"The first time I heard of NEIMUN, I had no idea what it was. I was a shy 16-year-old girl unaware of the complex world issues. With not much public speaking experience and absolutely had no knowledge about world culture, I joined NEIMUN.
“It was an eye-opening and life-changing experience. At NEIMUN 2014, I fell head over heels for Model United Nations. NEIMUN opened my eyes to the world of possibilities and my mind to a myriad of possible solutions to world problems. It introduced me to a world that I wasn't the slightest bit aware of previously. It provided me with a curiosity for international affairs.
My life gradually changed as well; my daily must-read went from Hollywood Life to The New York Times. Instead of simply chit-chatting about the latest episode of Gossip Girl, I started to talk about the latest international affairs. Coming from a limited system of learning, NEIMUN made me a firm believer in the value of extra-curricular activities.
I needed a passion to drive me forward in life and NEIMUN gave me just that. Being an introvert, NEIMUN took me out of my comfort zone and helped me grow in ways I couldn't have envisioned. What NEIMUN taught me was much more than establishing consensus, researching, drafting resolution, public speaking, and diplomacy; NEIMUN challenged me, inspired me and built my confidence.
On top of having acquired the aforementioned skills, meeting and travelling with a group of people has been the trigger of friendship. I also saw that NEIMUN is a place where everyone actually cared about the world, enthusiastic and passionate students very different from the people I usually meet at school. NEIMUN has helped me academically, professionally and personally. Made me a confident person in the committee, in the classroom and has helped my overall self-esteem. It changed my life and pretty much every MUNer's life.”
