Tracy Gray, president of UNA-Atlanta, at the 26th Annual Georgia Tech Model United Nations Conference (October 6)
By Tracy Gray, President
Delivering the welcome address to over 1,000 high school students at the 26th Annual Georgia Tech Model United Nations (GTMUN) Conference was both inspiring and deeply affirming. Standing before so many bright, curious young minds—each eager to engage in diplomacy and global problem-solving—reminded me of why programs like GTMUN are so essential.
In my remarks, I encouraged students to see their GTMUN experience not as an endpoint, but as the beginning of a lifelong pathway of global citizenship. I shared how the United Nations Association (UNA-USA), through chapters like ours in Atlanta and across the nation, offers the next step for those who wish to stay connected to the ideals of the United Nations after high school. UNA chapters welcome students, professionals, and community members to continue learning, advocating, and leading for peace, human rights, and sustainable development.
What moved me most was the energy in the room, the sense that this generation is ready to take up the challenge. As I told them, the UN’s future depends on their creativity and courage. Today, I left Georgia Tech confident that our global future is in capable and compassionate hands.
Delivering the welcome address to over 1,000 high school students at the 26th Annual Georgia Tech Model United Nations (GTMUN) Conference was both inspiring and deeply affirming. Standing before so many bright, curious young minds—each eager to engage in diplomacy and global problem-solving—reminded me of why programs like GTMUN are so essential.
In my remarks, I encouraged students to see their GTMUN experience not as an endpoint, but as the beginning of a lifelong pathway of global citizenship. I shared how the United Nations Association (UNA-USA), through chapters like ours in Atlanta and across the nation, offers the next step for those who wish to stay connected to the ideals of the United Nations after high school. UNA chapters welcome students, professionals, and community members to continue learning, advocating, and leading for peace, human rights, and sustainable development.
What moved me most was the energy in the room, the sense that this generation is ready to take up the challenge. As I told them, the UN’s future depends on their creativity and courage. Today, I left Georgia Tech confident that our global future is in capable and compassionate hands.
