It’s a successful gift that fills both the giver and the receiver with hope for a better world.

Such is the case for the benefactors and the Earlham College recipients of the Davis United World College (UWC) Scholars Program awards. 

“When I hear about or learn of a [Davis UWC] student’s success, I am extremely hopeful for a better world in the 21st century,” says Philip O. Geier, executive director of the Davis UWC Scholars Program, which was founded in 2000 by philanthropist Shelby M.C. Davis, who seeks to advance international understanding through education. The program has grown to become the world’s largest privately funded international scholarship program supporting 2,400 undergraduates from 146 nations. 

Earlham joined the program in 2004 and currently has 133 UWC scholars, placing it behind only Brown University for the total number of enrolled UWC students.

“Earlham is a great fit for UWC students and not just because of its extensive diversity,” says junior Joel de Jesus Lozada Yanez from Mexico. “Earlham’s long-standing commitment to social justice and the pursuit of truth are values that echo the mission that the UWC community strives to fulfill around the world.”

Kubra Kasikci, a second-year student from the Netherlands, says she felt she would be a good fit at Earlham after hearing stories from fellow UWC students.

“At Earlham I continue to explore barriers that separate me from understanding and helping myself and others,” Kasikci says. “Earlham's diverse character allows me to connect to people and learn from them and about them in a respectful way. At Earlham I recognize, not only a home, but also a safe place in which I can continue shaping myself into a resourceful individual and ease my way into a future in which my aims and passions can be combined effectively and serve a greater purpose.”

I’m learning that Davis UWC Scholars don’t just “come to” Earlham; their presence and contributions make Earlham the truly internationally-oriented college it is. 
—Earlham President David Dawson 

Geier says the Davis UWC program has grown from the initial five pilot schools to include more than 90 participating colleges and universities of all sizes and from all regions of the United States.

“We select schools that are strategically committed to the kinds of goals we embrace — schools that demonstrate a long-standing commitment to global engagement — and it is very evident that Earlham has done this,” Geier says.  “Throughout its history the importance Earlham has placed on world engagement and service helps it to foster an international campus.”

Indeed Earlham’s commitment to a mission statement that stresses global education is evidenced throughout the College’s history. During World War II Earlham was one of 53 colleges to enroll Japanese Americans who had been forced from their homes into internment camps. In 1956 Earlham organized its first off-campus study program and by the early 1960s, Earlham’s Japanese Studies program had become a model for infusing and integrating the study of Japan into various disciplines, for faculty development related to Japan, for study-abroad in Japan and for Japanese student-exchange opportunities. Today, international students account for 16 percent of the student population.

At the beginning of Earlham’s presidential inauguration in October, dozens of Earlham students, many of them Davis UWC Scholars, welcomed President David Dawson in their native language.

“That’s when the reality of Earlham’s commitment to global education first became powerfully personal for me,” Dawson says. “I’m learning that Davis UWC Scholars don’t just “come to” Earlham; their presence and contributions make Earlham the truly internationally-oriented college it is. Preparing students for leadership and service in the global community is central to Earlham’s mission, and having a large number of Davis UWC Scholars helps us make that vision real.”

Lozada Yanez says the program is an investment in the world.

“The Davis UWC Scholars Program empowers UWC graduates to engage with colleges and universities that share their concerns in regard to politics, the environment and social justice,” Lozada Yanez says. “This interaction usually brings a huge impact to the campuses as well.”

Geier says he has seen the campuses of the participating schools transform into global micro-communities since the program began in 2000.

“I would like to think that we have contributed marginally to this,” he says. “In 2000 schools began to articulate the significance of globalization, but we are not there yet. I feel like we need to look at ways to grow and improve the experience, and make it more relevant and significant.”

The importance of the Davis UWC Scholar experience, however, can’t be overstated, according to the Earlham participants. 

“This scholarship has given me hope beyond what I would have ever dreamed of,” Lozada Yanez says. “It not only allowed me to seek out a great education but helped me explore and find my best capacities as an individual. It brought me several steps closer to fulfilling my goals in politics and international relations, which I hope will touch the lives of many people.” 

Kasikci agrees.

“My experiences in UWCiM and Earlham allow me to work toward a better future, one that I can share and one that allows loved ones as well as strangers to partake in the joy of my accomplishments,” she says.

—EC—

Listen to the roundtable discussion with Phil Geier and Earlham students: PART 1   PART 2

Earlham's UWC Scholars gave heartfelt thanks to Shelby and Gale Davis during their 2009 visit to campus: VIEW VIDEO

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