A better world starts at UWC Maastricht

Someday, she wants to contribute to change herself. Now 16-year-old Nastia from Kiev, Ukraine’s capital, is gaining the skills in the Netherlands to work for a more just world. As a student at United World College (UWC) Maastricht, she is attending high school with other young people from around the world.

Around her neck hangs a gold pendant with the outline of her homeland, and she wears the Ukrainian tryzub (trident), the symbol of resistance and determination, in her ears. Anyone who meets Nastia need not wonder where she comes from. Last year in Kiev, she was selected as one of 18 participants for UWC by the Ukrainian National Committee out of more than 400 applications. She has been at school in Maastricht since September.

Here, Nastia attends the International Bachelor Diploma Programme, a programme for which UWC recruits students all over the world. She is also remotely attending her high school in Kiev. Why exactly was she chosen to participate in the programme? “I think because of my spirit. I am very positive. When I am passionate about something, people feel that I genuinely want to do something good and get excited themselves.”

Dancing against war

When war broke out in Ukraine, Nastia was still at home, in Kiev. Together with her parents and brother Nikita, she lived in the city. But in the first days of the war, the family fled to a village near Kiev. “The villages and towns that the Russian army had taken over were less than 40 km from us. That was terrifying. I was constantly checking to see if there was any news. I tried to study but felt so frustrated, I couldn’t get anything done. I couldn’t even manage to dance, despite it being my greatest hobby.”

In May 2022, she made her first painting since the start of the war, a girl in Ukrainian costume. “That became my therapy. I also started dancing again and tried to create my own choreography. My hobbies became a way of coping with the war. They help me stay mentally healthy.” Nastia thinks it is one of the reasons why the National Committee linked her to UWC Maastricht: the school has an extensive arts programme in which she enjoys participating.

Other world

Nastia’s family still lives in Ukraine. They are doing well, to the extant they can under the current circumstances. Nastia calls them every day. During the Christmas holidays, she even went back for a while. Her voice trembles a little as she talks about how nice it was to be home. But just before New Year’s Eve, Russia carried out one of its most aggressive attacks yet. 1 January 2024 became a day of mourning because so many people had been killed.

A week later, Nastia went back to school in Maastricht. “It feels unreal to be here. It’s such a completely different world.” Here, she takes classes in film and journalism, in art and architecture. She helps with the musical and teaches dance classes. Together with others, she organises fundraisers and immerses herself in feminism. But in her mind, she is always there, at war. “When I am here, I carry everyone in my heart.”

The impact of sponsorship

It helps to know that the experiences she gains now will serve her well later as a change maker. “The stories I hear from people around the world, the projects we do together, will help me initiate change.” In addition, UWC Maastricht has more than one student from Ukraine. That is pleasant too, Nastia says. “It is important to have people around you who understand what you are going through. Those contacts are very dear to me.”

The fact that Nedlin, as a sponsor of UWC Maastricht, contributes to the opportunities available to Nastia and other young people, she calls ‘incredibly important’. “A scholarship for UWC empowers young people from around the world.” Moreover, the scholarship not only gives Nastia herself more opportunities and tools to develop, she also shares those lessons and experiences with others. “I advocate for issues I think are important. And others, in turn, find inspiration in my story.”

Future plans

The influence of Nastia’s time in the Netherlands extends far beyond her own life. How exactly she ultimately wants to change the world, she does not yet know. Perhaps she will become a journalist, perhaps a lawyer. Perhaps both. What is certain is that she is eager to make her voice heard. Sometimes she already does. Nastia shared her story during the Open Forum that UWC Maastricht organises regularly, so students can share their experiences and support each other. A blog is in the works. And before we conclude, she has one more message for all readers: “Be brave and support Ukraine.”