UNITING THE WORLD Davis UWC Scholars
The 2011 Report of the Davis United World College Scholars Program Davis United World College Scholars PROGRAM
2011 Annual Report
Private Philanthropy Supporting
International Understanding
through Education Uniting the World Best Practices at Partner Schools Embarking on a Second Decade of Service to the World . . .5 Meeting Full Financial Need for Global Students, Private Philanthropy for Global Understanding Amherst Brings “New Perspective for Everyone”. . . . . 31 in the 21st Century ...... 7. . . Scholars Join in Dartmouth’s “Friendship Family” Program...... 34 The Program by the Numbers Building on Example of the Davis Projects for Peace, Timeline of Program Growth ...... 10 Macalester Students Create “Live It! Fund” . . . . . 37 . How the Program Works...... 10 At Middlebury Website, Scholars Share Their Stories . .40 . 143 Home Countries — 2,265 Current Scholars . . . . . 12 Projects for Peace by Scholars ...... 42. . 91 Partner Colleges and Universities ...... 14 . Glocal: A Student Magazine with a Number of Scholars by Class Year...... 16 Worldwide Eye at St . Lawrence ...... 49. . Winner of the 2011 Davis Cup — Earlham College . . 18. Scholars Help Washington and Lee Contents Link Service and Global Learning ...... 50 . Where the Scholars Come From As Albright Fellow, Wellesley Scholar Dives into Global-Leadership Issues ...... 55 Home Countries of Scholars ...... 12 . . Palestinian’s Pioneering Project Earns UWC Schools — Source of the Davis UWC Scholars . . . . 24 Global Media Attention at Bard ...... 58. . The Davis Vision Wheaton’s Yearly UWC Retreat Leads to Shared and Deepened Commitment ...... 61 . “It Is a Joy for Me to Invest This Way — And Will Be for Anyone Who Joins Me” ...... 20 . A “War & Peace Fellow” at Dartmouth Raised Amid Strife ...... 64 . . How Other Philanthropists Can Invest...... 133 . Acclaimed New Play by African Scholar at Lewis & Clark Finds Joy & Hope in Women’s Struggles . . 69
The Class of 2011. 28 Undergraduate Classes Class of 2012 ...... 73 . . Class of 2013 ...... 89 . . Class of 2014 ...... 108. .
Scholar Graduates in Action. 128
How Other Philanthropists Can Invest. 133
How to Apply to Be a Partner School . 133
Acknowledgements and Credits . 134 Embarking on a Second Decade of Service to the World The Davis United World College Scholars Program
By Philip O. Geier, Ph.D., Executive Director
s the Davis United World College Scholars Program Aembarks on its second decade of investing in tomorrow’s leaders around the world, the need has never been greater. Uniting the World The 21st century has brought a changed global landscape and greater challenges; threats and uncertainties haunt humanity. There are no clear or easy solutions. It is in this context that this philanthropic program invests heavily in the promise and future possibilities of scholars from around the world and at the “I’m trying to stimulate leaders of the future to make a difference through American colleges and universities that host these scholars. Gale and Shelby Davis and Amy and Phil Geier during their the grounding in education that I’m helping to give them. When I started my recent visit to the newest United World College school, located in business career, I took my own history lesson from Princeton: I learned how Begun in 2000 as a pilot program with five partner schools Maastricht, the Netherlands. leaders make a difference, in their countries, in their centuries. So I invested in leaders, and that investment helped me to be successful. … — Princeton University, Wellesley College, Colby College, I’m looking to invest again in leaders of the future.” College of the Atlantic, and Middlebury College — the Davis — Shelby M.C. Davis United World College Scholars Program has grown into the largest Co-founder and Philanthropist international scholarship program for undergraduates in the world. We currently support over 2,200 scholars on more than 90 partner colleges and universities throughout the United States. “We strive to build critical masses of globally minded young men and women on American campuses, to foster highly personal relationships between outstanding Our strategic objective is to advance international understanding through education. Americans and non-Americans, and to seed global networks. These networks We built that strategy on two assumptions: that promising future leaders from all cultures can serve a higher calling of international understanding and common purpose among future leaders in all walks of life in our world.” should be given greater educational opportunities at American colleges and universities; and — Philip O. Geier that those same American institutions of higher education could become better communities Co-founder and Executive Director for learning if their student bodies became more internationally diverse and reflective of the real world around them. The program and our scholars are committed to building cross-cultural understanding across campuses and ultimately throughout the world in the 21st century. The stability of our world, and ensuring America’s place in it, demand no less than an initiative this large in scale, innovative in design, and as powerful in impact.
Davis United World College Scholars Program 5 Private Philanthropy for Global Understanding in the 21st Century
hat is the Davis United World College Scholars Program? It is, above all, the vision Wand power of private philanthropy committed to the importance of fostering greater understanding among the world’s future decision makers — Americans and citizens of other nations. Through the philanthropy of Shelby and Gale Davis, this program provides grants to partner schools for scholars from the United States and from overseas who have proven themselves by completing their last two years of high school at a group of international schools called United World Colleges. These UWC schools are located Phil Geier and Shelby Davis recounting the origins of the Davis United World College Scholars Program at a gathering at Middlebury College celebrating the program’s 10th anniversary. in the United States, Bosnia, Canada, Costa Rica, Hong Kong, India, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Singapore, The program reflects the huge potential of private philanthropy to promote international Swaziland, the United Kingdom, and Venezuela. Since understanding in dynamic, expanding ways through the educational institutions which share the founding of the first UWC in 1962 at the height of our strategic vision and are committed to bringing greater opportunities for global engagement the Cold War, these schools have provided educational to all their students. The program is about using philanthropic leadership to leverage additional opportunities to students from some 175 countries, support for transformative impact. representing all regions of the world. Students are Davis UWC Scholars at Dartmouth welcomed Shelby Davis (front, We believe in the potential of each individual scholar to further develop his or her own center) and Phil Geier (front, left) to campus. selected in their home countries by indigenous, voluntary capacity to make the world a better place. We believe that fostering personal relationships committees, and receive scholarships to attend the United World College schools. between students who are different from one another will build an effective network of Eleven years ago, Colby College, College of the Atlantic, Middlebury College, Princeton future leaders committed to mutual respect. We believe that further internationalizing of the University, and Wellesley College were invited to become the pilot schools in what has become undergraduate experience in the United States will contribute to our country strengthening its the Davis United World College Scholars Program. The pilot phase ended with the graduation capacity to lead in the 21st century. of the first cohort of scholars in 2004 when the Davises decided to greatly increase their philanthropic commitment to many more scholars and many more American colleges and universities. Under the leadership of former UWC–USA president Phil Geier, the program now supports over 2,200 scholars at over 90 American colleges and universities. The program, headquartered at Middlebury College, partners with these schools to meet the financial needs of these selected scholars throughout their four-year undergraduate degree programs.
6 Uniting the World Davis United World College Scholars Program 7 campuses in the United States. And by supporting scholars from many countries who are energized by the UWC mission of building understanding in active, personal ways, the Davis UWC Scholars Program exemplifies how diversity can contribute to a much richer education and to a more internationally oriented undergraduate experience for everyone on campus. The pillars on which the program stands include:
•. Private philanthropy as an innovative and building force, intentionally designed to leverage other philanthropic investments in international education.
•. Experiential learning — personal interaction between learners — as the essential tool for fostering international understanding.
Site visits to partner schools are a regular feature of the program. Here, Phil Geier is shown with scholars at Colorado College (left) and Luther College (right). •. Diversifying the undergraduate population and campus experience through great concentrations of internationally oriented scholars to the benefit of all students.
The goals of this Davis philanthropy are to: •. Recognizing that coherent initiatives and significant clusters of scholars can make • Provide scholarship support for exemplary and promising students from all greater impact. cultures, who have absorbed the passion of their UWC school community for building •. Encouraging an overarching purpose while leaving each college or university to build international understanding in the 21st century. on its own particular strengths. • Build clusters of these globally aware and committed students within the The Davis United World College Scholars Program is at once practical and aspirational. undergraduate populations of selected American schools. In due course, this private philanthropic investment in furthering international understanding • Seek to transform the American undergraduate experience through this international through education will take its place beside such esteemed scholarship programs as Fulbright diversity and cultural interchange — as much for the large majority of American students on and Rhodes. We embrace fully the goal of the late Senator J. William Fulbright for the public- campus as for international students. sector scholarship program that bears his name: to “bring a little more knowledge, a little more • leverage the value of this initiative Invite partner colleges and universities to to reason, and a little more compassion into world affairs, and thereby to increase the chance that the long-term benefit of their students and faculties, their strategic planning, and their role in nations will learn at last to live in peace and friendship.” contributing proactively to the well-being of our volatile, highly interdependent world. The great potential of the Davis United World College Scholars Program is not simply • Create a very diverse group of Davis United World College Scholars who will, during their to build and perpetuate an outstanding scholarship program. It also motivates others — the shaping a educational experiences and throughout their lives, contribute significantly to scholars, the partner schools, and other donors. It is creating greater international diversity better world . and programming on American campuses. It is equipping U.S. students, either as Davis The Davis United World College Scholars Program is different, intentionally so, from UWC Scholars themselves or through their interaction with Davis UWC Scholars, with the other fine efforts to internationalize the undergraduate experience. While other initiatives skills and attitudes to keep America effectively engaged with the rest of the world. Our future focus more on research, faculty development, changes in curricula, uses of technology, and depends on a world of talented individuals from diverse cultures who share a commitment to study abroad, this program creates a much greater diversity of globally engaged students on international understanding.
8 Uniting the World Davis United World College Scholars Program 9 Timeline Chronicling Eleven Years of Program Growth
5 Schools 65 Schools 91 Schools 43 Scholars 923 Scholars 3,591 Scholars 31 Countries 201 Scholars 586 Scholars 118 Countries 1,720 Scholars 2,962 Scholars 143 Countries 117 Scholars 309 Scholars 1,274 Scholars 2,306 Scholars
2000–01 2001–02 2002–03 2003–04 2004–05 2005–06 2006–07 2007–08 2008–09 2009–10 2010–11
Davis Cup Winner Colby Colby Colby Colby Macalester Middlebury Westminster Dartmouth Brown Middlebury Earlham The Davis Cup is awarded annually for the largest entering class of scholars
How This Works Building International Understanding and Educating New Leaders
1 2 3 4 Since 1962, thousands of young people from 175 In 2000, the Davis United World College Scholars As of 2011 there are 91 American colleges and With their education made possible through their own nations have been selected by committees in their Program began providing scholarship grants to a universities in partnership with the Davis United merits and the help of the Davis United World College home countries to complete their last two years of pilot group of American colleges and universities to World College Scholars Program. For partner schools, Scholars Program and its partner schools, Davis UWC high school at one of 13 United World College schools. support United World College graduates who matriculate the program provides annual grants in support of Scholars will go on to play important, meaningful, often UWC schools are in the United States, Canada, Bosnia, at these schools. These pilot schools — Colby College, need-based scholarships for each matriculated UWC leadership roles in their communities, in their home Costa Rica, Hong Kong, India, Italy, the Netherlands, College of the Atlantic, Middlebury College, Princeton graduate for up to four years of undergraduate study. countries, and in the world. And the partner schools Norway, Singapore, Swaziland, the United Kingdom, University, and Wellesley College — are graduating their The total number of Davis UWC Scholars at all these will have become more globally engaged and more and Venezuela. The UWC movement works to build eighth class of Davis United World College Scholars partner colleges and universities has now reached internationally diverse educational communities. multinational, cross-cultural communication and in 2011. Based on the success of building clusters of 2,265 from 143 countries. The 2011 graduating class understanding among all its students. globally minded scholars at these pilot schools, Davis includes 438 exceptional students from 103 nations. philanthropy chose to greatly expand the number of To date, the program has supported 3,591 scholars. campuses and scholars in the program.
10 Uniting the World Davis United World College Scholars Program 11 143 Home Countries — 2,265 Current Scholars Numbers indicate how many scholars are from that country
= home countries of current Davis UWC Scholars
Afghanistan ...... 12 Costa Rica ...... 22 Indonesia ...... 19 Albania ...... 24 Croatia ...... 25 Iran ...... 5 Algeria ...... 6 Cuba ...... 1 Iraq ...... 13 Angola ...... 11 Czech Republic . . . . . 13 Ireland ...... 5 Argentina ...... 11 Democratic Israel ...... 13 Australia ...... 12 Republic of Congo . . . . . 1 Italy ...... 9 Austria ...... 9 Democratic Jamaica ...... 12 Bahamas ...... 5 Republic of Korea . . . . 10 Japan ...... 15 Bangladesh ...... 14 Denmark ...... 6 Jordan ...... 24 Barbados ...... 4 Dominican Republic . . . . 2 Kazakhstan ...... 5 Belarus ...... 10 Ecuador ...... 15 Kenya ...... 27 Belgium ...... 5 Egypt ...... 8 Kosovo ...... 4 Belize ...... 3 El Salvador ...... 3 Latvia ...... 9 Benin ...... 1 Estonia ...... 9 Lebanon ...... 6 Bermuda ...... 1 Ethiopia ...... 31 Lesotho ...... 10 Myanmar ...... 4 Philippines ...... 9 St. Lucia ...... 1 Trinidad & Tobago . . . . 5 Bhutan ...... 7 Fiji ...... 5 Liberia ...... 1 Namibia ...... 3 Poland ...... 18 St. Vincent & Turkey ...... 19 Bolivia ...... 11 Finland ...... 16 Lithuania ...... 8 Nepal ...... 26 Portugal ...... 6 The Grenadines ...... 2 Uganda ...... 26 Bosnia-Herzegovina . . .115 France ...... 8 Macedonia ...... 8 Netherlands ...... 12 Republic of Korea . . . . . 7 Sudan ...... 7 Ukraine ...... 8 Botswana ...... 14 Gambia ...... 1 Madagascar ...... 3 Netherlands Antilles . . . . 2 Romania ...... 4 Swaziland ...... 67 United Kingdom . . . . .30 Brazil ...... 20 Germany ...... 28 Malawi ...... 4 New Zealand ...... 6 Russia ...... 29 Sweden ...... 18 Uruguay ...... 8 Bulgaria ...... 10 Ghana ...... 18 Malaysia ...... 27 Nicaragua ...... 13 Rwanda ...... 10 Switzerland ...... 4 U.S. Virgin Islands . . . . . 1 Burkina Faso ...... 5 Greenland ...... 2 Maldives ...... 13 Niger ...... 4 Senegal ...... 15 Syria ...... 1 USA ...... 196 Cambodia ...... 16 Guatemala ...... 13 Malta ...... 2 Nigeria ...... 17 Serbia ...... 12 Taiwan ...... 1 Uzbekistan ...... 7 Cameroon ...... 4 Haiti ...... 14 Mauritius ...... 3 Norway ...... 18 Sierra Leone ...... 11 Tajikistan ...... 7 Venezuela ...... 28 Canada ...... 51 Honduras ...... 8 Mexico ...... 28 Pakistan ...... 13 Singapore ...... 31 Tanzania ...... 23 Viet Nam ...... 24 Cayman Islands ...... 1 Hong Kong ...... 65 Moldova ...... 3 Palestine ...... 28 Slovakia ...... 11 Thailand ...... 26 Yemen ...... 3 Chile ...... 10 Hungary ...... 10 Mongolia ...... 12 Panama ...... 9 South Africa ...... 13 Tibet ...... 5 Zambia ...... 11 China ...... 74 Iceland ...... 2 Montenegro ...... 9 Paraguay ...... 6 Spain ...... 20 Timor-Leste ...... 11 Zimbabwe ...... 23 Colombia ...... 26 India ...... 185 Mozambique ...... 8 Peru ...... 18 Sri Lanka ...... 9 Tonga ...... 1
12 Uniting the World Davis United World College Scholars Program 13 The Program’s Partner Colleges and
60 50
Universities in the U.S. 89 56 43
45 19 67 12 1 Agnes Scott College, Decatur, GA 33 Hamilton College, Clinton, NY 66 St. Lawrence University, Canton, NY 75 44 2 34 67 38 Amherst College, Amherst, MA Harvard College, Cambridge, MA St. Olaf College, Northfield, MN 83 41 51 73 77 3 Bard College, 35 Haverford College, Haverford, PA 68 Stanford University, Stanford, CA 32 39 Annandale-on-Hudson, NY 26 36 Hood College, Frederick, MD 69 Swarthmore College, Swarthmore, PA 28 55 81 4 Barnard College, New York, NY 37 Johns Hopkins University, 70 Trinity College, Hartford, CT 58 84 80 21 5 Bates College, Lewiston, ME Baltimore, MD 71 Tufts University, Medford, MA 68 87 27 6 Boston Conservatory, Boston, MA 38 Kalamazoo College, Kalamazoo, MI 72 Union College, Schenectady, NY 76 46 7 Bowdoin College, Brunswick, ME 39 Kenyon College, Gambier, OH 53 73 University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 13 52 65 78 8 Brandeis University, Waltham, MA 40 Lafayette College, Easton, PA 61 74 University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 1 9 Brown University, Providence, RI 41 Lake Forest College, Lake Forest, IL 75 University of Michigan, 10 Bryn Mawr College, Bryn Mawr, PA 42 Lehigh University, Bethlehem, PA Ann Arbor, MI 11 Bucknell University, Lewisburg, PA 43 Lewis & Clark College, Portland, OR 76 University of North Carolina at Chapel 12 Carleton College, Northfield, MN 44 Luther College, Decorah, IA Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 74 13 Claremont McKenna College, 45 Macalester College, Saint Paul, MN 77 University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN Claremont, CA 46 Methodist University, Fayetteville, NC 57 78 University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK 14 Clark University, Worcester, MA 47 Middlebury College, Middlebury, VT 15 Colby College, Waterville, ME 79 University of Pennsylvania, 48 MIT, Cambridge, MA Philadelphia, PA 16 Colgate University, Hamilton, NY 49 Mount Holyoke College, 80 University of Richmond, 17 College of the Atlantic, South Hadley, MA Richmond, VA Bar Harbor, ME 50 Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 81 University of Virginia, 18 College of the Holy Cross, 51 Oberlin College, Oberlin, OH Charlottesville, VA Worcester, MA 52 Occidental College, Los Angeles, CA 82 Vassar College, Poughkeepsie, NY 19 College of Idaho, Caldwell, ID 15 53 Pomona College, Claremont, CA 83 Wartburg College, Waverly, IA 17 20 College of Notre Dame of Maryland, 5 7 Baltimore, MD 54 Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 84 Washington and Lee University, Lexington, VA 66 21 Colorado College, 55 Randolph-Macon College, 47 25 71 6 Colorado Springs, CO Ashland, VA 85 Wellesley College, Wellesley, MA 56 Reed College, Portland, OR 86 Wesleyan University, 62 22 Columbia University, New York, NY 33 63 9 Middletown, CT 2 34 48 23 57 Ringling College of Art & Design, 72 90 18 85 Connecticut College, 16 64 49 88 Sarasota, FL 87 Westminster College, Fulton, MO 8 New London, CT 24 3 70 24 Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 58 San Francisco Art Institute, 88 Wheaton College, Norton, MA 82 86 23 San Francisco, CA 91 14 25 Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH 89 Whitman College, Walla Walla, WA 59 59 Sarah Lawrence College, 4 26 90 Williams College, Williamstown, MA 22 Denison University, Granville, OH Bronxville, NY 11 42 40 27 91 Yale University, New Haven, CT 54 Duke University, Durham, NC 60 School of the Art Institute of Chicago, 10 28 Earlham College, Richmond, IN Chicago, IL 29 35 79 31 69 29 61 Franklin & Marshall College, Lancaster, PA Scripps College, Claremont, CA 20 36 37 30 Georgetown University, 62 Simmons College, Boston, MA 30 Washington, DC 63 Skidmore College, Saratoga Springs, NY 65 31 Gettysburg College, Gettysburg, PA 64 Smith College, Northampton, MA 32 Grinnell College, Grinnell, IA 65 St. John’s College, Annapolis, MD & Santa Fe, NM
14 Uniting the World Davis United World College Scholars Program 15 * U.S. Colleges: Scholars by Class Year Davis UWC Scholars by Class Year*
U .S . College 2011 2012 2013 2014 Total U .S . College 2011 2012 2013 2014 Total U .S . College 2011 2012 2013 2014 Total
Agnes Scott College 2 1 1 3 7 Hamilton College 1 0 2 0 3 St . John’s College 1 1 5 7 3,591
Amherst College 4 6 3 3 16 Harvard College 8 8 11 10 37 St . Lawrence University 6 7 6 4 23
Bard College 0 6 9 7 22 Haverford College 1 0 0 0 1 St . Olaf College 2 6 8
Barnard College 1 4 1 2 8 Hood College 4 11 5 4 24 Stanford University 5 6 7 18
Bates College 1 1 0 1 3 Johns Hopkins University 3 3 1 4 11 Swarthmore College 0 4 1 1 6
Boston Conservatory 2 2 1 2 7 Kalamazoo College 0 2 3 5 Trinity College 2 4 6 3 15
Bowdoin College 0 1 2 0 3 Kenyon College 4 7 12 7 30 Tufts University 3 3 3 1 10
Brandeis University 2 3 5 4 14 Lafayette College 5 2 0 0 7 Union College 1 5 5 6 15
Brown University† 22 33 29 33 117 Lake Forest College 10 15 11 2 38 University of Chicago 1 9 13 7 30
Bryn Mawr College 1 2 0 1 4 Lehigh University 4 1 3 8 University of Florida† 11 21 19 24 75
Bucknell University 3 7 5 9 24 Lewis & Clark College 8 9 10 10 37 University of Michigan 8 8 2,265
Carleton College 6 9 4 5 24 Luther College† 16 6 15 10 47 Univ . of North Carolina Chapel Hill 0 6 5 8 19
Claremont McKenna College 4 2 0 2 8 Macalester College† 24 22 27 23 96 University of Notre Dame 0 1 0 1
Clark University 0 17 14 2 33 Methodist University† 13 16 23 37 89 University of Oklahoma 4 25 10 39
Colby College† 13 12 17 13 55 Middlebury College† 25 27 38 22 112 University of Pennsylvania 5 9 4 3 21
Colgate University 1 0 0 1 2 MIT 8 6 0 14 University of Richmond 6 8 5 8 27 NUMBER OF SCHOLARS
College of the Atlantic† 11 15 18 16 60 Mount Holyoke College 0 0 0 3 3 University of Virginia 2 6 14 9 31
College of the Holy Cross 1 1 1 0 3 Northwestern University 2 4 10 14 30 Vassar College 5 6 5 4 20
College of Idaho† 6 10 22 5 43 Oberlin College 2 4 1 3 10 Wartburg College 1 5 8 9 23
College of Notre Dame of Maryland 2 0 1 0 3 Occidental College 2 1 3 Washington and Lee University 1 3 4 1 9
Colorado College† 7 21 8 15 51 Pomona College 3 3 Wellesley College† 11 8 10 12 41
Columbia University 7 4 1 3 15 Princeton University† 29 16 15 18 78 Wesleyan University 2 8 4 6 20
Connecticut College 7 5 6 4 22 Randolph-Macon College 1 1 2 Westminster College† 28 21 33 31 113 642 617 Cornell University 3 6 6 7 22 Reed College 1 2 4 7 Wheaton College 4 5 6 5 20 568
† Dartmouth College 35 24 9 23 91 Ringling College of Art & Design 3 10 11 24 Whitman College 2 1 5 4 12 438 Denison University 0 2 0 2 San Francisco Art Institute 0 1 0 2 3 Williams College 5 3 4 2 14
Duke University 4 4 5 8 21 Sarah Lawrence College 3 1 4 Yale University 7 5 4 7 23 Earlham College† 15 29 36 44 124 School of the Art Institute of Chicago 1 1 1 0 3 Totals 438 568 642 617 2,265 2011 2012 2013 2014 Current Cumulative Franklin & Marshall College 5 1 0 0 6 Scripps College 2 2 4 † Undergrad Total of All “Cluster” Schools are those partner schools with a minimum of 40 scholars fully STUDENT CLASS YEARS Total Years Georgetown University 0 3 4 7 Simmons College 1 0 0 0 1 enrolled at annual intervals we measure.
Gettysburg College 2 1 3 1 7 Skidmore College 6 9 10 7 32 *As of 12/31/10 *As of 12/31/10
Grinnell College 2 5 7 4 18 Smith College 3 2 3 1 9
16 Uniting the World Davis United World College Scholars Program 17
With Largest New Class, Earlham Wins Davis Cup
he winner of this year’s Davis Cup — awarded annually to the college Tor university that matriculated the largest number of first-year Davis UWC Scholars — is Earlham College of Richmond, Indiana. Earlham’s 44 first-year Davis UWC Scholars made up the largest group among the 91 partner colleges and universities in the program. The runner-up for 2010–11 is Methodist University with 37 first-year scholars. Overall, almost one in five students at Earlham, a small but globally minded college, comes from outside the United States. A total of 220 international students represented more than 80 countries in 2010–11, and Davis UWC Scholars added significantly to what Musa Khalidi, Earlham’s senior associate dean of admissions and director of international Executive Director Phil Geier presents the Davis Cup to Earlham recruitment, calls “a potent global mix.” President Doug Bennett. “We strive to make the campus as internationally diverse as possible,” Davis Cup Khalidi says, “and we are eager to enhance our students’ educational Awarded Annually for the experiences by sharing their many distinct cultures.” Largest Entering Class of Scholars
Earlham was invited to join the Davis UWC Scholars program in 2004, Year Winner Runner-up and to date has graduated 48 scholars. The college was the runner-up for 2010 Earlham (44) Methodist (37) Davis Cup in 2008–09 and 2009–10. 2009 Middlebury (40) Earlham (37) 2008 Brown (35) Earlham (31) In recruiting potential students around the world for Earlham, Khalidi 2007 Dartmouth (35) Princeton (31) often visits United World Colleges. They are, he says, among the most 2006 Westminster (28) Colby (21) exciting schools he sees each year. 2005 Middlebury (36) Westminster (28) “Each UWC campus is like a small United Nations,” he explains. 2004 Macalester (34) Princeton (27) “I come away from each visit with a great sense of accomplishment and a 2003 Colby (27) Middlebury (25) 2002 Colby (26) Wellesley (16) great sense of hope for the future — that with these young people maturing Earlham College distinguished itself among all the program’s 91 partner schools by winning the Davis Cup for the 2010–11 academic year. Earlham’s 2001 Colby (26) Middlebury (18) many scholars surround philanthropists Shelby and Gale Davis and Earlham President Doug Bennett. into leadership positions, we are offering the international community the 2000 Colby (13) Middlebury (9) very best possibility for transforming our world into a place where we can all live together in peace and prosperity.”
18 Uniting the World Davis United World College Scholars Program 19 The Davis Vision It Is a Joy for Me to Invest This Way — And Will Be for Anyone Who Joins Me
By Shelby M.C. Davis
hen I was turning 60 and the new millennium was Wfast approaching, I was looking for a big philanthropic idea to focus on building and staying involved with. My parents had long ago drummed into my head a kind of road map for life’s journey — that the first 30 years I should focus on learning, the next 30 on earning, and the last 30 or so focus on returning, to help make a better world. As I thought about the new millennium, I saw a more global, interconnected world, and I hypothesized that American college campuses would want to globalize the undergraduate experience. Philanthropists Gale and Shelby Davis Maybe it was my Princeton education. I majored in history, and learned to think with perspective — always focusing on where you’ve been, where you are, and where you are going. My research was now showing me that only 2–3 percent of the undergrads at Princeton and other Ivy schools were international. That seemed low for universities like mine that were preparing students for “the nation’s service and the service of all nations.” Quite by accident at that time, I discovered an international boarding school near Santa Fe, New Mexico, with 200 juniors and seniors from 85 countries, selected on merit, most with scholarships. I went to visit and was blown away by the energy and talent I saw. That school was the United World College USA, and the mission of its two-year program was to unite students from different races, cultures, and religions to build bridges of understanding at a formative age, to prepare them for leadership roles. I learned there was a total of nine UWCs, then (today there are 13), sharing this mission around the world. So after more research, I jumped in and funded merit scholarships for 100 American students who would
Philanthropists Shelby and Gale Davis engage with their scholars on campuses throughout the U.S. and around the world. Among their many interactions matriculate at UWC campuses for their last two years of high school. over the past year were visits to the United World College school in Mostar, Bosnia and Herzegovina, as well as at two of the partner schools with the largest number of scholars: Dartmouth College and Middlebury College.
20 Uniting the World Davis United World College Scholars Program 21 Building Bridges of Understanding I don’t do any selecting, I don’t read any applications. I just I started visiting the other UWCs, primarily to meet “my” American write checks, and there are no limits to the number of students we scholars, and I was impressed — but I was totally blown away by the will support. The only requirement I have is that each student must roommates of the Americans, usually four to a room from all corners of the graduate from one of the UWC schools around the world, which all globe and widely different cultures. It was obvious that these young people share the same mission statement: to make education a force to unite were absorbing as much outside the classroom as within it. They were peoples, nations, and cultures for peace and a sustainable future. building bridges of understanding, so critical for our future, with each other. I learned that Princeton was also excited about the quality of these I’m Not “Giving,” I’m Investing students, but was only matriculating three or four per year because In my travels, I’m often asked, by Davis UWC Scholars and others as Shelby Davis with scholars at Dartmouth. need-blind scholarships were not being applied to international well, why I give scholarships to people I don’t even know. I say I’m not “giving,” I’m investing, just as I did in business. The way I see it, these Middlebury College, international headquarters of students. At a Board retreat, Princeton decided to boost its financial the Davis UWC Scholars Program, marked the 10th anniversary of the program with a series of campus support for international admissions. I, too, saw a need — and I was ready to help fill it. students have developed proven, winning habits. They each won a major events — including T-shirts noting the impact the program is having on its own campus. After thinking carefully about my resources — and beginning a collaboration with contest to win a scholarship to go from their country to a UWC, then they Dr. Philip Geier, the outgoing president of UWC–USA who became the co-founder and CEO of won another contest to be selected by a college or university in the U.S. our program — I decided that each year I would offer all 1,200 graduates of UWCs, of whatever (like Princeton, with its roughly 26,000 applicants per year). All this occurs as these students also nationality, scholarship help to attend Princeton and four other schools, in a pilot program. It was overcome socio-economic and language obstacles. I tell students, I didn’t give you a scholarship; up to the students to apply, get accepted, and decide to matriculate. you earned it, on your merits. In year one, I think 43 matriculated; Princeton got about 12. We kept expanding the program, I then ask Davis UWC Scholars, who would I find better to invest in than you, with your with no cutoff. And now, 11 years later, we have 2,200 students on 91 university campuses from demonstrated winning habits and your UWC ethos to help us shape a better world? (On a lighter 143 countries, and Princeton has 72. note, I also tell them that the only difference between my business career and this philanthropy career is that, as my business grew, more money kept rolling in — but as this scholarship Why the Program Works program grows, more money keeps rolling out!) The program works because every participant has “skin in the game.” The selection committees I know in my gut that after spending more than 60 years learning and earning, this is the way in each of the 143 countries, who award the original scholarships that enable most students to my “returning” phase is supposed to be. I know that hearing stories from bright, motivated kids in attend a UWC, must select great kids, as most have only a few scholarships to award and want to person, through this annual report, and by mail or e-mail keeps me happy and “young at heart.” send their nation’s best. The UWCs, which contribute most of the cost of the students’ education Not surprisingly, I also get positive reinforcement from college presidents and deans. At Princeton there, want their students to succeed. two years ago, a Davis UWC Scholar was the valedictorian of the class; and virtually every year As they prepare to graduate UWC, students apply to our member colleges and universities these students win major academic prizes and service awards on many, many campuses. on their own merits, with faculty recommendations and independently assessed International Somewhere in my travels I recently read this: The world needs dreamers and the world Baccalaureate scores. And our member schools stay fully in control of the decision to admit and needs doers, but above all the world needs dreamers who do. I think these students will be those to determine the student’s need for financial aid. I then fund a portion percent of the needed aid; people. It’s a joy for me to invest this way — and it will be a joy for anyone who joins me. the rest comes from other donors or the school’s endowment.
22 Uniting the World Davis United World College Scholars Program 23 UWC Schools Worldwide Are the UWC in Mostar Sources of Global Scholars: The UWC Schools Sources of the Davis UWC Scholars* In Bosnia and Herzegovina, UWC he global community of United World College schools, or UWCs, includes 13 institutions on five continents. All but in Mostar is the first UWC with the tlantic, 209 driatic, 1 5 9 8 explicit aim of contributing to the one offer the International Baccalaureate diploma, a high-quality secondary-school credential. The UWC mission is to Waterford T South ast amhlaba, 169 reconstruction of a post-conflict sia, 198 deliver a challenging and transformative educational experience to a diversity of students, inspiring them to create a more 9 society. A diversity of students from olivar, 0 peaceful and sustainable future. Students from up to 70 different nationalities attend each UWC, where academic work the country, the region, and abroad live, study, and volunteer Costa Rica, 13 6 together in the community, offering the host nation a working mingles with community engagement, international affairs, physical activities, and creative pursuits. i Po Chun, 244 example of integrated education. 11