The Film Production crew at the school produced a short documentary about Gómez and his experiences at the residency. In his short time there, he had a major positive impact on the school. The Head of Fine Art Declan Bartlett said, “Melvin has brought so much life experience to the School and shared his passion, skills, and artistic insights with the students. He has encouraged them to believe in their ideas and communication regardless of their current skill set and to courageously explore colour and form, light and tone, content and meaning. He has been inspirational to the Fine Art team and the whole School community, given his back story of resilience, perseverance, and passion for life.”   

While studying in the Fine Arts department at ������Ƶ, Gómez was a Davis Scholar and was chosen for the Trustee Scholar Award 2021-2022. In his first year at Ringling, he pitched a proposal for the Davis Projects of Peace, an initiative created by Kathryn W. Davis, mother of Shelby Davis who established the Davis Scholarship Program. 

For her 100th birthday, the maternal Davis celebrated by committing $1 million to one hundred Projects for Peace. Gómez’s proposal was selected, and he became part of a small group of students who traveled to his home country, El Salvador, where they established youth art programs at two schools, one in an urban region and another in a rural area. Their project was called Sculpting for Peace and included pottery studios, clay workshops, and a painting workshop. 

The group wanted to bring art to a region devastated by post-civil war violence, and particularly, gang violence, in hopes that art could give students a voice, a platform, and a sense of community, and would deter them from seeking those things in a gang. Gómez is especially connected to the cause, as he was a victim of gang violence. He was shot five times during an incident that left three friends dead and Gómez in a wheelchair. 

That initial project has since transformed into a school in Huizucar, El Salvador, that opened its doors in 2017. The Brushstroke of Hope is a non-profit art school for impoverished youth that offers free art education and materials. The school is funded in part by sales of Gómez’s art work and from community contributions. 

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In 2000, longtime UWC patron Shelby Davis, alongside Philip Geier, launched a scholarship program that provides grants to selected American colleges and universities to support UWC students who attend those schools. They established the Davis United World College Scholars program to offer those students the support they needed for educational opportunities at American colleges and universities, while helping those institutions become more diverse, reflecting the world around them. Today, over 90 American colleges and institutions participate in the program. ������Ƶ’s UWC partnership was granted August 6, 2007, starting with the 2007-08 academic year.

Shpresa Mehmeti 

Mehmeti is from Kosovo and attended UWC Mostar, Bosnia and Herzegovina, graduating in 2019. The United World College in Mostar was founded by Elisatheth Rehn and Lamija Tanović in 2006 and officially opened by Queen Noor of Jordan. After graduation, Mehmeti is excited to start her career as a creative strategist. While at ������Ƶ, she has been cultivating knowledge of market behavior, brand strategy, and entrepreneurship. She plans to take a year to work and rest before preparing for her master’s program. She is thrilled to dedicate some time to her hobbies, traveling, hiking, reading, and time with her family. Mehmeti enjoys learning new skills and can’t wait to start a career that offers plenty of opportunities for growth. 

Lizi Budagashvili

Budagashvili is from the country of Georgia and went to the UWC Dilijan College, in Armenia. Dilijan College is the 14th member of the United World Colleges movement, and is the first international boarding school in Armenia for students ages 16 to 19 offering the IB Diploma Programme, the internationally accepted qualification for entry into higher education that is recognized by many universities worldwide. After graduation, Budagashvili is hoping to attend graduate school and continue painting. She is looking forward to getting her MFA, traveling, and eventually going home to contribute to the art scene in Georgia.  

Linda Liao

Liao is from Hungary and went to UWC Changshu China. UWC Changshu China was founded in 2015 as the first UWC in the mainland of China, consisting of grades 10, 11, and 12. Liao is currently applying to a master’s program at ArtEz University, in the Netherlands, to study critical fashion practices. After graduation, Liao looks forward to seeing her family and friends back home. She’s also very excited to live in The Netherlands and start the next chapter of her life in graduate school. She hopes to continue working on the passion projects that she has started here at ������Ƶ. Getting a job that fits her interests and skill sets is a great a priority for for Liao.

Syeda Fyruje

Fyruje is from Bangladesh and attended UWC Mahindra College, an international boarding school in Maharashtra, India. After graduation, she would love to work as a motion designer for a design studio. She looks forward to exploring life after college and finding out what adult life looks like. 

������Ƶ is currently educating its largest number of international students, who now make up 22% of the total enrollment, from 57 countries around the world. The College is hosting 41 scholars from the on campus for the 2022-23 academic year. This integration of different cultures, along with students from nearly every US state and Puerto Rico, helps create a richly diverse and culturally vibrant learning and living environment on campus. 

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