A group of Year 10 students recently had the unique opportunity to attend the Model United Nations Conference in India. A couple of them tell us about the experience.
Imogen O, said of the trip, ‘The first I heard about the trip was when my friend Ellie said “Immy you’re going to India!”, which I was pretty sure she was joking about! Later that day, however, Miss Brooks called me out of my lesson to ask if I had a valid passport and if I would like to attend a Model United Nations conference in India in 6 weeks! When I learned how small the shortlist was of students who were chosen to represent the school I felt overwhelmed with pride and a few nerves for good measure!’
‘For me the trip fell into three main elements; the people, the conference and the sights. From the moment we arrived at the airport in India we were made to feel so welcome and that feeling carried on throughout the trip. The warmth and friendship of my fellow delegates and teaching staff was incredible and since returning home I have kept in touch with several of the delegates I met and was lucky enough to be sent a video of the fireworks at the university for their Diwali celebrations.’
‘The conference itself felt like a whirlwind and day one was brilliant and exhausting in equal measures as we all tried to understand the procedures and expectations of the event. I was selected to represent Australia in the Drugs and Crime conference. Thankfully my speech on the first day went well and I was able to answer the associated questions, although seeing Miss Brooks and Mr Mason walk into my room just before I began to speak made the number of butterflies in my stomach multiply! By the second day I had a much better handle on how it works and felt confident building alliances, asking questions and giving further speeches. The party at the end of the conference will stay with me forever as I danced with some amazing Indian girls who were teaching me Bhangra dancing and were so kind.’
‘The sightseeing element of the trip still seems so surreal so I’m very glad I took photos! Unsurprisingly visiting the Taj Mahal was definitely a massive highlight of the trip and it’s hard to describe how bright it was in the midday sun. India Gate, Red Fort and Dilli Haat were also incredible places to visit, the sights and sounds were like nothing I’ve ever experienced before. I must admit I was rather grateful to be back on British roads when we returned though as it’s a free for all on the roads over there!’
‘I am so grateful to have been given this opportunity and, while it will take some time to process it all, I feel an enormous sense of pride for what I achieved there and have developed skills that will help me for the rest of my life. The biggest thing I’ll take from the trip is that although we were so far from home, with different sights, sounds, smells, religious beliefs and demographics, I felt so connected to the people I met and our shared enjoyment of the whole experience. The world feels smaller in a really lovely way.’
Finley said, ‘The India trip for me has been one of the greatest opportunities of my life. I’ve been able to visit places I never would have dreamed of going, tried some amazing food and made friends and connections for life. Over the course of a week, I had the chance to do so much, visit the Taj Mahal, experience culture and foods, travel with my friends, and it’s really impacted how I view the world, not just as a whole, but also the world around me, comparing the UK and Norfolk to Delhi, and I think that’s really healthy, as having a broader view of the world can help so much in life. It’s also been incredible that I’ve been able to visit with my friends, and I think it’s deepened our friendships as well. On top of that, we all made so many new friends, like the students from Leicester that travelled with us and students from the Manav Rachna university we stayed in. Overall, the whole trip has been a once in a lifetime opportunity that I will never forget, and I want to thank the school for making that possible.
You can see a slideshow of some of the photos below. Just click on the image and then scroll through.
