UWC International Gala 2025
On Thursday, 8 May 2025, friends and supporters of the UWC movement came together for the UWC International Gala 2025 at International House in New York. We were thrilled to celebrate not only the UN Year of Peace and Trust but also the special milestone of the 25th anniversary of the Davis UWC Scholarship Program.
Throughout the evening, guests were inspired by prominent figures from the UWC movement, including Faith Abiodun, Executive Director of UWC International and Mark Wang, Founder and Chair of UWC Changshu China (UWC Red Cross Nordic, 1998-2000). Dr. Musimbi Kanyoro, Chair of the UWC International Board, completed the lineup with a heartfelt call to unite around our shared vision for peace and international understanding.
Thank you to our donors and supporters
We are deeply grateful to everyone who has contributed to our mission so far. Your donation can help fund life-changing scholarships—and thanks to our two matching programmes, every gift goes even further:
- The UWC Endowment Fund – Scholarships in perpetuity, ensuring long-term access to UWC.
- Dare to Dream – UWC’s Scholarship Fund – Scholarships today, transforming lives now.
Every gift you give helps shape the leaders of tomorrow. You can allocate your gift to a UWC school, national committee, or to UWC International.
Event highlights
As in previous galas, the talented actor and award-winning filmmaker Juan Pablo di Pace (UWC Adriatic, 1997-1999) served as our Master of Ceremonies. His charm and energy kept everyone entertained throughout the night.
One of the highlights was a captivating discussion featuring Emma Tucker, Editor in Chief of the Wall Street Journal (UWC-USA, 1983-1985) and Yewong Dongchung, Postdoctoral Fellow at Brown University (UWC Atlantic, 2007-2009). Their conversation showed how, despite their very different backgrounds and upbringings, their experiences at UWC profoundly influenced their careers and life missions. This insight emphasised how their UWC journey equipped them with the skills and an understanding of the importance of finding common ground and fostering collaboration in their professional lives.
UWC award for peace education and sustainability in education 2025
Presented by Rev Nontombi Naomi Tutu, we were delighted to announce that the recipient of this year's award was the Horizon Foundation.
They support disadvantaged young people from refugee communities and conflict zones, particularly Palestine, Syria, Tibet and Afghanistan, by offering educational scholarships for their final two years of secondary school. Committed to nurturing a globally conscious generation, the Horizon Foundation emphasises the importance of education, with many students progressing to universities in the U.S. through the Davis UWC Scholars Program.
Collecting the award on behalf of the Horizon Foundation were Horizon Scholars Donia, Dima, Yewong and Tsethar.
"For 19 remarkable years, the Horizon Foundation has enabled nearly 200 young individuals to pursue their education, with most becoming students at UWC schools and colleges. The vision of Patrick and Kirkland Smulders, through the Horizon Foundation, has profoundly transformed the futures of these young people. They truly embody the spirit of this award and we take immense pride in having them as a partner in the UWC community."
To wrap up the formal part of the evening in the dining room, guests were treated to a performance inspired by one of the Gala's key themes - peace. Dancer and choreographer Salomé Egas (Pearson College UWC, 2008-2010) teamed up with Juan Pablo di Pace and pianist-composer Dorian Dionisi for a beautifully moving piece.
Event photos
Stay connected!
We’d love for you to stay connected with the UWC movement. You can follow us on social media and subscribe to our newsletter to keep up to date with the amazing things that our students, alumni and volunteers are achieving. Please also consider connecting us with a potential supporter in your network who believes in the power of education to change lives.
Thanks and acknowledgements
We want to thank all our attendees, sponsors and contributors for their incredible support in making this event a success. A big shoutout to our amazing volunteers and the UWC-NYC Board, who dedicated their time and effort. We couldn't have done it without you! Finally, we’re grateful to our speakers for their inspiring words, which left a lasting impression on everyone. Thank you all for being a part of this memorable evening!
Acknowledgements continued
Photography - Carlos Andres Varela @canvaweddings
Videography - Andrew Walker and Kat Legeza
Event sponsors and programme contributors
Akshay Kulkarni
Better World Education Foundation/UWCCSC
Goldman Sachs Gives -
Bartosz Ostenda,
Feroz Khosla
The George and Renate Lee Family Fund
Stephanie Hui
Isabel Allende Foundation
Liv Global Foundation
Klaas Heerema
Pål Ristvedt
Radiant World
RSM McDowell Fund
Secret Sauce Fund at Tides Foundation
Anonymous contributors
Donation matching supporters
Shelby and Gale Davis
Davis Philanthropies
Eijk and Rose-marie van Otterloo
Jill Longson and Colin Habgood (UWC Atlantic)
With the participation of
UWC Adriatic
UWC Atlantic
UWC Changshu China
UWC Mahindra College
Pearson College UWC
UWC Red Cross Nordic
UWC South East Asia
UWC-USA
UWC Endowment Management
Friends of UWC
Adriaan de Mol van Otterloo
Andrew Foose
Andrew Marshall
Bernd Pichler
Catherine Lee
Claire Bruten and George Paul
Daniel Obst
David Hawley
David Hess
Ema Vidak Friedman
Emery Mizero
Harsher Singh
Jaffar Raza
Joerose Tharakan
Julia Neubauer
Mark Wang
Melanie Weston
Milbert and Tim Bentham
Patagonia Bright Futures Foundation
Poschmann family
Priscilla Ratazzi
Richard Barth and Wendy Kopp
Ruben Petit
Rupesh Pradhan
Sebastien de Halleux
Timur Akazhanov
Shubadeep Debgupta
Vijay Krishnan
Vivek Shah
Yaffa Maritz
Highlights from the last gala 2023
The UWC New York Gala 2023 raised USD 720,000 in funding
The UWC New York Gala 2023 raised an incredible USD 720,000 in scholarship funds, celebrating 60 years of UWC education and 40 years of UWC-USA.
Juan Pablo di Pace hosted the evening, which featured an inspiring discussion on education and radical inclusion with Dr. Musimbi Kanyoro and Dr. David Moinina Sengeh, moderated by Arpita Varghese. Her Majesty Queen Noor of Jordan, the president of UWC and Fabiola Villanueva presented the ‘UWC Awards for Peace and Sustainability in Education’ to honour outstanding philanthropists.
Powerful alumni stories, including those of Malou from Kakuma Refugee Camp and Huma from Afghanistan, highlighted the life-changing impact of a UWC education.
Find out more about the last gala here.