Sara Roman: From Early Media Star to Global Leader Giving Back to Romania – United World Colleges (UWC)

Sara Roman’s journey into the spotlight began at Europe’s only children’s radio station, Itsy Bitsy, where, at just seven years old, she was already hosting her own show, Meserii pentru copii (Professions for Kids). Sara’s career quickly expanded to national television. By the age of 12, she became the host of Jurnal pentru Copii on Digi 24, a children’s news program on Romania’s national station. There, she presented the news alongside seasoned professionals, interviewed famous Romanian actors, musicians, and politicians, and even reported from iconic locations like Disneyland Paris.

Sara’s voice soon became synonymous with cartoons, lending her talents to dubbing characters for Disney Channel, Netflix, and HBO Romania. As her interests expanded, Sara ventured into the world of digital media, exploring podcasting as well.
These formative years in media not only shaped Sara’s career but also laid the foundation for her academic journey. After excelling in the national exams in 8th grade with top scores, she earned a spot at the prestigious Colegiul Național Sf. Sava in Bucharest, Romania’s most competitive school, where she thrived in the mathematics and computer science program. Her potential soon attracted attention on a much larger scale. At just 16 years old, Sara was nationally selected as one of only four Romanians for the United World Colleges (UWC) program, which took her to Pearson College UWC in Canada—far from her family and everything she had known. Surrounded by ambitious students from over 80 countries, including roommates from four different nations, Sara immersed herself in an international educational experience that broadened her worldview and deepened her passion for global leadership.

Her time at UWC proved to be life-changing. As part of a global network of 18 schools dedicated to fostering peace, understanding, and sustainability, Sara found the ideal platform to thrive. There, in addition to academics, she dedicated herself to extracurricular activities within the UWC framework (CAS activities), developing a passion for entrepreneurship through various initiatives in Vancouver.
A little about UWC: UWC’s approach to learning extends beyond the classroom, emphasizing experiential learning, community service, and extracurricular activities that encourage students to step outside their comfort zones. The IB (International Baccalaureate) program, offered at UWC colleges worldwide, is one of the most rigorous curricula in the world. It emphasizes in-depth study across six subjects, combined with hands-on labs and mandatory research papers.

UWC offers a range of scholarships, from full to partial, depending on financial resources, to Romanian students wishing to study at one of its 18 campuses worldwide. These include locations in the following countries: United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Germany, Italy, Norway, India, Hong Kong, Singapore, Switzerland, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Sweden, Thailand, Costa Rica, Japan, Eswatini, Netherlands, and Armenia.

While applications for this year are closed, they open annually, and interested students can find more details at: https://www.ro.uwc.org/

Eligibility Criteria for UWC Scholarships:
• Must be enrolled in the 10th or 11th grade with a general average above 8.00
• Must hold Romanian citizenship
• Must be between 16-18 years old at the time of application

Upon completing her UWC education, Sara’s hard work and dedication were rewarded with acceptance into the University of Chicago, ranked among the top 10 universities worldwide, with a merit scholarship to study Economics and Public Policy. She credits her UWC experience as a key factor in reaching this milestone. When asked about the differences between the U.S. and Romanian education systems, she points to the flexibility of the U.S. system—where students can choose courses based on their interests and later declare a specific area of study (and often multiple, unrelated areas). This flexibility, combined with abundant resources and extracurricular opportunities at UChicago, allowed her to grow holistically.

At UChicago, Sara also participated in specialized programs at Stanford University and served as a Teaching Assistant for renowned economics courses led by Professor Allen Sanderson at the University of Chicago.

Today, Sara works at Goldman Sachs in the United States, an elite institution with a 1% acceptance rate. Despite her success, Sara remains deeply connected to her roots and the profound impact UWC had on her life.

Outside of her career, Sara is committed to giving back to the Romanian community that helped her reach where she is today. Having experienced the transformative power of UWC firsthand, she now works tirelessly to ensure that more Romanian students have access to the same life-changing opportunities. UWC’s mission to foster peace, international understanding, and sustainability aligns perfectly with Sara’s values. She believes that UWC is one of the best educational movements in the world, not only providing a world-class education but also empowering students to become leaders who can positively impact the world.

As a member of the UWC National Committee in Romania, Sara is dedicated to promoting and expanding the UWC movement, helping talented Romanian students access UWC opportunities each year. By advocating for UWC, she strives to increase the number of scholarships available to Romanian students, ensuring that financial barriers do not prevent the brightest minds from receiving a transformative education.

Through her work, Sara is shaping the future of education in Romania and empowering the next generation of leaders from all backgrounds. She is a powerful example of how education can transform lives and create lasting change in the world.