I asked a group of students recently to list those things, in their opinion, that the college did well. Shimmering within their more factual and literal observations was this poetic sparkler: "AC gives you the wings, the wind and the cliff - you have to fly yourself". What a fine philosophy of education that short statement encapsulates. And what a compliment to Atlantic College! I would be proud of any institution that gives its students the means to fly, the natural power to take off and glide and, perhaps most importantly, a sense of the soaring risks and heady danger that are part of this process. The college has wind and cliffs in abundance.

Staff and students live on the beautiful, often windy yet serene estate of St. Donat's Castle, 20 miles west of Cardiff and right atop the Bristol Channel. In this village community, we have created a vibrant atmosphere fashioned from around 80 different nations and the beliefs and cultures that they bring with them. Most of our students come to us on scholarships. They work hard, are taught well, achieve formidable results, and go on to the best universities around the world. While here, our students explore issues of international understanding, tolerance, peace and respect through their daily lives, through the International Baccalaureate academic curriculum and through many projects such as the Global Concerns conferences. All undertake extensive community work, from responsibility for rescue services such as Lifeboats, Coastguards, and Lifeguards, to caring for the elderly, to working in partnership with local schools. They emerge from an intense two years imbued with both a romantic idealism and practical outlook, feeling compelled to try to change for the better the World around them. What they bring to the college, what they experience here and what they take away certainly prepare them well for this worthy task. Atlantic College and other UWC graduates form a distinctive and powerful fellowship around the globe.

Malcolm McKenzie, the Principal