Last year I went to my first Model United Nations conference and fell in love. I came home from that conference, where several students had mentioned wanting to go to more conferences, and started googling. I did not find the specific conference we discussed but I did find one that takes place in New York City with closing ceremonies held in the UN General Assembly, the actual United Nations. I knew right then that I wanted to make this happen, even though I had no idea how any of it would work from getting permission to take the students to finding the money to finance the trip. I set the thought aside for a while but kept returning every so often, persevering until I actually made it happen and found myself on a plane with seven of the most amazing people on the planet.

In the course of planning, executing, and reflecting upon this amazing trip, I realize that the trip broadened not only the horizons of my awesome kids but also my own. I learned just how much is possible when you persevere, how far I will go for those I love, and just how much I love these kids. On top of the already ridiculous load I have, I devoted an insane amount of time to editing and revising their position papers and speeches, booking flights and reserving hotel rooms, hosting training meetings twice a week and lately every day save one, printing reservations, finding snacks and blocking out the detailed itinerary. AT times I did not feel like working on the trip but never once did I begrudge the time or money I devoted to this endeavor.

These amazing kids experienced all sorts of firsts from their first plane ride where almost all of them squealed a little when the wheels left the ground, to walking into the United Nations General Assembly and sitting where diplomats conduct the business of the world. They met and became friends with other middle school students from across the country and the globe beginning on the very first day when they trained with a delegation from Turkey. They stepped in history’s footprints as they gazed up at Lady Liberty, took to heart the injustices of the American immigration system in the halls of Ellis Island, and grappled with the tragic weight of the events of 9/11 in the museum dedicated to telling the story with fidelity and compassion. These students who embarked on the trip full of nerves and worries that they would not meet the expectations of the conference organizers, returned eager to lead, fully of confidence as they grabbed leadership applications for our next conference.

This trip and conference expanded my horizons as well. The formerly petrified student who never considered ever speaking in front of anyone unless I could not escape the task no matter how hard I tried and considered speech class anathema, now nurtures a passion for diplomacy and debate. Each Youth in Government or Model UN conference I attend feeds my hunger for personal learning of the best ways to prepare and perform so that I can teach my students better every time, thus ensuring, hopefully, that their own experience at the conference improves, so that they can hone their skills, and so that others see the worth in these students that I already do.

While at this most recent conference, I attended one of the faculty workshops led by Dr. Samia, one of the high ranking organizers of the conference and a professor at the host university, the Lebanese American University. His passion for Model United Nations infused the entire presentation and stoked my own growing passion for Model UN. While he spoke, I briefly, began searching for ways to continue this experience for all of my 8th graders as they transition to high school.

Looking forward, even though this trip brought along with it an enormous amount of extra work, I have a passion to continue looking for ways to make these trips happen, to lavish care and attention on these eminently deserving students. When one of them tells you that one of her life goals was to go to New York City and that she never imagined that she would be able to go so soon, how can you not do everything in your power to make all of their dreams come true?