“I enjoy chairing. I haven’t thought much about competing in college, but I definitely want to stay involved.”

I met Lukas Bryant through mutual MUN circles, the kind of person who somehow manages to be humble and wildly accomplished. He’s a senior in high school from North Carolina, and he's been running his school’s MUN club since sixth grade. “I went to my first conference as an independent,” he told me.

Lukas’ love for MUN stems from his genuine interest in international relations and diplomacy. “I’ve always been curious about how countries interact,” he said. “MUN gave me a way to explore that, especially through conversation.” For him, mymun played a huge role, helping him organise, join the mymun scholarship delegation, and make sense of the bigger MUN world outside of school. “It really helped me take it more seriously, to feel like I was part of something global.”

He’s participated in thirteen conferences so far, everything from Oxford GlobalMUN, BOSMUN, to a string of American high school events. “I’ve won awards at the majority of them,” he shared, not to brag but just stating the facts. The big highlight? Best Delegate at Oxford, a major moment that felt like the start of something bigger. His favorite topics are environmental issues, sustainability… basically how to implement big green initiatives without compromising local needs.

“In the U.S., crisis committees can get a little out there, like Harry Potter or Minecraft. Oxford was more straightforward. But if you can find the decision-making body inside the story, it works.” His favourite recent chairing experience? “A joint crisis committee about trains and planes in Europe. I was the CEO of a train company, trying to gain dominance. It was chaos, and fun.”

He’s a big believer in mindset. “If you walk into committee thinking, ‘I want to be the happiest person in the room,’ you’ll end up doing well. That energy matters.” This year, he competed at NAIMUN, one of the most prestigious conferences in North America. “It was the hardest thing I’ve ever done. 4,000 delegates total, 120 in my committee on neo-colonialism and development aid. I got an Honorable Mention. Just being there was a privilege. All the best schools go, and they’re intense.”

Lukas also recently chaired a Pirates of the Caribbean crisis for local middle and high schoolers. “Everyone was a different pirate. It was wild,” he laughed. But he loved it. 

He’s heading to Stanford this fall to study political science and diplomacy. “I want to work in international institutions, maybe the UN. MUN gave me the skills that matter: public speaking, negotiation, understanding complex issues. That’s the direction I want to go.” 

And look, if you’ve ever been to a U.S. high school MUN conference, you know the range is real. One weekend, you’re battling neocolonialism with 120 Ivy-bound delegates, the next you’re arguing naval treaties as a cursed pirate ghost from 1720. It’s diplomacy meets Disney World, with the occasional economic subcommittee thrown in for fun. 

But that’s the beauty of MUN: no matter where you start, independent in North Carolina or walking into Stanford in the fall, you’re part of something way bigger. And if you meet Lukas in committee, just know: he’s probably already planned three steps ahead of you… and he’s still the nicest person in the room.