UWC Mostar

What a weekend!

It was wonderful to welcome alumni back to Mostar for a special reunion, the first to bring current students and alumni together.

Organized with the help of our Year 1 students, the weekend was full of great conversations, shared meals, music, and connections across generations of the UWC Mostar community.

Thanks to everyone who joined us. We loved having you back here! 💙

🎶 Alumni Spotlight

We’re proud to celebrate our alumna Adla Burza (UWC Mostar ’18) and her continued creative path.

Adla is a Bosnian-born singer-songwriter, pianist, performer, and music educator, currently building her artistic path through live performance, teaching, and original music.

Her work is rooted in emotional storytelling and a deep sense of vulnerability in songwriting. Her sound draws from piano-led soul-pop and contemporary R&B, shaped by a wide range of influences and a strong focus on honest, emotionally direct expression.

Since UWC Mostar, her journey has taken her through studies in Music Songwriting and Production and into a growing international career as a performing artist and vocal coach.

She just released her new single, “Catch Feelings.” You can listen and support her work here: https://linktr.ee/adlaburza

During a University Counselling Department visit to the US, Anja, together with other colleagues from the UWC network went to several UWC Davis partner universities and engaged with their admissions teams and staff.

These visits support our ongoing work with students, from their first year onwards. Students are encouraged to explore their interests, consider different pathways, and gradually shape their plans for life after UWC.

From UWC Mostar to the stage of his university commencement, our alumnus Diego Flores Hernandez continues to grow through curiosity, courage, and community.

After graduating from UWC Mostar in 2022, he joined Lewis & Clark College in Portland, Oregon, where he pursued a double major in International Affairs and Economics. Alongside his studies, Diego has spent a semester abroad, attended conferences and symposiums, joined clubs outside his main interests, and built meaningful connections across diverse communities.

Reflecting on his time in university, he shares:

“Living in a hyper-individualistic country like the USA showed me the need for living without conforming, for creating my own culture through my actions and expressions of care, even if it’s uncomfortable at first. Furthermore, the resources, opportunities, and friends the college provided me showed me that I want to be tired; I want to experience the world as much as possible until my last breath. Finally, while still trying to fully internalize it, I realized that life is not about what you achieve but rather what you become. Thus, I should take risks; failure will not kill me, but rather require me to become something more.”

Diego reflects on the opportunities and relationships his college environment provided, which helped him embrace a more expansive outlook: to seek experience fully, to accept risk, and to see failure not as an endpoint, but as part of becoming.

In many ways, his journey reflects what we hope for all our graduating students: to move forward with curiosity and continue shaping who they become beyond UWC.

We are proud to celebrate this milestone with him as he graduates and takes on the honor of delivering a commencement speech at his university. ✨

Iva, our CAS Coordinator and Project officer, attended the Transformative Education Hub. 🎯

Organised by UWC Germany as part of an Erasmus+ project, the training brought together experienced Short Course leaders and aspiring organisers to exchange ideas, share best practices, and explore ways to improve and develop non-formal education programmes.

Through interactive workshops and collaborative micro-projects at Lake Wannsee in Berlin, participants strengthened their skills in designing impactful learning experiences and building stronger communities.

With Iva coordinating the UWC Mostar's Bridging Cultures Short Course, we are sure that she is bringing back plenty of ideas and inspiration into her work.

Thank you to UWC Deutschland and Wannsee Forum for organising, and to all participants for the inspiring discussions. 🌍

We are proud to see Dr. Andrew Mahlstedt, who previously served in a leadership role at our school, appointed as President of UWC-USA. Congratulations, Andrew, and best wishes as you lead the next chapter of this remarkable institution!

Big news for the UWC-USA community! 🌍✨ We are incredibly excited to announce that Dr. Andrew Mahlstedt has been officially appointed as the next President of UWC-USA!

Dr. Mahlstedt is already a familiar face to many of us, having served as our Interim Head of School and Associate Head of School, as well as working across the global movement at UWC Mostar and UWC Mahindra College. His deep commitment to peace, sustainability, and student-centered education makes him the perfect leader for this next chapter.

"UWC-USA’s strength lies in its students, faculty, staff, alumni, families, and supporters — all of whom believe in the power of education to build understanding, compassion, courage, and peace." — Dr. Andrew Mahlstedt

Join us in giving Dr. Mahlstedt a massive congratulations in the comments below! 🎉👇

🔗Read the full announcement from Board Chair Dr. Aly Kassam-Remtulla ‘94 here: https://www.uwc-usa.org/president2026/

As our Year 1 students wrap up their final week of classes, Benjamin’s class took their learning outdoors, blending problem-solving with games. This math lesson looked a little different but it was surely a perfect way to end the term! 🌞

Over the past seven weeks, we had the pleasure of hosting Lejla as part of her internship placement with our English Department.

Lejla is studying English Language Teacher Education at Fontys UAS in Sittard, Netherlands. During her placement, she has attended classes, supervised exams, and taught lessons alongside our English language teachers.

Thank you Lejla for your enthusiasm, motivation, and commitment. We wish you every success in the future!

Every year on graduation day, UWC Mostar students gather in front of the school building, full of excitement, before beginning the traditional walk to Kosača where the ceremony is held. It is a beautiful tradition, marking the end of this chapter and a special moment shared together as a class. ❤️

We are grateful to all the guests who joined us, in person and online. It meant a lot to have the support of families, friends, and our wider community on such an important day. Thank you for being part of the celebration of the Class of 2026!

We are still celebrating the Class of 2026! 🎓

Thank you to everyone who joined us in person and online. We’re delighted to share a few moments from the UWC Mostar graduation ceremony.

The ceremony opened with a heartfelt address from our Head of School, Hendrik Willem Flier, who reminded students of the strength they carry within them and the lasting impact they have made here at UWC Mostar. This year’s ceremony was filled with meaningful moments, from student reflections by Elmas Ekinović and Pepe Martinez Rodulfo, to inspiring words from our guest speaker, Ðemila Talić Gabriel.

From their first days at UWC Mostar to this milestone moment, it has been a privilege to watch our students grow into thoughtful, courageous, and compassionate individuals who have helped shape our community over the past two years. As they move forward, we hope they take with them a piece of this place, and of each other, wherever life leads next.

We are incredibly proud of each and every graduate and deeply grateful for the energy, kindness, and spirit they brought to our community.

Congratulations, Class of 2026 💙