Kiki King
UWC Atlantic 1994 - 1996
Embracing Change: My UWC Atlantic Journey
My name is Kiki King - officially Kathleen, but everyone calls me Kiki. I graduated from UWC Atlantic in 1996, which feels like a lifetime ago. Being back on campus is always special, but this time was different. I wasn’t just an alum returning for a reunion - I was here to participate in a conference, to engage with students and to see the school through a whole new lens: as a parent. My daughter is a student here now, giving me a fresh perspective on the AC experience. She’s thriving, and it’s wonderful to see how the spirit of the school continues, even as so much has changed.
One of the biggest shifts I’ve noticed is how much more structured things are now. When I was a student, life felt slower, and we were often left to our own devices. Now, students organise conferences, manage committees and handle logistics that push them to engage with the real world in a way we never had to. They learn to make phone calls, book speakers, and plan events - all invaluable skills for making change happen. It’s incredible to see this shift toward applied learning, and I think it adds a whole new dimension to what education should be.
Looking back, the real highlight of my AC experience wasn’t just the academics or the setting, it was the people. The friendships I built here have lasted a lifetime. The way my worldview expanded during those two years shaped who I am today. Coming to AC challenged my assumptions, forced me to stay curious and instilled in me a habit of questioning and learning that has stayed with me ever since. I may not feel like I’m changing the world in a huge way, but the philosophy I developed here - staying open, engaged and always learning has been a guiding force in my life.
Before AC, I had a privileged but transient upbringing. My mother was a Venezuelan diplomat, so I grew up moving from country to country and attending international schools. But those schools, while diverse, were filled with kids who had similar transient experiences to mine. It wasn’t until I arrived at Atlantic College that I truly met people from radically different backgrounds, students whose lives were so unlike mine that our shared experience of living and learning together became something extraordinary. My roommates came from completely different worlds and yet we forged friendships and built a community. That’s what makes UWC Atlantic so unique.
After AC, I studied history and politics at Edinburgh University, which was a big adjustment. I had expected something more like Atlantic College and quickly realised it wasn’t. Eventually, I found my way into journalism, working for British newspapers like the Daily Mirror, Daily Telegraph, and Mail on Sunday, before transitioning into documentaries. I spent years working on Unreported World for Channel 4, reporting on current affairs films that took me across the globe.
Now, I live in Mallorca, Spain. I no longer work in journalism but focus on communications, branding and creative writing. I’ve published one novel (in Spanish), released in 2022 by Penguin Random House, and I’m working slowly on my second.
For students thinking about applying to UWC Atlantic, my advice is this: AC isn’t for everyone. If you’re someone who wants to specialise in one thing and stick to it, this might not be the place for you. But if you’re curious, if you’re open to having your worldview challenged and reshaped, if you’re excited (or even a little scared) by the idea of questioning what you think you know, then this is the place to be. It’s an experience that will change you, stretch you and stay with you for life. And that’s what makes it so special.