Harvard National Model United Nations hosted by Harvard University took place in Boston, Massachusetts USA. It's one of the oldest and largest MUN conferences in the world. This was the 66th iteration with over 4,000 delegates in attendance. Schools from around the world and most US Ivey league schools were in attendance. I was placed in the General Assembly - Disarmament and International Security Committee representing Switzerland.
Harvard National MUN was one of the most competitive experiences I have had and it put me and my skills to the test. The most important result was not the sharpening of my skills but the revelation that you can achieve anything if you put your mind and heart into it. It was a paradigm shift. If I was told one year ago I would be attending UBC, and then roaming the campus of Harvard University to compete I would have been beyond doubtful. A year of visualization and hard work made a few of my dreams come true so far. It is definitely not without sacrifice albeit. There was a realization during this competition that hard work must be accompanied by an unwavering belief that you and your potential will triumph any challenge.
The competition revealed the value of preparation, determination, and skills development. The most outstanding delegates came with this mentality and were armed with the necessary skills.
Collectively, this experience raised my own standards in terms of achieving excellence and grit. But most importantly, it helped instilled a belief that the right combination of deep hard work and skills development can lead to fantastic results.