The Very Model of a Modern Secretary-General

The Secretary-General of the United Nations makes appointments to UN posts, oversees peacekeeping missions, and mediates conflict. What’s the Secretary-General’s role in Model UN? Ask Free State High School senior Mei Gordon-Washington. Honored this year with the Jenay Weekly Outstanding Officer Award during the Topeka Model United Nations (TMUN) Conference, she is a two-time champion delegate, a multiple-year officer, and this year, served as the 59th Secretary-General of the Conference.

Q&A with Mei

Q: How would you describe Model UN?

Mei: “Model UN is an academic simulation of the real United Nations… (It’s) a program where students have the opportunity to research and represent a country at a conference with hundreds—sometimes thousands—of other delegates… At TMUN, much of the delegates’ preparation, speech writing, and research occurs prior to the conference… (Model UN) introduces students to critical skills in writing, public speaking, diplomacy, and collaboration. Its ability to get students involved and interested in international affairs is incomparable.”

Q: When did you first get involved with it, and why?

Mei: “I first got involved in Model UN as a seventh grader at Liberty Memorial Central Middle School. Although I was then extremely hesitant about public speaking, I was convinced by my gifted facilitator, Devin Heath, to try it for a year. I have since been involved… for six years in a variety of roles at the TMUN Conference and as a delegate for one year at the Model UN of the University of Chicago.”

Q: What were your responsibilities as Secretary-General?

Mei: “My primary responsibilities as SecretaryGeneral were to offer the conference organizer and administrator, Tracie Lamb, assistance with preparing for the conference (i.e., updating and formatting materials, communicating with officers, assisting with all of the virtual officer meetings). At the conference, I was responsible for coordinating delegates and officers, communicating with sponsors and parents, resolving conflicts that came up in councils, and conducting credit-checks—deliberations that occur when one delegate has filed a complaint against another for violating decorum or misrepresenting their country.“

Q: Of the topics debated, about which ones were you especially passionate?

Mei: “I always think that the most exciting topics that are discussed at conferences are those that address peacekeeping in ongoing international conflict. Although I cannot understate the valuable debate we see about perennial topics like climate change, education inequality, and sanitation, our resolutions that pull from current events are some of the most engaging for delegates and officers alike. At this year’s conference, we had a number of resolutions about the war in Ukraine, and it was great to see delegates discuss and process an issue that is so much a global source of daily tension and concern.”

Q: What have you learned from your experiences in Model UN, and how have these skills benefited you in other areas?

Mei: Model UN has taught me so much about communication and conflict resolution. As both an officer and former delegate, I really value the opportunities I had to debate and collaborate with peers, become more comfortable with public speaking, and gain aptitude in writing and research. I’ve also been pleasantly surprised by how much teaching has been involved in being an officer. I’ve chaired middle school councils every year that I’ve been involved, and it has been extremely rewarding to help new delegates make the most out of their Model UN experience. All of these lessons have served me well within my academic life, especially in my work as a member of the marketing department and CEO of the district-wide robotics team, Team STEAM.”

Q: What are your plans after graduating from Free State?

Mei: “I plan to attend Bryn Mawr College to study mathematics, statistics, and Mandarin Chinese. I hope to eventually go into data science and am particularly interested in the issue of data literacy in public health.”

Congratulations to Mei Gordon-Washington and best wishes for her continued success at Bryn Mawr (a distinguished women’s college near Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) and in all her future endeavors.