by Anne McLellan, Chair of Board of Directors
Welcome to our new Impact Report. This publication is our chance to say thank you to the many people who have supported Pearson College UWC through the past year-and-a-half of disruption which in turn generated perseverance, dedication and creativity.
We as a Board are proud of and humbled by the efforts by every single Pearson student, teacher, staff member, alumni and volunteer to create success out of this pandemic year. Messages like this one often speak to the dedication of a community. Pearson has that in abundance at the best of times, but the circumstances of these past 18 months have called upon everyone to step up and you have.
To say we are grateful to the many friends and supporters of the College who stayed with us we adapted, created plans, rewrote plans and worked with allies to ensure that students — nearly our full cohort from around the world — could experience a 2020-21 UWC academic and experiential education along Pedder Bay is a very modest expression of how we feel!
Your contributions of time, talent, advice and treasure are valued every day of the year. Our exceptionally engaged alumni are always a source of counsel and impactful ideas and frequently step up to mentor and share knowledge with current students. And, in a year in which we were concerned that the pandemic would prompt alumni and other supporters to cut back on their donations, we were blown away by their generosity, and by their patience when “meeting” with our staff team as we all learned to navigate Zoom!
Throughout this report, you will find stories of how Pearson students, College alumni around the world, members of the campus team and many others are making a positive impact in their respective worlds. From the young Chilean alumna whose passion for climate justice and community development germinated at Pearson to the to the just-graduated scholarship student who will be carry her passions for community building on campus through the Womxn’s Empowerment Club and the Black Students Union to a major Canadian university, please enjoy their inspirational messages.
Together, we all remain passionately committed to the UWC mission of peace and sustainability. Thank you for being a part of this commitment to making positive change and constructive impacts around the world.
Hon. A. Anne McLellan P.C., O.C., A.O.E.
Chair, Board of Directors
Lester B. Pearson College of the Pacific and United World Colleges (Canada)