More Than a Gavel - How Debate Became My Direction (Blog Competition 2025 Round 1 Runner-Up)

More Than a Gavel – How Debate Became My Direction (Blog Competition 2025 Round 1 Runner-Up)

Updated: 11.08.2025

Read time: 2 min read

I’d be lying if I said that debate didn’t start as another addition to my CV. As a middle-class Pakistani girl with seemingly oversized dreams, university was constantly at the back of my mind. But somewhere between reciting memorised declamations and waking up at midnight to debate in a crisis session, it stopped being about applications and became personal.

My first Model UN conference in 6th grade was the turning point. It was something I’d never experienced before. The sheer knowledge, articulation, and level of social skills in that room. I was starstruck – and determined to be one of them. Over time, I went from giving speeches, trembling without eye contact, to leading unmoderated caucuses, writing five-page resolution clauses, and winning awards at national and international levels.

But more than trophies, MUN gave me something more important, more personal – awareness. I learned that politics isn’t about being loud; rather, it’s about being a leader, a strategist, and deeply human. My coaches modeled that and inspired me. My teammates challenged and supported me throughout. I carried it beyond the committee room, further pursuing other vital experiences in news networks, as a social media manager and graphic designer, as a writer, and as a teacher to young kids.

These weren’t random hobbies. They were all ways of practicing the same skill – communicating with clarity, impact, and purpose. Academically, my writing became sharper, more persuasive, and deeply influenced by diplomatic formatting techniques, giving me the ability to create compelling text and adapt my tone to the audience.

Supercurriculars didn’t just support my university application – they shaped the reason I’m applying at all.

Political science isn’t a fallback; rather, it’s the natural next step. Debate gave me a voice, skills to utilise,
and a passion to always speak in ways that can’t be ignored.