I founded Students for the United Nations (SUN) in the spring of 2018 because I noticed a significant absence of global-minded service in BU’s biggest student organization International Affairs Association (IAA). While the IAA offered students with many outlets and events to learn about and discuss international issues, it rarely took an active role in combating them.
Students for the UN serves as a chapter of the United Nations Association of the United States of America (UNA-USA) and has four goals:
- Global service: fundraising for a democratically chosen global cause each year
- Local service: 1-2 local service events each month from cleaning up nature preserves to teaching English to refugees
- Professional development: creating networking, resume building, and career opportunities for members
- United Nations: raise awareness about the UN and its work by attending a conference at the UN each year, hosting UN Day, and participating in social media campaigns
In my first semester as Director of SUN, I built a membership of over 130, hired and led its very first Board, raised over $2,600 for the SchoolBox Project, raised over $500 in Students Rebuild funds to clean up the world’s oceans, collected over 100 cans of food for the Greater Boston Food Pantry and led over 15 successful events including UN Day at the MA Statehouse Hall of Flags and a trip to the Global Engagement Summit at the United Nations in New York.
Students for the UN continues to thrive at Boston University today.