“There’s no better feeling than giving others the confidence that someone once gave me.”

Edu and I go far back. Our story begins in the slightly chaotic corridors of EuroMUN, where I was part of the marketing team and he was trying to navigate the spheres of diplomacy. But Edu’s journey didn´t end in Maastricht. He carried that spark to LeiMUN, then to MUNSA, IEUMUN, and beyond. “I never got the chance to participate in MUNs during  high school,” Edu confessed. “It all started at university, as part of the Leiden Model United Nations Foundation. At first, I wasn’t eloquent; I was just trying to find my voice. But step by step, I learned how to stand up, prepare, and claim my space.”

He continued his journey in the foundation. As a delegate trainer in the Personal Development Program (PDP for the OGs), he learned the power of giving confidence to others at Harvard MUN, where chaos reigned and competition was cutthroat. “Harvard teaches you to deal with people who don’t give in easily,” 

Still, it was Asia that gave Edu his most transformative stage. “I thought it was too good to be true when I got invited to chair in Thailand,” Edu laughed. “But it was the highlight of my year.” He paused, then added, “As a chair, I prefer beginners. MUN can be scary, and it’s part of my responsibility to make sure people feel comfortable and that  they belong.”

Edu recalls friendships that blossomed in committee rooms, like his bond with Marieke: “We were so different, but we gave each other unconditional support. She was always gentle, always present throughout every step of my MUN journey. That’s the kind of friendship you carry with you.”

Beyond friendship, MUN also shaped his academic path. Now, as he wraps up his work at the university and looks ahead, he’s open to new opportunities. “Conflict resolution and governance are my areas,” Edu explained. “Active listening, mediation, and building common ground aren’t just MUN skills, they’re life skills. And they align perfectly with my master’s trajectory.”

By the time we wrapped up, the talk of Harvard, Asia, and diplomacy had given way to something simpler, trading stories about Pokémon and the games we used to play. Edu approaches every challenge, from international committees to everyday moments, with the same thoughtfulness and care, and that’s what makes his journey so memorable.