United Nations Association: Training Officer

I remember giving my first speech at a Model United Nations conference: I stuttered through most of my words and struggled to make eye contact with the 100 or so students in front of me. From this experience to confidently moderating debate at Harvard MUN, my MUN journey has been nothing short of a roller coaster ride. Still aware of how I felt as a novice, I wish to make sure that every participant, regardless of the level of experience, feels comfortable and prepared walking into their committees. 

MUN can seem intimidating at first, but it is one of the most enriching experiences one can have, and I am extremely excited to ensure that everyone can learn from it the same way I have. Being a friendly and approachable individual, I believe I have the right capabilities to train the delegate in a manner that maximizes impact. As the Director General of my school's conference, I have had many sleepless nights wherein I went through a delegate's each and every concern, from what they should wear to the contents of their position paper.

As the training officer for the UCL United Nations Associations, I will make sure that delegates have a mentor they can reach out to at any time, without hesitation. I will also ensure that training sessions are fun and interactive, rather than just a monologue full of unrelatable advice. MUN is one of my greatest passions, and if given the opportunity, I am determined to make sure everyone enjoys it the same way I have.

I’m applying for this role because this year, there hasn’t been any formal training officer and I think this a real opportunity to really redefine the role and make it as valuable as possible for the society. I would love to be a part of the ‘redefining’ of the role because I think the role of training officer  is such a valuable and rewarding opportunity. It is a role that can benefit other people and I love helping people learn or develop new skills so they can be the best versions of themselves.

I think I would be a really good for for this role because I do have some experience training younger people. I was the charity captain of my school for about two years and during this time, I would have to give regular educational talks to local primary schools, train up any new members in the methods and information that were an essential part of the society and relay important parts of my training that I had with the charities that we would represent at school. I have also, of course, been a part of this society for the past year as well as taken leadership training programmes with Girl Up, completed a human rights course which allowed me to volunteer with refugees in Greece and taken a communications course with UNITAR.

I am really pleased to be a part of this society and think this role could really optimise everyone within it. I hope I would really be able to make a difference to everyone's experience as well as help people grow in confidence and skillset.