What if your MUN passion didn’t end after the closing ceremony? What if it became your job, your purpose? That’s the life Nathalie Urrutia is building. A Panamanian MUN organiser and logistics consultant, Nathalie is living what many MUNers would call a dream: turning her love for Model UN into a full-time career. But her path wasn’t always obvious, and it definitely wasn’t easy.

After countless Flixbus trips to The Hague, I’m pretty sure I’m an honorary member of LeidenMUN by now, though I won’t claim that without their say-so. But anyway, let me tell you about Pieter – he’s honestly one of the coolest people I’ve met in the MUN world. You know how some people just get MUN? Well, Pieter is definitely one of those. But his path to MUN greatness is kind of unexpected.

This story is different from the rest. So, I’m just chilling at home (which is rare since I usually bounce between Brussels and The Hague), and then I decided to message Michael Gatt. I remember him because of his friends, Adriana and Brianna.Michael is a third-year law student deeply involved in various student organisations. Why do all our MUN stars like to multitask? Anyways, he was the Secretary-General of the Malta Model United Nations Conference. “I am passionate about how MUN has shaped my personal and academic journey,” he said, enumerating all his extracurricular activities. He is looking forward to a master’s and recognises how much MUN has helped him become a team player, which is pretty important.

When you spend enough time in the MUN circuit, you start meeting people who leave a lasting impression, not just for their debating skills but for the way they carry themselves. That’s exactly how I’d describe Dario. I met him at LeiMUN 2024, and from the start, he stood out.