The United World Colleges Cayman Islands National Foundation (UWC Cayman Islands) is pleased to announce a US$25,000 donation from The Maples Foundation.

Each year, UWC Cayman Islands provides full scholarships for students selected to attend one of twelve prestigious UWC colleges worldwide. Since 1984, almost 70 Caymanians have studied the rigorous International Baccalaureate Diploma in this international boarding school setting designed to foster excellence in academics, civic participation and leadership qualities while promoting international understanding and sustainable living. The impressive growth of this local scholarship programme has been made possible through the generous support of a few major corporate partners and individual donors.

Vice Chairperson Aubrey Bodden thanked Maples and Calder (Maples) on behalf of UWC Cayman Islands, saying, “Maples has been an integral part of the local UWC movement since 2006 and their annual donations have supported scholarships for over a dozen exceptional young Caymanians. Our recent alumni have all directly benefited from their long-standing commitment to this shared vision and we are so proud of their accomplishments and grateful to our sponsors for making their experiences possible.

“Maples has been a supporter of this programme for many years and are proud to stand behind such an important initiative that has afforded many students the opportunity of further education,” said Paul Lumsden, Managing Partner of the firm’s Cayman Islands office. “We believe that investment can have a profound impact when spent locally and, as such, The Maples Foundation is committed to our responsibility as corporate citizens. This drives us to assist organisations that will benefit the youth – essentially, the future – of our community.”

Worldwide, over 50,000 UWC alumni from over 180 different countries share a lifelong commitment to positive social action to achieve the UWC mission of a more peaceful and sustainable future. The two-year pre-university programme is a transformative experience and equips individuals to make a difference in their local and global communities, whatever they choose to do. As the most recent alumni, this year’s three Caymanian graduates reflected on their own UWC experiences and opportunities they have been given.

After graduating from Atlantic College in Wales, Abigail Drummond will continue her education in the United Kingdom, having been accepted to the highly selective University of Bristol. Her UWC experience helped her to focus on the positive attributes of the legal profession and the ways in which it can impact her community. Being part of the Sustainability Council and seeing how the college reused, composted and recycled the great majority of its waste influenced her career choice. Abigail hopes to focus her major on environmental law and advocate for mandatory recycling in the Cayman Islands.

Zachary Jones recently graduated from UWC-USA in Montezuma, New Mexico, where he was Co-Leader for Stage Management and Orientation, the Caribbean and Latin American representative for the Student Council and a Resident Advisor in his dormitory. At UWC he learned how to balance his studies with extra-curricular activities and developed important leadership skills and confidence in his abilities. Zachary will go on to attend Penn State, a prominent Big Ten school, and study Marketing & Public Relations.

While at UWC Costa Rica, Kathryn Schirn proudly represented the Cayman Islands and embraced the UWC values of international and intercultural understanding and a celebration of difference. She has become more aware of and curious about the world around her and will continue her studies at a small, top-tier liberal arts and sciences college. At Colorado College, Kathryn will design her own major in Global Health, focusing on the impact of global politics and economic issues and how to reduce inequalities and improve public health.

As these three alumni begin their tertiary education this fall, Madeleine Rowell will enter her second year at UWC-USA and 2013 scholars Tyleisha Galbraith and Simon Watson will begin their studies at Pearson College in Victoria, British Columbia and UWC of the Adriatic in Duino, Italy, respectively.

Companies & individuals interested in donating to UWC Cayman Islands are invited to email [email protected]. Applications are accepted in March each year from students aged 15-17 and more information is available at www.uwc.org.

ABOUT UWC

UWC was founded in 1962 with the vision of bringing together young people whose experience was of the political conflict of the cold war era, offering an educational experience based on shared learning, collaboration and understanding so that the students would act as champions of peace. We remain committed to this goal today, expanding our reach to embrace the tensions and conflicts that exist within as well as between societies.

The global educational movement has 12 schools and colleges located in the USA, Canada, Costa Rica, The Netherlands, Swaziland, Hong Kong SAR, Singapore, India, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Wales, Italy and Norway. At each college an average of 70 different nationalities are represented at any one time in the 200-300 scholars studying the International Baccalaureate Diploma. A few UWCs also include primary and secondary schools.

To achieve our mission of making education a force to unite people, nations and cultures for peace and a sustainable future, the values we promote are crucial: international and intercultural understanding; celebration of difference; personal responsibility and integrity; mutual responsibility and respect; compassion and service; respect for the environment; a sense of idealism; personal challenge; and action and personal example.

HM Queen Noor of Jordon serves as President of UWC and Nelson Mandela as Honourary President.

ABOUT UWC CAYMAN ISLANDS

UWC depends on volunteer-run national committees in 146 countries and selection contacts in dozens more to select students from within their home countries based entirely on merit, without regard to race, religion, politics, socio-economic or other status, family connections, or ability to pay.

UWC Cayman Islands has been selecting Caymanians to attend UWC colleges since 1984 and relies on fundraising and donations from individuals, organisations and corporations to provide full scholarships to each student. We are entirely volunteer run, with virtually no overhead costs, and made up of mainly alumni, both Caymanian and those who now call the Cayman Islands home.

UWC Cayman Islands also host events seeking to promote the UWC mission and values locally, carries out community service projects, and connects alumni across the Cayman Islands as well as those living abroad.

ABOUT MAPLES AND CALDER

Maples and Calder is a leading international law firm advising financial, institutional and business clients around the world on the laws of the Cayman Islands, Ireland and the British Virgin Islands. Maples and Calder has offices in the Cayman Islands, the British Virgin Islands, Dubai, Dublin, Hong Kong, London and Singapore.

With a reputation as an innovative, entrepreneurial firm, Maples and Calder is known worldwide as a market leader with highly qualified lawyers who are specialists in their respective practice areas.

Photo 1 – UWC Cayman Islands Vice Chairperson Aubrey Bodden and 2013 UWC Scholars Simon Watson and Tyleisha Galbraith accept the Maples and Calder donation from Paul Lumsden, Managing Partner, Cayman Islands

See also iNews Story published August 7 2013 “UWC receives US$25K from Maples” at: http://www.ieyenews.com/2013/08/uwc-receives-us25k-from-maples/