MMUN Hangzhou 2019

The Montessori Model United Nations (MMUN) conference in Hangzhou, China, was a fantastic experience where six Post Oak students were able to attend. The conference was a very different experience to the NYC conference, because in New York, the majority of the delegates are American, but at the Hangzhou conference, the majority of delegates are Chinese. Getting to work with so many kids from the other side of the world was very different. It was certainly more challenging due to the language barrier, but made me want to work even harder and be more determined. Another reason why it is different is because the number of delegates is less than half that go to the NYC conference, so no more than 500. This made it easier to get a chance to speak during committee and make a big impact, versus, when there is a lot of people, there is a smaller chance of you getting to speak in front of the committee during formal consultations or other similar things.

The thing I am most proud of from the conference apart from the committee’s resolution was getting to speak at the closing ceremony on behalf of my committee two times. There are many reasons why I encourage others to attend this conference in future years:

• It is a more memorable experience because you are in a place out of your comfort zone. 
• You get to know how kids your age live in China and other countries in Asia.
• You get closer to the group of Post Oak students because you are with them for a lot of time.
• You learn how to communicate with students that have not mastered the language you speak, making it more challenging.

If you are interested in doing the MMUN China conference, I highly encourage you to do it. Do not second guess yourself, for it is an awesome experience full of never-forgotten memories!