Model UN
December 2023
Ava On Her Way to Debate
Here I was going to my high school’s Moldel UN debate in December 2023, & I helped run it, so I had my own committee, & I was in charge of making sure everything went smoothly. Here I was with a new partner, & …. She became one of my best friends eventually! We still debate together today, & we usually do really well together, so our teacher likes to put us together. Harper is her name, & she recommended that we debate “Impacts of legacy & colonization in South Asia & the Pacific,” & I thought this was very interesting because I had never learned about this part of this world. We started doing research, & we were shocked at what we found. When these conflicts & “legacies” of colonialism destroy the unity across groups, many of the indigenous languages are lost, & to me, this is a significant blow to the preservation of culture. How can we prevent these cultures from being lost forever?
2021
MUN Conference
Here I was headed to my first advanced MUN conference, which was very exciting, because during Freshman year, you’re only allowed to do ‘Novice’ conferences. I was going to debate cryptocurrency, a topic I knew nothing about before this debate. I researched key factors of global economic development, such as “How many cryptocurrencies are one Ugandan dollar?” I actually won second place, which was amazing! I learned about Blockchain, & why people like it, & why people are moving toward investing more in cryptocurrency. I also learned about White Hat hackers, cybersecurity, & how important it is to work together to prevent cyber attacks. Cryptocurrency is a complex world, but I have a strong belief that everything related to technology is the future, so I’m very glad I learned about what is happening in this industry. Now I feel more prepared for the future!
August 2024
Ava at Debate
My high school is very competitive when it comes to Model UN. There are Reddit threads about us (no joke!) …& while we have a reputation for winning, it’s because we prepare so much beforehand. Example: We hold formal practice debates against each other at my school BEFORE we go to competition, & this allows us to prepare in a sort of ‘dress-rehearsal’ way. It’s a little intense because we’re debating the best of the best, but it’s always worth it in the long term. Here I am pictured before one of our practice debates, & I wore this red blazer that day because it helped me stand out in a good way, creating interest & drawing attention toward me! While everyone else at the competition was wearing black, my red blazer caught the attention of my peers, & I was happy that I had created my own easily-identifiable look. A few months later, I had another MUN debate conference, & I wore the red blazer again. This time I wasn’t around any of my peers, because we went to UCLA to compete. Again I stood out! I became known as the “The girl in the red blazer.” In fact, my whole group became known as “The Group with the Girl in the red blazer”! I realize now that I had effectively built my own successful brand that was memorable for my peers & competitors. Let’s just say I’m keeping this blazer for years. It creates interest wherever I take it!
July 2025
Ava at Manhattan Beach Debate
This was my first debate of Junior year, & I was debating with one of my friends from elementary school, so we were really excited; we had a lot of momentum & confidence. We were debating as Afghanistan, & the topic was “Expanding technology in developing countries.” I found this really interesting, because the people we ended up debating had very surface-level arguments, showing us how major holes can be found in argumentation, & it’s up to us to come with multi-faceted solutions that account for the complexities of logistics, culture, & resources. This experience taught me that an idea is just an idea. Complex problem-solving is required to allow people to manage infrastructure & create solutions to improve everyday life, especially when it comes to surviving in circumstances that are isolating them from things like clean water, electricity, & basic health care. MUN has taught me that there’s always some kind of crisis happening in the world, & lending a hand & allocating money to groups & organizations in a timely fashion can alter the course of humanity. As a businesswoman, this is a lesson that I will take with me into the world wherever I go!