Captain's Blog
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Friends, I have REALLY BIG NEWS! The Kazan McClain Partners’ Foundation just donated $25,000 to the United World Challenge campaign to inspire a more courageous world. I can hardly tell you how grateful and thrilled I am for this gift, which lifts us to $55,680 of the $75,000 crowdfunding goal! In return for the Foundation’s support I will be speaking in Oakland schools to engage kids on topics like mental health, sustainability and getting scholarships to United World Colleges. I plan to visit at least one school before the row begins and several more after the row’s complete. In addition, I will invite students and teachers to design some simple science experiments for me to carry out on sea. By sending data and results from the ocean – and calling the classrooms live from my satellite...

I spent the past week on a silent meditation retreat to know myself better and prepare for the Atlantic row. Here are 9 of the top things I learned, which may be helpful in your own journey. 9: Make Space for New Ideas Throughout the week as I sat and cleared my head of thoughts, great new ideas showed up. At first the rush surprised me. But as the days passed, I saw why this happens: if you want a fresh idea, make space for it to grow. 8: Multi-Task Less, Get More (Quality) Done Attention is one of our greatest assets. Why do we divide it? Focusing on one task at a time this week reminded me how much more effective that approach can be. One habit I’m working to change is checking my notifications or email frequently or as a "break". That's neither a real break nor true attention to the...

Elliot Leung graduated from UWC Adriatic in 2004. He comes from Hong Kong, where he now lives and works building digital platforms. He started his own company, Gaifong, an innovative 'share economy' app with it's roots in sustainability. The platform has now expanded to be used across South East Asia. Elliot also works closely with others to help them develop and achieve their dreams in the same industry. When he first went to UWCAD, he felt fortunate growing up in an English speaking environment, as he knew that for some, overcoming language barriers was going to be one of their biggest challenges over their time at the college. During his time at UWC, the college mission statement taught him that there is more that unites us in this world than that which divides us. He believes that...

I’m told the ocean is an unforgiving place. When the waves pummel my boat and shake me to the core, and I’m thousands of miles from land and feel I’m losing control, what will I call upon to endure? When I was younger, I equated strength to brute force. To fight. Push. Hold. Grip. But I’ve learned strength has many forms. And the most potent? It may actually be letting go. Letting go of beliefs that don’t serve us. Letting go of worrying what others might think. Letting go of the need to show progress. Letting go of ego. These are strengths I wish to build now. That's why on this equinox marking 3 seasons until I begin my Atlantic row, I’m embarking on a week-long silent and solo meditation retreat. My aims? To bring stillness to my mind, to watch what surfaces and stirs up ripples on...

Marthe Lamp Sandvik hails from Norway, and attended UWC Adriatic from 2005-2007. She currently lives in Oslo where she works in the global shipping industry. Hopefully the ships she manages steer clear of Terence while he’s out on the open seas! After her time at UWCAD, she ended up living in the Middle East to build on her career in the shipping industry and study Arabic. After many years abroad she felt compelled to return home to Norway to make use of the many lessons she had learned from her experiences. To her, the world of shipping is a fascinating blend of local and global industries. 90% of the goods used globally are transported by sea, so there is a great proximity to international markets and and economic conditions. Marthe works with volunteer organisations and initiatives to...

The UWC Challenge donation port-hole is live! And we are so grateful for the initial outpouring of support. Thank you to UWC-USA who came on board as a fiscal sponsor and the 30 generous crew mates who donated almost $4,000 in the first 3 weeks. We're so glad you're in the boat with us - thank you all, named below! Will you help up us raise more? Every dollar we receive goes towards the UWC Challenge scholarship fund. Our first goal is $75,000, which covers a full two-year scholarship to attend UWC. And your gift is So, where to from here? Donate: If you haven’t yet, please visit our donation page to contribute. Share: Please invite others to join the Challenge! Post on social media or just share directly with friends and family. Are you UWC alum? Why not get in touch with co-years,...

Today marks the start of the 2018 Talisker Atlantic Challenge, the World’s Toughest Row from La Gomera in the Canary Islands to Antigua in the Caribbean. All 28 teams have been in the harbor for weeks where they’ve tested, packed, and reinforced the equipment that will keep them safe as they cross the Atlantic Ocean. Terence attended the launch two years ago, but this year he and the rest of our team watch from afar - and even while viewing online, it’s clear how much work goes into rowing the Atlantic. Whether as a solo rower or a team of 4, it takes a village to reach the start. The 2018 teams are rowing for great causes. Kelda Wood for example is a solo rower raising funds for her charity that helps people like her who have had life-changing injuries from outdoor adventures. Her...

For our next installment of Alumni in the Spotlight we have the incomparable Gintarė Eidmtaitė. Gintarė attended UWC Adriatic in Italy from 2004-2006. Originally from Lithuania, she is now based in Geneva, Switzerland where she works as a humanitarian affairs officer for the UN. Read on to find out how the UWC experience helps amazing people like Gintarė reach their potential and change the world. What made you want to go to UWC in the first place? I was itching to discover the world and surround myself by idealistic nerds like me. One day, I saw an ad calling for applications in a newspaper, googled the school and read up on UWC values... I remember being blown away, it really sounded like a place for me. Before I arrived at UWC I was just a little bit scared of the unknown, though...

The United World Challenge is raising money for scholarships to attend UWCs. Attending a UWC can change the course of a life. We're presenting a series; Alumni in the Spotlight - to show the transformative effect a globally focused education can have. Elysia Glover UWCSEA 2004-2006 What made you want to go to UWC in the first place? I grew up in a home where public radio was always on and books were everywhere and I really loved learning. In high school my mom told me I should check out Pearson College as friends of ours were also applying and I remember sitting in our computer lab at school looking through the websites of IB schools around the world and thinking "I could do that". I didn't have a passport but it just seemed like the right thing to do for me. Was there anything that you...

Ahoy, and welcome to the Opening Entry in the Captain’s Log. Why start today? Because it's UWC Day, the International Day of Peace – a day to inspire action. That’s why I organized a trash cleanup in Denver, and together with fellow UWC alumni from Oman and Canada picked up rubbish from the banks of the Platte River. Part of the UWC Day of Service, this small gesture sits within a larger global movement of people taking action. You don’t have to row an ocean or raise a scholarship to improve the world. What action would you take in your own community? Expect more posts in the coming weeks sharing “behind the scenes” views of the UWC Challenge. Until then, feel free to say sign the Captain’s Log below. Wishing you smooth seas, Terence   

Friends, I have REALLY BIG NEWS! The Kazan McClain Partners’ Foundation just donated $25,000 to the United World Challenge campaign to inspire a more courageous world. I can hardly tell you how grateful and thrilled I am for this gift, which lifts us to $55,680 of the $75,000 crowdfunding goal! In return for the Foundation’s support I will be speaking in Oakland schools to engage kids on topics like mental health, sustainability and getting scholarships to United World Colleges. I plan to visit at least one school before the row begins and several more after the row’s complete. In addition, I will invite students and teachers to design some simple science experiments for me to carry out on sea. By sending data and results from the ocean – and calling the classrooms live from my satellite...

I spent the past week on a silent meditation retreat to know myself better and prepare for the Atlantic row. Here are 9 of the top things I learned, which may be helpful in your own journey. 9: Make Space for New Ideas Throughout the week as I sat and cleared my head of thoughts, great new ideas showed up. At first the rush surprised me. But as the days passed, I saw why this happens: if you want a fresh idea, make space for it to grow. 8: Multi-Task Less, Get More (Quality) Done Attention is one of our greatest assets. Why do we divide it? Focusing on one task at a time this week reminded me how much more effective that approach can be. One habit I’m working to change is checking my notifications or email frequently or as a "break". That's neither a real break nor true attention to the...

Elliot Leung graduated from UWC Adriatic in 2004. He comes from Hong Kong, where he now lives and works building digital platforms. He started his own company, Gaifong, an innovative 'share economy' app with it's roots in sustainability. The platform has now expanded to be used across South East Asia. Elliot also works closely with others to help them develop and achieve their dreams in the same industry. When he first went to UWCAD, he felt fortunate growing up in an English speaking environment, as he knew that for some, overcoming language barriers was going to be one of their biggest challenges over their time at the college. During his time at UWC, the college mission statement taught him that there is more that unites us in this world than that which divides us. He believes that...

I’m told the ocean is an unforgiving place. When the waves pummel my boat and shake me to the core, and I’m thousands of miles from land and feel I’m losing control, what will I call upon to endure? When I was younger, I equated strength to brute force. To fight. Push. Hold. Grip. But I’ve learned strength has many forms. And the most potent? It may actually be letting go. Letting go of beliefs that don’t serve us. Letting go of worrying what others might think. Letting go of the need to show progress. Letting go of ego. These are strengths I wish to build now. That's why on this equinox marking 3 seasons until I begin my Atlantic row, I’m embarking on a week-long silent and solo meditation retreat. My aims? To bring stillness to my mind, to watch what surfaces and stirs up ripples on...

Marthe Lamp Sandvik hails from Norway, and attended UWC Adriatic from 2005-2007. She currently lives in Oslo where she works in the global shipping industry. Hopefully the ships she manages steer clear of Terence while he’s out on the open seas! After her time at UWCAD, she ended up living in the Middle East to build on her career in the shipping industry and study Arabic. After many years abroad she felt compelled to return home to Norway to make use of the many lessons she had learned from her experiences. To her, the world of shipping is a fascinating blend of local and global industries. 90% of the goods used globally are transported by sea, so there is a great proximity to international markets and and economic conditions. Marthe works with volunteer organisations and initiatives to...

The UWC Challenge donation port-hole is live! And we are so grateful for the initial outpouring of support. Thank you to UWC-USA who came on board as a fiscal sponsor and the 30 generous crew mates who donated almost $4,000 in the first 3 weeks. We're so glad you're in the boat with us - thank you all, named below! Will you help up us raise more? Every dollar we receive goes towards the UWC Challenge scholarship fund. Our first goal is $75,000, which covers a full two-year scholarship to attend UWC. And your gift is So, where to from here? Donate: If you haven’t yet, please visit our donation page to contribute. Share: Please invite others to join the Challenge! Post on social media or just share directly with friends and family. Are you UWC alum? Why not get in touch with co-years,...

Today marks the start of the 2018 Talisker Atlantic Challenge, the World’s Toughest Row from La Gomera in the Canary Islands to Antigua in the Caribbean. All 28 teams have been in the harbor for weeks where they’ve tested, packed, and reinforced the equipment that will keep them safe as they cross the Atlantic Ocean. Terence attended the launch two years ago, but this year he and the rest of our team watch from afar - and even while viewing online, it’s clear how much work goes into rowing the Atlantic. Whether as a solo rower or a team of 4, it takes a village to reach the start. The 2018 teams are rowing for great causes. Kelda Wood for example is a solo rower raising funds for her charity that helps people like her who have had life-changing injuries from outdoor adventures. Her...

For our next installment of Alumni in the Spotlight we have the incomparable Gintarė Eidmtaitė. Gintarė attended UWC Adriatic in Italy from 2004-2006. Originally from Lithuania, she is now based in Geneva, Switzerland where she works as a humanitarian affairs officer for the UN. Read on to find out how the UWC experience helps amazing people like Gintarė reach their potential and change the world. What made you want to go to UWC in the first place? I was itching to discover the world and surround myself by idealistic nerds like me. One day, I saw an ad calling for applications in a newspaper, googled the school and read up on UWC values... I remember being blown away, it really sounded like a place for me. Before I arrived at UWC I was just a little bit scared of the unknown, though...

The United World Challenge is raising money for scholarships to attend UWCs. Attending a UWC can change the course of a life. We're presenting a series; Alumni in the Spotlight - to show the transformative effect a globally focused education can have. Elysia Glover UWCSEA 2004-2006 What made you want to go to UWC in the first place? I grew up in a home where public radio was always on and books were everywhere and I really loved learning. In high school my mom told me I should check out Pearson College as friends of ours were also applying and I remember sitting in our computer lab at school looking through the websites of IB schools around the world and thinking "I could do that". I didn't have a passport but it just seemed like the right thing to do for me. Was there anything that you...

Ahoy, and welcome to the Opening Entry in the Captain’s Log. Why start today? Because it's UWC Day, the International Day of Peace – a day to inspire action. That’s why I organized a trash cleanup in Denver, and together with fellow UWC alumni from Oman and Canada picked up rubbish from the banks of the Platte River. Part of the UWC Day of Service, this small gesture sits within a larger global movement of people taking action. You don’t have to row an ocean or raise a scholarship to improve the world. What action would you take in your own community? Expect more posts in the coming weeks sharing “behind the scenes” views of the UWC Challenge. Until then, feel free to say sign the Captain’s Log below. Wishing you smooth seas, Terence