenian Culture. A memorable initiative I've been involved in UWC

I organized the Armenian dance Yarkhushta during a big opening ceremony. It was the only dance, and the responsibility was so big. The craziest part was that the dancers were not all Armenians, so before teaching the dance, I was trying to 'infect' them with the brave and proud Armenian spirit, so they could feel every movement. As a result, the day after our performance, the organizer joked that we almost broke the stage with our impressive and strong dance.

Sharing My Knowledge: Helping Enthusiasts Navigate the UWC Application Process

When I was applying to UWC, there were a lot of resources about the UWC application process, but first of all, they were all the same, and also, there was not anything specifically about the Armenian Selection Rounds. My passion is to help people who are really interested in this, and I am even really open when students write about my social media, and I try to do my best to cover their questions. The topics of my videos are the ones that I didn’t cover while applying, so I want to make sure that my peers have resources to rely on.

The Art of Video Creation: Finding Peace Through Creating Informative YouTube Videos

I am crazy about video editing, so video creation is just a way to rest, collect my mind, and break away from IB difficulties. I enjoy the whole process. However, I try to have a specific plan about what I am going to talk about in the video, so I will minimize unnecessary ideas and thinking time because personally, I enjoy the videos on YouTube that are full of necessary information.

I always mention that journaling is a powerful way to organize thoughts, and I am so happy that people actually use this advice. Some days ago, I met a boy who told me that he liked my videos, and particularly this journaling idea. I am glad that I can help someone with my experience.

https://www.youtube.com/@sona_from_armenia

Advice for Future UWC Applicants: Be Authentic

The most important one is to be yourself. This could be a very common saying, but UWC literally appreciates people who don’t fake anything. My second advice would be to have well-defined priorities and opinions, as UWC searches for individuals who are able to express their own ideas, and therefore make the surrounding diverse with their own uniqueness. Last, but not least, being interested in international news would definitely help because the more perspectives you know, the more developed your outlook is.

Building Confidence: The Best Approach to the UWC Application

While applying to UWC, the best thing that can build confidence is to write the application without any help, as the applicant would be sure that everything is right, and nothing is exaggerated or faked. Moreover, having a lot of experience to share would make the application more interesting and intriguing.

Common Mistakes in the Application Process

In my personal opinion, the common mistake is trying to represent a perfect character. While there is no one perfect, they are making a wall for the National Committees to really know them, which will help NCs to choose the best UWC College for them.

Future Goals: How UWC Has Shaped My Future Aspirations

At UWC Adriatic, I realized that I am actually passionate about Biology, and I want to have it in my future career. MUN also shaped my way of looking at global issues because, as an Armenian, I have always heard the Armenian perspective, but now when I try to be a delegate of another country, I do a lot of research and find many interesting things.

Fields or Causes I Hope to Pursue After Graduation

I am not sure yet about my future profession, but I am sure that I want to be in Politics, while Biology is making me dive into it gradually.

The Legacy I Hope to Leave at UWC Adriatic

I want to make more people know about Armenia and its amazing culture, but besides that, I want to leave the beautiful act of supporting a person who needs it.

Even with a small hug or compliment, I really realized the importance of that during my time spent in UWCAD.

My YouTube channel- https://youtube.com/@sona_from_armenia