For Valentine’s Day 2022, the Model UN program put on a spirited fundraiser during lunches in the campus center. For only $1, students could buy a candy gram for any student of their choosing. The Model UN team then taped candy to the note to create a candy gram treat. These were delivered to each Formation class during the following few days, for a surprise gift.

The talented leadership team for Model UN this year is full of enthusiasm. After speaking with senior Mina Nair, president of the Model UN staff, and Junior Chloe Mau, the Chief of Logistics and Finance, they only had positive things to say about the program and the fundraiser. 

Nair said, “Our experience was fantastic! We were unsure of how well the fundraiser would go since our last restaurant takeover wasn’t as successful as we would have hoped, but it was so amazing to see so many people wanting to share love with people! I think it was successful and would love to see next year’s leadership team conduct this again next year. I think they’ll do an amazing job!”

The overall success was certainly positive, as the stand fundraised $450.

You might have wondered why the candy gram stand was being put on, or where the funds are going to go. Nair explained, “This year, one of my goals I wanted to focus on in my presidency was increasing equity in our program. Model UN conferences are expensive, and if one wants to attend every conference possible the numbers add up quickly. I noticed that there were students that wanted to attend conferences but the only deterrent was the cost. This made me extremely sad but eager to help fix the problem. I wanted to make sure that every and any student that wanted to experience Model UN could. This candy gram fundraiser is one of the things we have conducted this year to help achieve this goal.”

As well as for fundraising purposes, the event also helped promote the program itself for future members. When asked about what advice they would give to students thinking about joining Model UN, Nair said “I would say to go for it! I have learned skills such as public speaking, interviewing skills, managing groups of people, and business skills. We are a year long program so even if you are busy in one season, you can still join Model UN at any time. My piece of advice would be to step out of your comfort zone and jump into the world of Model UN, it is truly an unique experience that you will not get anywhere else.”

For the rest of the year, the program’s calendar is stocked full. Nair explained, “Model UN is attendng SeattleMUN on February 26. After that, we are attending NHSMUN in March, which is the National High School MUN conference held in New York City at the actual UN headquarters. Additionally, we will be hosting a series of workshop sessions on how to interview and fill out an application well. Soon after will be KINGMUN, our own conference that we hold for middle schoolers (BELLARMUN), and CAIMUN (our last conference and senior trip)” For more details and information, check out their social media pages (@bellarmun). 

Mau echoed these statements, as she described Model UN as a once-in-a-lifetime experience, and noted how the program has impacted her. She said, “This program is so special in that the amount of work, effort, and passion that you put into it is reflected in your experience. For example, taking on a staffing/secretariat experience as a level-up from being a participating delegate has allowed me to access a creative network of some of the smartest and most capable individuals I have ever met. The community that one is sure to meet with every conference attendance, big or small, can help you build life-long skills, define strengths, and hone your interests in ways that are hard to find anywhere else. All in all, what I’m trying to say is if you are at all interested in joining this community, do it because you will not regret it”

For those in the student body who enjoyed this event, there is more coming on the horizon. Mau said, “I would certainly say that we are looking forward to doing another themed-gram event or school-wide event that helps outreach the purpose of this club.” As for the purpose of the event, she was glad that it hit its mark. “From myself and our leadership team, we hope that everyone else felt the love of Valentine’s this year by helping our program achieve greater bounds of equity for our participants.”