In high school, I participated in model UN and model congress (MUNC) as a delegate. The conference is hosted by IDIA which is the Institute for Domestic & International Affairs. I've written an article about how much I loved being a part of the club and what it taught me, so I won't do it here, but you can find it here. Once the senior year blues hit, I totally thought that my career in MUNC was over and that I never would do anything like it again, but lo and behold the college that hosted the MUNC conference is the college I go to. Being on staff with my experience as a delegate made me treasure all the work the staff does even more.
Since I commute, it's difficult for me to join clubs cause they're so late at night and I didn't want to get home at midnight every Monday night, but IDIA has done so much for me that I wanted to do the same thing for other high school kids. We met every Monday night and developed the skills we needed for the conference. I was on crisis simulation services, which plays characters when the debate gets stale or a little push in the right direction is needed.
Although I wasn't the best, the CSS directors really helped me out giving me tips and tricks when I got stuck. IDIA is full of amazing people who are passionate about everything they do. As a delegate, I always looked up to the staff and what they do and that hasn't changed now that I was a part of the staff. IDIA made every late night worth it.
Once the conference started, I was so nervous. I didn't want to disappoint the people around me, which made my first caucus super shaky. Once I was able to calm down, my caucus speeches started to improve. Seeing people from my high school made it a lot easier since I'm used to talking to them. It's crazy to see what happens behind the scenes since I never thought about how much work the staff puts in as a delegate. Directors and assistant directors were constantly streaming into the CSS room preparing us for what to expect. Everyone just wants their delegates to have an unforgettable weekend.
I've made so many new friends and met so many wonderful people. IDIA will always have a special place in my heart.
