Author: Sydney Foster | Major: Accounting and Economics | Semester: Fall 2024

Team Photo in Quito at El Mitad Del Mundo (The Middle of the World)

My name is Sydney Foster, and I am a senior studying accounting and economics at the Sam M. Walton College of Business. I had the opportunity to study abroad to the Galapagos Islands off the coast of Ecuador to compete in the National Model United Nations conference this fall. My ten days spent in Quito, Ecuador and the Galapagos Islands allowed me to see a part of the world I had never seen before!

My main reason for traveling was to compete in the National Model United Nations (NMUN) conference against various universities across five continents. The NMUN program is an academic and personal development program that has helped me shape me into the student and person I am today. The international conference is held at a different location each year. This year, it was held in South America- a part of the world I had never traveled to before. I was ecstatic to have the opportunity to travel to Quito, Ecuador and then to the Galapagos Islands while enhancing my academic and personal development through NMUN.

NMUN is an organization that teaches students how to research properly, write concisely, communicate ideas, speak in public, and learn about themselves as leaders. This study abroad looks a little different than most because our coursework is done before we travel to the conference in November. Our team, consisting of 11 people this year, worked diligently all semester to prepare to show our knowledge and skills at the conference in the Galapagos Islands. The months June through November are spent working on researching our assigned committees and topics, writing our position papers from our assigned country’s point of view, revising said paper, practicing speeches, learning how to communicate ideas, and learning how to be an effective leader. Through the preparation for the conference, I was able refine my research and writing skills. I represented the delegation of Japan on the United Nations Environment Assembly, so my research and writing were from the point of view of Japan. This allowed me to gain international insight on environmental issues from the viewpoint of an Asian-Pacific country. I built my confidence by giving speeches in class which allowed me to deliver speeches extemporaneously at the conference. As a class, we practiced how to lead conversations, facilitate negotiations, and most importantly, ensure everyone and their ideas were heard and included.

While at the conference, there was a moment within my committee that stood out to me that reminded me why I believe in the NMUN program so deeply. Our working group of around twenty-five people had come to a halt on our working paper due to disagreements regarding some wording. There was a young woman in our group from Germany that disagreed with the current wording in the paper. Much of the group did not have a problem with the wording and could not understand her point of view. Naturally, this raised tensions, and the discussion quickly escalated into an argument. It was me and a couple other group members that took it upon ourselves to speak to the girl in private to reassure her that we wanted to understand her point of view and truly incorporate her ideas. While speaking to the girl, it was obvious she was upset. Something I believe Dr. Stapp teaches the University of Arkansas team that no other universities learn is how to keep your humanity during the conference. Of course, it is a competition, but it is also a conference consisting of non-native English speakers who traveled countless hours around the world to be here and have their ideas heard. It is important in times like these where the girl was emotionally distraught to speak with empathy and as a person- not your country. In the end, the situation was resolved, and inclusivity remained the number one priority. This disagreement taught me how to take a step back, understand all sides, and take the initiative to facilitate a compromise between either side. Solving problems and finding solutions to global issues is the goal of the United Nations and the purpose of NMUN is to teach students how to do so in a facilitated setting to prepare us to solve real-world problems in our future careers.

I thoroughly enjoyed my time in the Galapagos Islands competing in the NMUN conference. The academic and personal development this program and study abroad opportunity has given me is invaluable. It saddens me that this was my last conference, but I am grateful for the memories, friendships, and personal growth the experience gave me.