On March 17, I had a chance to return to my high school, Marymount High School Los Angeles.
When I was asked by my high school Model UN advisor, Dr. Theresa Menard, to be the guest speaker for their annual MM-MUN Conference, I immediately accepted. It was thanks to my parents and Dr. Menard that I found Model UN and found my passion for world politics.
I was given ten minutes to speak on how my Model UN career helped me grow as a delegate, a person, a student, and a member of the global community. I began by highlighting the ways in which Model UN in high school was about honing in on my public speaking and diplomacy skills, helping me win awards at a variety of well-known Southern California conferences. With this experience and the support of my club, I changed our club charter to allow me to serve as Secretary-General of the club and our conference for two years in high school. I was determined to share my passion and my experience with other incoming freshman and help change the way delegates view Model UN through our annual conference. Marymount’s annual MM-MUN Conference focuses on teaching students how to become better delegates.
In high school, I also found my passion for International Relations and focused my college search on finding a school that would help me continue Model UN and follow my interests in foreign policy.
Only through my eventual acceptance to Colgate University, was I able to take these passions and interests to the global stage. My speech at the Marymount conference continued to show the ways in which Colgate University paid for my Model UN trips to conferences throughout the United States and abroad. Colgate helped me financially as I worked as an Assistant Chair for Harvard’s World Model United Nations (WorldMUN) Conferences and Harvard’s National Model United Nations – Latin America (HMUN-LA) Conferences in Rome, Lima, and Montreal. Through these experiences I was able to see the true value of Model UN – the global Model UN community. Being able to debate and discuss topics in committee with delegates who are experiencing the issues that you’re discussing firsthand, opens your eyes to the true severity of the issues facing the international community. Through these experiences you are able to better understand the world around you and realize that the resolutions you are crafting have potential to provide new insight into the issues you’re discussing.
I ended my speech telling the students in attendance about the ways in which they can continue to follow their passion for Model UN like I did working for Best Delegate. I expressed the need to understand why they’re participating in Model UN and use that reason to help them expand their skills and learn from others. Most importantly, I told the students to enjoy their experience at MM-MUN and make new friends along the way!
It was an amazing experience being back on campus, experiencing a conference I had run for two years. The conference theme this year was “Multifaceted Middle East,” focusing on the various political and socio-economic issues impeding peace and stability in the Middle East. With delegates traveling from all over Southern California – Palos Verdes Peninsula High School and Santa Margarita Catholic High School, to name a few – to participate in this one-day conference, students came together to learn how to be better delegates and engage in meaningful conversations about the future of our world. Ultimately, the delegates left the conference excited, fulfilled, and full on In-N-Out Burgers and Diddy Riese ice cream sandwiches.
Another successful year in the books!
Katrina Stevenson is a Program Manager for Best Delegate.
