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A person smiling on a poster announcing "Rise Global Winners." The name "Maria Fernanda Velasquez" and a Peruvian flag are displayed. The word "Rise" appears with a stylized sunburst design.
Giving

Rise Scholarship Global Winner

05 November 2021

Maria was lucky enough to be selected as a global winner and is part of the first ever Rise cohort of 2021.

Our first year Maria (Peru, UWCAD 2021-23) learnt about the life changing opportunity of a Rise for the world scholarship while she was applying for UWC, around this time last year. Realising many of the characteristics which Rise were seeking matched those necessary for UWC she knew she had to apply.

The brainchild of ex-google CEO turned philanthropist, Eric Schmidt and his wife Wendy, who realised that “talent is distributed everywhere in the world, but opportunity absolutely isn’t” the Rise initiative, a partnership between Schmidt Futures and the Rhodes Trust, is a global talent program which aims to find outstanding young people, ages 15-17, who need opportunity and support in order to use their talents to build a better world.

In addition to offering free learning resources and access to a network of mentors, each year, Rise are selecting 100 Global winners who they will provide with a lifetime of personalized support. This support includes college scholarships, mentorship, career services and access to funding to develop their ideas. Maria was lucky enough to be selected as one of these winners and joins the 99 other young people as part of the first ever Rise cohort of 2021.

As part of the application process applicants were required to showcase a project they had created. Maria devised and manufactured a sustainable water filter, which captures water in the air and transforms it into safe drinking water. This innovative idea and design impressed the judging panel and Rise have given Maria further funding and support to develop the filter with the hope of making it more efficient and portable.

Having settled into UWC Adriatic, Maria is excited for the future and feels very fortunate to have been granted this life-changing opportunity.

Maria

from Peru

“The diversity of passion and the drive of so many teenagers have been two of the most unique insights Rise has given me. Since the very first video I had to record during the process, not only did I learn the technicisms of how to create a social project, but the importance of being self-conscious about what motivates you to do what you do every day.”

A person with wavy dark hair smiling brightly, wearing a black t-shirt. Sunlight illuminates their face, creating a warm and cheerful atmosphere.

This summer, Maria will join the other global winners, hailing from 42 different countries, at a conference in South Africa. Post UWC Maria is considering studying Computer Science and business and is passionate about continuing in the world of social enterprise.

 

Apply for Rise 2022

UWC are one of 30 global partners who are working with Rise to help recruit the cohorts of deserving, talented young people who are determined to change the world. Applications for the Rise 2022 programme are now open and more information can be found here.

Some words of encouragement from Maria:
“Your experience can be anything you want it to be! There’s no right way to do it, and I think that’s the magical aspect of Rise. Varying from poetry to science (or even a combination of both!), applying to Rise gives you a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to take your ideas a step further and, with a global perspective and a sustainable mindset, make them a reality.”

“
Your experience can be anything you want it to be! There’s no right way to do it, and I think that’s the magical aspect of Rise. Varying from poetry to science (or even a combination of both!), applying to Rise gives you a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to take your ideas a step further and, with a global perspective and a sustainable mindset, make them a reality.

”