Thanks, MUWCI and India.

I would like to share with you this letter I published on Facebook for MUWCI people. India this year has given me too many opportunities and blessings -and I am very grateful with life for this.

Thanks, MUWCI 2014 – 2015

In one week my first year at Mahindra United World College ends. It is crazy; it seems that these eight months have passed so fast that I do not even know where to start or what to say when people ask me about this year. I guess that the first word that comes up to my mind is: unique. And in fact, the uniqueness of this year lays on how it allowed me to discover myself in many different ways.

It has been one of the most challenging, tough, meaningful and special years of my life. Going through the process of studying a new language, trying to engage and experience different activities, programs and projects in the school while making strong relations with amazing people from all over the world, and emphasizing on building compassionate and emotional attitudes towards service and interactions in a totally new context has been incredibly rewarding and meaningful.

In the past months there have been many conversations about what is the UWC Experience, what does the idea of ‘making an education a force to unite people, nations and cultures for peace and a sustainable future’ mean. Well, I have come to the conclusion that the UWC Experience is so unique, that it’ll be different for each person and it would be unfair to establish a fixed path for this so called ‘experience’. However, there is something magic in common that should be protected and encouraged, which is from my perspective, a magical aspect of the values we are supposed to learn here. It is to make our life experiences meaningful, and so, perceiving with eyes of love and appreciation, and conceiving life and the privilege we have as something valuable; that give us the opportunity to be change-makers of our existence and if we decide to, of our communities.

I am grateful for these months in which I have smiled, learned, fallen apart, recovered, worked, danced, studied, cried, sang, travelled, loved, built friendships, ate, stayed awake till the sunrise, discovered, done art, breathed, performed, done clowning, prayed, written, perceived, discussed, talked, thought, felt, grown up, made mistakes, doubt, trusted, seen, heard and appreciated.

Thanks for being part of my story at Mahindra College and India. Thanks for helping me to overcome the challenges I faced throughout this year and for always being there.

And thanks to everyone who made this dream of coming here possible. Gracias.

Espero nunca olvidar aquel “en todo amar y servir” que aprendí en Venezuela, y por el cual estaré siempre agradecida con mi familia, Loyola y experiencias de la vida por haberme enseñado.

Con amor/with latin love.
Sara Pan Algarra

In Hampi, 2014.