Paul and Anne Donovan

Since 2019, we have supported two students at UWC Atlantic with scholarships. My initial contact with the college came through discussions with a foundation I was working with. This left me so impressed with what UWC is trying to achieve that we decided to offer scholarships to students.

Financial support is the critical enabler for the period of study, but Anne and I are clear that sponsorship is about more than just money. For the two years at UWC Atlantic the houseparents provide amazing support, but for a young person who is far away from home we also like to think that we have offered a welcome haven for weekends and holidays, and for their parents there is the reassurance of knowing that there is care and support for their kids beyond the campus in the UK.

It’s also a two-way street. As a family we have benefitted from building close, caring and enduring relationships, and formed better understanding of other cultures and perspectives.

The future is bright. We are so happy that our two sponsored students have emerged as confident and empowered young women ready to take on the world, and their access to fully funded Shelby Davis scholarships at US universities has created a platform for lifelong success. We hope to be at both of their graduation ceremonies in the coming years.