The Singapore Pen Pal program allows Academy of Notre Dame de Namur Global Scholar students the opportunity to participate in three zoom calls with our sister school, St. Nicks, in Singapore.
This experience not only made me aware of differences between life in the United States, and Singapore, but also showed how similar students in the US and Singapore are. Although our process of schooling is different, for example, AP tests and college applications, our everyday lives were not much different.
Picture from Pen Pal Zoom!
Harvard Model UN is a four day conference with schools from all over the world. At my time at HMUN in 2024, I represented Nigeria in the UNICEF committee, where I researched issues such as literacy, book censorship, and global education.
One of my favorite parts of the HMUN conference that did not have to do with actual debating was the Culture Fair where students from all over shared their cultures with the other delegates. This included trying new foods, learning traditional dances, and listening to their music.
HMUN gave me the opportunity to grow closer to my Notre Dame classmates, make connections with girls from all over the world, and learn about a global issue I am interested in from another country's perspective.
Ivy League Model UN, (ILMUNC) which is held in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania is another four day conference. At ILMUNC, I represented the Federation of Malaysia in the World Health Organization. In the committee, the delegates discussed issues such as universal healthcare, organ trafficking, and brain drain. Similar to HMUN, this conference gave me the opportunity to spend time with some of my best friends, foster new relationships with others, and research a topic of great importance today.