Some of the most memorable times I had in school were spent in after-school clubs I joined. I was never really into playing sports because I had terrible hand-eye coordination and was always tripping over everything. When I moved to the suburbs of Northern Virginia and became the New Kid, I found it difficult to make friends, so I decided to join an after-school club. On a whim, I became a member of Model United Nations (MUN). I figured it would be a fun and interesting way to learn about the world, but I didn’t realize was how much I would actually learn, not only about the world and democracy but also about myself.
Shy by nature, I found it challenging to participate in the first MUN conference. My partner and I had to convince strangers that the country we represented was a strong, reliable ally for theirs, and sometimes I had to actually confront them. As a person who hates any form of confrontation, I felt a little defeated and embarrassed by the end.
At practice my coaches addressed my struggle by suggesting the entire club sign-up for competitive speech lessons and participate in the tournaments as a way to increase our public speaking skills and boost our confidence. During the speech lessons, practice, and research times, our team began to bond. We learned that we had a great deal in common with each other, like that the majority of us had lived in countries other than the United States.
At the next MUN conference, although I was anxious, confronting the other participants was much easier because I felt more prepared and confident in what I was saying. I also found that my newfound public speaking skills took the stress off both myself and my partner. We were now pulling our own weight and trying our best to convince everyone our solution was the best one.
Although we didn’t win that weekend, I still felt like a winner. I conquered my fears and had a lot of fun doing it. Even better, after the conference was over we had a MUN sleepover, one of many to come. Joining MUN was one of the best decisions I ever made in school. My teammates became some of my closest friends, and with their support, I learned I can do things I never thought I could do.
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