I started my experience with Model United Nations at the start of Gr.9. I did it because I wanted to better my public speaking skills and get over my fear of messing up. I also wanted a better expanse of knowledge of the world, and MUN helped me do just that!

Even though I have other things on my plate now, the skills and mindset MUN has taught me has not left me. I do not regret doing MUN even though I may have spent a lot of time and not improved much at all. Things like collaboration, being put on the spot to think, and just getting a glimpse of what the real world is like, were things that MUN introduced me to. I wish I could have still done MUN this year, but I realized that I couldn’t force myself to keep doing something I wasn’t feeling proud in.

Throughout Gr.9-Gr.10 I attended many conferences, networking with amazing individuals, and gaining incredible experiences! However I think actually preparing for MUN really did wonders. I started to watch the news everyday, involve myself in the global issues that I never really cared to think about before, and go to MUN mock sessions every single week to immerse myself in debate. My view of the issues and conflict of the world definitely expanded and at the same time I found some other people who were passionate about bringing change to the world!

I think though another reason I stopped doing MUN was because of the real world it exposed me to. It exposed me to a world of complex relationships, strategy, and politics. I realized that sometimes you don’t need experience or skills in life to necessarily get to the top or be at a position to make decisions. What you need however is a large network of people, people who trust in you to make the right decisions. Being successful in MUN, or politics, or international relations, I realized you needed to know certain people and have connections with a lot of people in order to succeed. From that point on, I realized that I wasn’t necessarily adept at that which is why I stopped striving for something that couldn’t be.

Everyone has their own talents and strong points, and *sometimes* hard work and dedication have a limit on how it will affect you when you’re striving for something.

PICs: