Pablo Loayza (PC 87-89) has just finished a Masters of Education Policy at the University of Melbourne.

 

Previously, Pablo worked at the Ministry of Education, Chile, in a programme helping underachieving schools particularly rural boarding school along the country to improve their drop-out rates. Pablo was also responsible for coordinating professional development training courses for teachers.

 

Pablo graduated with a Honours Degree in History at Universidad Catolica de Chile (Santiago), and completed a Graduate Certificate in Social Sciences Research at Universidad Alberto Hurtado (Santiago).

 

“I was part of the group of alumni in Chile that took full responsibility for the UWC local network.  I was chair and deputy chair of the Chilean network for many years, and now that I’ve been in Melbourne for a year I have collaborated with the local alumni association during their selection process.” says Pablo.  “During my masters programme, I contacted people from the University where I am now to promote the Australian scholarship this year. The UWC experience was such an incredibly positive experience for me that now I try to make it more widely known so more people know about it and more students try to apply for it.”

 

“I first heard about UWC through my English teacher, who one day came to our classroom and told us about this letter the school received inviting students to apply to study abroad. I had no idea what UWC was. For a long time I had wanted to study abroad and learn a second language. But at that time it was very difficult - Chile was quite isolated from the rest of the world - and very expensive, and my family would have never been able to afford it.  So I applied, without much knowledge of either the colleges or the UWC movement. I went through a very fast selection process which included a series of quite intimidating interviews! In the final rounds I was the only candidate from a public school. And the only one who didn’t speak English (most of the interviews were in English). The other applicants helped me out by ranslating and the Committee asked me in Spanish. When I was awarded the scholarship to go to Canada, I had no idea where the college was or what it was like, but I had already made up my mind and I was going there!

 

“UWC was so different! Academically it was very hard. On top of the studying requirements I had to learn the language. But the most difficult thing was to balance between studying and spending time with the people I met there. It was so tempting to stay up late just talking and getting to know these people. I had never had the chance to meet people from most of the countries represented at UWC.  I knew bits and pieces about their countries but there were so many interesting things to talk about.

At home I was always one of the best students from my class…but at UWC I was struggling to survive! The whole concept of studying on your own, classes that were more discussion sessions rather than lectures from our teachers, learning how to think critically and support my personal opinions, all of that was completely new to me.    
But my teachers’ help and advice was crucial. If I didn’t do well in an assignment, for the first time in my life, instead of a reprimand I got an invitation to have dinner at my Biology teacher’s home to discuss what I could do to improve! I really felt supported by them and very slowly I managed to catch up and cope with the academics. Looking back I am still amazed by the incredible learning community my teachers built. There was no unhealthy pressure but a lot of encouragement and challenge. And I think most of us felt that we could learn together not competing with each other, but in a more collaborative way.

 

“Before I went to UWC I thought I wanted to study sciences. But after experiencing real scientific work there I decided it was not my path. Besides, I had such a great History teacher at UWC that I decided I wanted to study that further, so when I got back home I applied.  I feel Pearson was such a turning point in my life that I really can’t imagine what I’d have done otherwise. It changed the way I saw the world and the way I saw myself in it.

 

“I am really proud to be part of the group of Chilean UWC graduates who helped to strengthen the organisation in Chile.  In professional terms, I have had so many rewarding experiences from my work at the Ministry of Education, particularly when working with poor communities and rural schools. I like to think I have contributed to helping some schools to offer students better opportunities.

 

“UWC was a definitive turning point. It did open my eyes to the world and I became way more concerned about my responsibility towards society. It was in a more idealistic sort of way at the beginning but as years have passed by it has become a part of what I do and where my interests are. I would probably be doing something totally different, and probably wouldn’t have the opportunities I’ve had in my life if I hadn’t attended a UWC.

 

“My friends are my favourite UWC memory.  Making so many and such good friends is the one thing I value the most. After UWC the world was not an abstract idea anymore, it is made up of the faces of people I really care about – even today, almost 20 years later. It never ceases to amaze me how, after years of not seeing some of them, every time we meet up again we seem to catch up immediately from where we left things so many years ago.”