The year was 2013. Our principal proudly announced in the assembly that “Karachi Grammar School won Best Delegation Award at the Harvard Model United Nations India”.

As an ambitious 11th grader, I made it my goal at that very moment to become a part of the Karachi Grammar School Model United Nations team, with the hope of bringing laurels to my alma mater.

I started “MUN-ing” for the Grammarian team in the first year of my O'levels. I took part in the various local Model United Nation forums namely: ZABMUN, MUNIK and LUMUN, followed by Harvard Model United Nations China, where we won the coveted Best Delegation trophy and won 10 Best Delegation Awards.

Channan, Suroor, Ghasharib, Shahzel and Taimur with Ms. Aysha Sheikh. —Photo by author
Channan, Suroor, Ghasharib, Shahzel and Taimur with Ms. Aysha Sheikh. —Photo by author
When we resumed school in August 2015 as seniors, our Model United Nations Patron Ms Aysha Sheikh informed us that we would be the first students from Karachi Grammar School to ever attend Harvard Model United Nations Boston.

The look on all of our faces was priceless.

The team or rather, I would say, family consisted of: Uzair Saqib, Zainab Saeed, Ghasharib Shoukat, Taimur Ahmed Mian, Rahul Bherwani, Shahzel Najam, Hakim, Laleh Ahmed, Nasha Kanga, Channan Hanif, Zarak Quraishi, Leila Khan, Riva Effendi and myself.

Between August 2015 and January 2016, we spent time deciding the head delegate, committees and most importantly who would be sharing a room.

In early January, when our head delegate Taimur Ahmed Mian announced the committees, we all knew it was time to start researching.