Description of the particular experience and goals:

FSMUN, or Fountainhead School Model United Nations, is an event in which students act as delegates from various countries and attempt to solve real-world problems. I volunteered at the event and assisted with decoration, photography, and committee supervision throughout the event. I took part in this event because it is highly beneficial and provides a glimpse into the real-life United Nations. Organizing and managing events also improves my social, communication, and creative skills, so I was willing to volunteer at FSMUN.

Learning Outcome 2: Demonstrate that challenges have been undertaken, developing new skills in the process.

FSMUN is an event unlike others, I have never experienced or organized something like this before. Since MUN is a replication of the United Nations, every single thing has to be perfect and being a volunteer I had the pressure to make sure that the event looked coordinated. I had to multi-task and complete tasks in a short amount of time. Time management is something that I always struggled with and this event encouraged me to develop my skill. To overcome my weakness, I made to-do lists with the amount of time I was willing to dedicate to one task so that I can keep track of my time and manage it well.

Learning Outcome 4: Show commitment to and perseverance in CAS experiences

As previously stated, FSMUN is a professional event with over 100 delegates, which necessitates extensive planning. Everything in FSMUN had to be done from scratch, including the planning, role assignments, decoration, food, and so on. All of this planning took a significant amount of time and effort. We had to plan and divide roles and responsibilities as a team to ensure that all work was completed in time for the event. Being persistent and committed was required throughout this task because if the work was delayed, we would have to miss other important activities such as school and sports to complete it. There was not a single day where we could skip out and procrastinate work because we planned the schedule based on the amount of time available. It was difficult to work every single day however in order to conduct the event successfully, we knew we had to be persistent and show commitment.

Learning Outcome 5: Demonstrate the skills and recognize the benefits of working collaboratively

Organizing such a massive event is a team effort that takes time and effort. FSMUN had a team of over 20 people, and our goal was to host the best MUN seen yet. I was relieved that this was a team task because we had a lot of work to do in a short amount of time. The work was distributed amongst people, making the event work easier to complete. Furthermore, we had different and fresh perspectives arriving every day, so we combined all of the ideas and presented them to the best of our abilities. Everyone was a great addition to the event because everyone had different knowledge regarding specific topics, which made our discussions quite fruitful. Working in a team came naturally to me because I had previously done so. I enjoy making new friends and hearing diverse approaches while working collaboratively. My communication skills came in handy here because I was able to communicate my ideas and present my point of view. When people had opposing viewpoints, it became chaotic, but we worked it out as a team. I am fascinated by teamwork because it benefits me as a learner and improves my listening, communication, and creative skills.

Learning Outcome 7:  Recognize and consider the ethics of choices and actions.

As a volunteer at the event, I had certain privileges such as being able to carry my phone around, purchase food whenever I wanted, and so on. However, I was careful not to abuse my privileges. I had friends who were attending the event and had even asked me to use my privileges to their advantage. One of my friends asked me to lend her my phone so that she could research and gather information in the time between the event. Regardless, I followed the rules and did not treat anyone differently because of their personal relationships with me. I believe that ethics are crucial in events like these in order to demonstrate professionalism and give everyone a fair chance at winning. If I had given my phone to my friend, it would have been unfair to the other participants, and they could have been affected as a result, so I chose the better option and followed the rules.

Evidence of Volunteering at FSMUN