Empowerly

Student profile

As I stood in the tunnel waiting for our cue, the music started. We stepped out and saw that every seat in Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena was occupied by a cheering fan. Just two days earlier, our school's marching band had received an invitation to perform at the Country Music Association Awards. In preparation for this national performance, we quickly learned and perfected Thomas Rhett’s “Life Changes.” The energy in the room was electrifying during the show and as we walked off the stage. Teamwork was fundamental to the band's success in every competition, and this performance was no different. Through hours of rehearsal, practice in sectionals, and many performances together, we had become a cohesive unit capable of pulling off a great show on such short notice. 

I enjoy working in teams —be it marching band or Model United Nations (UN). I have always had a keen interest in global affairs, so Model UN and Youth in Government caught my attention as soon as I began high school. Model UN provides opportunities to “solve” big problems, like sexual violence, that plague our world while Youth in Government shows students how we can better our communities through passing laws in state government. I joined these clubs with my friends, and we collaborated to prepare our resolutions and speeches for our assigned country and bills for the state. As researcher, I provided critical information for our documents while other members decided which information would be used in either the resolution or the speech and created the first draft of the resolution. Then, we would all review the draft and brainstorm potential rebuttals to our solution together to make a final resolution. Each team member’s perspective contributed to making sure we had a good case to move forward. 

Once results from the first day in committee came in, and we knew our team was moving on to the General Assembly, we discussed what went well in the committee and what we could improve. We worked through the night to practice our delivery of the speech and gave each other feedback to perfect it. We did additional preparation for the pro-con debate, reviewing any questions which may have caught us off guard in the committee. As researcher, I had a deep understanding of our topic and made a significant contribution to the pro-con debates. Our resolutions for stopping sexual violence in South Africa and making sure the people of Palau have access to clean water came out as front-runners and were passed into law by the General Assembly. 

We go through a similar process in Youth in Government, where one year, I got an opportunity to represent another team’s solution to keep Net Neutrality—the regulation that Internet Service Providers should not be able to filter or block legal content. I worked with the team to put down essential points for the speech and arguments for the pro-con debate. I was delighted when the bill passed. Model UN and Youth in Government give us an opportunity to work on real world issues that need to be addressed.

In marching band we divide and conquer to perfect our individual musical pieces by practicing in sections, but it is only when we work in tandem that the band comes alive and it sounds like music. In Model UN/Youth in Government, although some work needs to be done individually to research and draft a resolution or a bill, it only becomes a law when we collaborate and communicate effectively to make a good case. No matter where —in school, college or in the real world— I see that teamwork, collaboration, and communication play a critical role in all aspects of life today and in the future. Being able to work with others is an essential skill to have.