Undergraduate / My Model UN experience - solving global issues [2]

Tell us more about ONE or TWO activities listed above that are most important to you.
Please explain the role you played and what you learned in the process. You will be asked for a reference who can speak to your response. (maximum 350 words)

Last year, I joined my school's Model United Nations club. My acceptance was a huge accomplishment for me since I'm very interested in global affairs, and I'm passionate about helping others. I attended two Model UN conferences where our main goal was to find plausible solutions to pressing global issues and communicate professionally as a committee. I participated in the Vancouver Model UN conference as my first conference and immediately fell in love with the fast-paced and stimulating environment. I had to conduct research, negotiate via public speaking, and, most of all, I was always kept on my toes thinking of new arguments and ideas on the spot. A couple of months later, I signed up for my second conference and was determined this time to use my previously gained experience to enhance my arguments and ideas in an even harder committee. I attended the Canadian International Model UN (CAIMUN) conference, where I was the delegate of Liberia in the African Union. CAIMUN had a massive impact on me since I was more experienced and therefore contributed more to the discussion. The committee was also a bit smaller, so I had more opportunities to speak. Over the weekend, we discussed two critical topics to push the success of Africa, which were: alleviating the ethnic conflict in South Sudan and improving the quality of education in Africa. I had made a goal for myself at this conference to have one of my clauses passed and written into our resolution paper. I helped improve educational access by affirming non-discriminatory practices and equal inclusion, and I implemented a sub-clause to approve the efficient allocation of funds by refining the teaching skill sets of educators through raising the wages of teachers. I achieved and surpassed my goal by implementing more than one clause. Throughout the weekend at CAIMUN, my problem-solving skills and public speaking skills improved drastically. Not only did I learn more about the world and the different challenges we face, but I also discovered situations I may have never known about if I had not partaken in Model UN.

Undergraduate / How my athletics reflects my determination [3]

figure skating

Tell us about who you are. How would your family, friends, and/or members of your community describe you? If possible, please include something about yourself that you are most proud of and why. (maximum 250 words)

I began figure skating when I was seven. By eight years old I had competed in small, regional competitions. At twelve I was competing provincially and was training for four hours a day, six days a week, all year round. When I was in grade 10, I started feeling the pressures of academic success, and I started thinking about university. Training for competitions was time-consuming, and I wanted to try new things during my high school career. I still loved figure skating, but I decided to stop competing to focus more of my time on my studies. Although I missed the competitive aspect of skating, I found even more enjoyment in furthering my skills at my own pace. I decided to set a personal goal and achieve it. Instead of competing against others, I would be competing against my own abilities. I was determined to pass the two hardest skating exams, the gold free skate and skills test. Upon committing myself, I passed both tests in just over one year. I successfully achieved my goals thanks to my intense determination and perseverance. Growing up I was instilled with the importance of never giving up. If you were to ask anyone who knows me, they would tell you that I'm diligent, and there's no stopping me once I'm motivated. Along with being determined, I'm also responsible. I understand the importance of my education can find a happy medium where I'm able to achieve both my athletic and my academic goals.