Kiki King Family
Two Generations of Connection
How UWC Atlantic Became Part of One Family’s Story
When Kathleen “Kiki” King arrived at UWC Atlantic in 1994, she could never have imagined that three decades later she would be standing on the same campus celebrating her daughter’s graduation alongside the man she met there as a student.
For Kiki and her husband, Tavis, Atlantic College was where a lifelong friendship began. Both members of the Class of 1996, they quickly bonded over their shared Latin backgrounds – Kiki from Venezuela and Tavis from Spain – and spent much of their time together in classes, debating ideas and, as Kiki recalls, “arguing a lot.”
After graduation, their paths continued to cross. They both travelled in India during their gap years and eventually studied in Edinburgh, surrounded by a tight-knit group of friends from the College, many of whom remain their closest friends today.
Although they briefly dated at university, it was only later, when both were living and working in London, that they reconnected. They eventually built a life together in Mallorca with their two children, Maya and her brother.
This summer marked a particularly meaningful milestone as Maya graduated from UWC Atlantic, joining her parents as an alumna. For Kiki, watching her daughter experience the College has been both familiar and surprising. Raised in a small village in Mallorca, Maya grew up deeply rooted in her local community, speaking the local dialect fluently and building her life around sports and family. While Kiki quietly hoped Maya might attend UWC, she insisted the decision had to be Maya’s own.
“UWC is a place you have to want to go to, I’ve seen enough applications through volunteering for the Spanish National Committee to know when it’s the parents’ dream rather than the student’s. This had to be her own journey.” Maya eventually found her own inspiration through short courses and summer programmes, which led her to apply independently, without even mentioning her parents were alumni.
When Maya arrived at Atlantic, Kiki experienced the College from a new perspective: that of a parent. While much has changed since the mid-90s, including more structured pastoral care and the ability for students to lead their own initiatives, Kiki believes the core of the UWC experience remains identical. “The friendships are still at the heart of it,” she says. “When we were back for graduation, we could see versions of our younger selves everywhere. The enthusiasm, the curiosity, and the out-of-the-box thinking are all still there.”
Maya’s experience reinforced what Atlantic meant to her parents: the opportunity to learn from peers with radically different life stories. Maya told her mother that her “mind had been blown wide open” by living with people from completely different backgrounds and learning to see the world through their eyes. This remains one of the school's greatest strengths, challenging assumptions and sparking lifelong curiosity.
As a student, Kiki sat in classrooms alongside people from vastly different political and economic backgrounds, which eventually led her into a career in journalism and documentary filmmaking. Now, she sees the same process unfolding for Maya. Though the issues students discuss today differ from those of the 90s, the principle of listening to those you disagree with remains the same.
Becoming an Atlantic parent also meant welcoming the global community into their home. Last year, several of Maya's classmates visited them in Mallorca. Kiki realized that UWC doesn't just transform the student; it changes the whole family, making the world feel much smaller and more connected.
As Maya joins the alumni community, it is clear that while the campus evolves, the relationships formed there continue to shape lives. For Kiki, UWC means a sprawling global network of people who would open their doors without question. "Anybody can potentially be a friend," she says, "especially somebody you argue with." She recalls another AC friend from her own student days who campaigned for an opposing political party. Despite their disagreements, they respected one another, even helping deliver each other's leaflets when exhausted. That same friend is now the godmother to Kiki's son. This, she says simply, is the true legacy of UWC: the ability to build deep, lasting respect and friendship across any difference.
