~:[CH8 - Day 117]:~ The Cycle of Growth

~:[CH8 - Day 117]:~ The Cycle of Growth

Freshmen walk into the classroom on the first day of school and you don't know what to expect, but what can be expected is what you get when they leave. I was sad to have ended my spring break early, as I had two days of conference ahead, but I was proud to spend it with some of my freshman who made incredible improvements, regardless of whether or not they received an award. One of the things that people take for granted when they "pass" on MUN is the benefits that they can gain when joining. Sure it's a lot of work and commitment, but shouldn't anything be that helps you grow? There will be days when people struggle, but it's part of the process of growth and while it's not always as appealing as a class with an "AP" title or something that sounds great on a resume, there are skills gained that are beneficial for a lifetime. It's also not a class just for those who are looking to go into politics, but pretty much for anyone going into any occupation that requires interacting, presenting, analyzing, researching or problem solving. I love to see the confidence grow, the ability to analyze documents, think through problems, and speak to those around them with confidence. I am prideful where I hear an MUN student speak or to hear how they did well in an interview for a college or a job. Even for the quiet introvert, while it may be a struggle at first, the experiences helps you grow in ways you could never imagine. I see most of this cycle of growth among these freshmen. We closed out the novice year with five best delegates and 1/3 of our students receiving awards. However, I was most proud of the improvements that many of them made, some of which left with no award at all. Regardless of that piece of paper, the reward they received for all of that work is something that may not be realized for years to come, but somewhere along the line, the skills they gained through this cycle of growth will naturally become something that they use when the situation arises. I hope that those who have the chance, don't pass on this opportunity, as I hope that as many students as possible can experience all the doors that this program can help open.