KINGSTON, Jamaica — Northern Caribbean University (NCU) student Patrina Stewart will be one of the thousand youth delegates to attend the Arab Youth International Model United Nations in September.

Out of 5,126 candidates across the world, Stewart will represent Jamaica at the conference to be held from September 17-20 in Dubai, where youth will discuss current global issues, including the pandemic, and explore how to make the world a better place.

“It is indeed an honour to be chosen. I’m really looking forward to it, especially because I will be graduating school in a few weeks,” she said.

Stewart has studied Criminal Justice with emphasis in Social Work at NCU. She is presently working on an internship as she prepares to complete her Bachelor of Science degree.

The final-year student became involved in the forum ultimately because of her long-time interest in social reform.

“I’ve always been one who wanted to participate in conversations as it relates to social issues… and to be a part of a group of people who have a common motive to change the world one step at a time, or even one life at a time,” Stewart revealed.

She said she had been following the United Nations on social media when one day she saw an advertisement inviting youth to apply for the Arab Youth International Model conference. 

“It wasn’t a tedious process, it wasn’t an interview, it was just filling out a form and that was it,” she recounted. She was informed of her selection only a few days later.

“It’s going to be a good experience for me. I’m going to garner a lot of knowledge, and I also think it’s an awesome opportunity for networking, [with] 195 countries [represented],” she continued.

Stewart will begin training once her internship is complete. She commended the support of the Student Services Division at NCU in connecting her with representatives of the United Nations Development Programme office in Jamaica, who will be coaching her on Dubai’s views on certain social issues.