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// Workers AI · dad joke modeWhat did the United World College, USA student say? I'm united we stand.

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
(Redirected from UWC-USA)

United World College, USA
Location
State Route 65

Montezuma
,
New Mexico
87731
Information
Type
MottoUWC makes education a force to unite people, nations and cultures for peace and a sustainable future
Established1982
Head of School
Dr. Andrew Mahlstedt
Faculty34
Enrollment228
Average class size
15
Student to teacher ratio
9:1
CampusRural, 110 acres (0.45 km2)
Colors    Blue and teal
NewspaperCastle on the Hill
AffiliationUnited World Colleges, International Baccalaureate
Websiteuwc-usa.org

The United World College, USA (UWC-USA) is a United World College school in Montezuma, New Mexico, United States. It was founded in 1982, with financial support from businessman Armand Hammer, who donated the historic Montezuma Castle (hotel) site for the campus.

UWC-USA is a two-year, independent, co-educational boarding school accredited by the Independent Schools Association of the Southwest,[1] serving high school students aged 16 to 19 from around the world, many on scholarships.

History

[edit]
A view of the UWC-USA campus.

American mogul Armand Hammer's The Armand Hammer Foundation purchased the property in Montezuma to establish a United World College in the United States in 1981. Major renovations of existing buildings preceded the school's opening to make it an appropriate site for a residential educational institution.[2]

The school opened in the fall of 1982 as the Armand Hammer United World College of the American West, an event that was attended by King Charles III, then Prince of Wales, in his capacity as president of the United World Colleges at the time. The inaugural class of students consisted of 104 young people, from 49 countries.[3][4]

The school's founding president was Theodore D. Lockwood, who served from 1982 until 1993 and had previously served as president of Trinity College in Hartford, Connecticut. Dr. William McGill, president emeritus of Columbia University, was the founding chairman of the board of trustees.[3] Philip O. Geier served as president from 1993 until 2005, when he passed the reins to Lisa A. H. Darling, whose presidency ended in 2013. The school's fourth president was Dr. Mukul Kumar '89, an alumnus and leader in international education, who left the school in 2016, and was followed by Dr. Victoria Mora. Born in Albuquerque, a mother as well as a former Dean of the Santa Fe campus of St. John's College, she led the college until 2025.[5] The fifth and current president is Dr. Andrew Mahlstedt, who took the role following other roles in the UWC movement, including at UWC Mostar in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and UWC Mahindra in India.[6][7]

In 1998, the school's endowment was significantly increased through the generosity of investment manager Shelby M.C. Davis and his wife Gale.[8][9] Their gift today secures the largest block of the school's student scholarships and provides $25,000 scholarships for all Americans who attend this school (or any other UWC) after being admitted by the U.S. national committee. Their initial gift of $45 million in 1998 was, at the time, the largest private donation ever made to international education.[10][11]

In late 2007, The Wall Street Journal identified UWC-USA as one of the world's top 20 schools for its success in preparing students to enter top American universities.[12] In 2010, UWC-USA was ranked a “Top Ten Program” by U.S. Center for Citizen Diplomacy.[13]

Location

[edit]

The school's campus is based at the historic Montezuma Castle,[14] in the foothills of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains. It is located at 35°39′15″N 105°16′52″W / 35.65417°N 105.28111°W / 35.65417; -105.28111 in the town of Montezuma, New Mexico, just northwest of the city of Las Vegas, New Mexico, about 70 mi (110 km) from Santa Fe.

A structural artwork and secular space on the campus, Dwan Light Sanctuary (1996), was founded by Virginia Dwan in collaboration with solar spectrum artist Charles Ross and architect Laban Wingert.[15][16] The artwork is open to the public.[17]

Notable alumni

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ↑ "School Directory - Independent Schools Association of the Southwest". www.isasw.org. Retrieved November 20, 2023.
  2. ↑ Cummings, Judith; Times, Special To the New York (September 14, 1982). "WORLD COLLEGE TO OPEN U.S. CAMPUS". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved September 25, 2026. Dr. Hammer, as founder, furnished about $6 million to acquire and renovate the campus's 110-acre site. Dr. Lockwood said the petroleum magnate also subsidized the tuition of a majority of the students and helped avoid potential political problems in the admission of young people from Poland and the Soviet Union.
  3. 1 2 Cummings, Judith (September 14, 1982). "WORLD COLLEGE TO OPEN U.S. CAMPUS". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved August 19, 2024.
  4. ↑ "Prince Charles helps dedicate college - UPI Archives". UPI. Retrieved August 19, 2024.
  5. ↑ Candelaria, Esteban (August 11, 2025). "United World College USA bolsters mental health resources in the wake of teen's death in 2023". Santa Fe New Mexican. Retrieved November 25, 2025.
  6. ↑ "Andrew Mahlstedt". UWC USA. June 2, 2026. Retrieved November 25, 2025.
  7. ↑ "Statement". UWC USA. Retrieved November 25, 2025. The Board has made changes to School leadership. Dr. Andrew Mahlstedt has been Interim Head of School since January 2025 and will continue in that role until the Board names a permanent replacement for Dr. Victoria Mora.
  8. ↑ "Montezuma castle, other Las Vegas buildings now open for tours - Albuquerque Journal".
  9. ↑ "$100M pledge to benefit United World College - Albuquerque Journal".
  10. ↑ "S&G Foundation, Founded by Shelby and Gale Davis, Donates $45 Million to United World College, Montezuma, NM," PR Newswire, July 23, 1998
  11. ↑ Russell, J. "Teaching Global Understanding: Donor Pays For Almost 700 Foreign Students," The Boston Globe, July 21, 2005
  12. ↑ Staff writer (December 28, 2007). "How the Schools Stack Up". The Wall Street Journal. Archived from the original on July 24, 2008. Retrieved July 25, 2008.
  13. ↑ "Global Leadership Forum". United World College, USA. Archived from the original on July 14, 2014. Retrieved September 29, 2015.
  14. ↑ Grimm, Julie Ann (May 31, 2023). "Castles, Ruins and Mysteries V – Unlocking repurposed and ignored history". Santa Fe Reporter. pp. Cover. Retrieved June 5, 2023.
  15. ↑ "Holy Architecture for Earthly Devotion". Hyperallergic. January 28, 2020. Retrieved September 25, 2026.
  16. ↑ Shapland, Jenn (August 29, 2018). "Field Report: Las Vegas, NM". Southwest Contemporary. Retrieved September 25, 2026.
  17. ↑ "UWC-USA | United World College in the USA". UWC USA. Retrieved September 25, 2026.
  18. ↑ Alexander Stille (October 4, 2016). "Who murdered Giulio Regeni?". theguardian.com. Retrieved January 30, 2017.
  19. ↑ Media, Kompas Cyber (January 5, 2018). ""Alarm" Iqbaal Ramadhan Selama Sekolah di Amerika Serikat". KOMPAS.com.
  20. ↑ Narvaiz, Matthew (May 29, 2023). "New Mexico's World College helped shape Wall Street Journal Editor Emma Tucker". Albuquerque Journal.

Sources

[edit]
  • "Dreams & Promises: The Story of the Armand Hammer United World College: A Critical Analysis", Theodore D. Lockwood, 1997
[edit]
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