“Thank you for taking the time to read this, my name is Ruby. I’ve just turned seventeen and live in with my mum in South Wales.

I am, and always have been, extremely passionate about female rights. I was disheartened to see friends missing out because of the financial aspect and unpredictable nature of periods. I felt compelled to take action, so created a project providing free sanitary products and related education to students at my school. The project quickly became known as the red box project. I’ve since expanded it to other schools, churches, places of work and community centers in my area. I’ve successfully run this project for 4 years, It’s well used and often described as invaluable. I’ve put a framework in place to allow this project to remain in school once I’ve left.

I attended a short course, organised by UWC, called redefining equality. During the course I made so many new friends, through them I was able to gain a valuable insight into feminist issues around the world, which I found both frustrating yet interesting. This only increased my drive to pursue a career supporting women whilst simultaneously advocating for equality and female rights. Throughout the course we learnt about equality, inequality and other valuable lessons. We applied our new knowledge to the creation of a project at the end of the course. Inspired by my pre-existing project, the red box project, I opted to focus on feminism. I helped to develop a social media page called Define her. We regularly create content to empower and educate girls across the world.

I’m a member of a local youth group, Her Voice. We discuss female rights and campaign for positive change. We’ve successfully pushed for safe spaces for girls and increased street lighting for our #wedon’tfeelsafe campaign. During meetings, I’m working towards a ‘campaigning for change’ qualification.

I tutor after school every day, to help young girls who are struggling with maths. Not only does this help me to retain my knowledge, but I really enjoy watching them grow in ability and confidence. Their fantastic exam results are always enough to make my day!

I’m a huge mental health advocate and pride myself in supporting others when they need it most. I’ve participated in training to become a mentor for people who are struggling with their mental wellbeing. I meet regularly with younger pupils in my school to coach them, and ensure that they can effectively manage their emotions.

I first found out about UWC in 2020, and instantly felt a strong connection with the college and it’s movement. I align with the values and my ultimate goal is to make positive change in the world. I believe UWC would allow me to explore my passions and creativity because I’m motivated by experience. I’m certain that being surrounded by a variety of perspectives will allow me to thrive. Unfortunately, I was not admitted to UWC last year due to a health issue that I was battling at the time, which was challenging to accept. Upon reflection, I realise that I wasn’t ready, but I’ve worked extremely hard and I’ve grown immensely. Fortunately, my application this year was successful but my final hurdle, which I hope to overcome, is regarding the financial aspect of attending UWC.

I’m often described as ambitious and determined. I would make the most of every opportunity provided whilst at UWC. I know that attending UWC Adriatic would change my life in the best possible way, and I would be extremely grateful for this experience.