Julie Hooft Graafland – UWC Mahindra College

“I discovered who I actually am and what I think is important in life”

With an indescribable smile on my face I heard one year ago that I was selected for the United World College in India. Times flies literally and I cannot believe my first year here is almost over. The last year was incredible and it is hard to describe my experiences and feelings here in words.

The  weekly conversations with the Shadhana Friends (mental handicapped adults), the headshaking sellers in Paud, it is Ganesh festival, the alarm clock of my Indian roommate which rings at five in the morning, the green hill that turns yellow as soon as the monsoon gets over, the smiles of the children from Paud’s Childrens Home every Tuesday, the discussions about Israeli joining the army or not, the self made brownies for your friends birthday, and so many more things, all this makes this place so special. These two years in India give me the chance to actually interact with the people in the village and to understand the Indian culture in this country of contrasts.

Living with so many different nationalities on one campus makes life here a really intense experience. We are one community with so many different backgrounds. This gives MUWCI a special atmosphere that gives students the opportunity to learn from each other and see things from different perspectives. By coming here I discovered who I actually am and what I think is important in life.

Dhanya Vaad for this amazing opportunity,