How I Can Contribute to the University of Wisconsin Hyun Jung Ham

“It is your turn to speak, Hyun Jung.” This was the moment that I had feared the most when I was first accepted to an international school. My English skills were terribly poor, which often led me to avoid difficult interactions like this one. In my mind I could see the answer, but the words coming out of my mouth were never the right ones.

In my Korean school, we rarely spoke to one another in English. Our teachers focused only on the grammar, leaving us at a loss when it came time to have a conversation. As a result, in my new school, I did not always know how to express my thoughts. I became isolated and found myself shying away from the non-Korean students.

In English 11, my teacher once mentioned his experiences in the Model United Nations. His story of all of the different students from all around the world interested me. After I asked my teacher about it I found out it would count as a required extra-curricular activity. I had become tired of being shy, and decided to force myself to try something new.

I heard that students in the MUN are very vigorous, arrogant, and persuasive speakers. I began to worry. I was not in the habit of eloquent debate. At first though, I was surprised. Students at MUN were agreeable; they said...