Justin is a 14-year-old student who dreams of one day working in the United Nations. He's learning to see different perspectives in Political Debate Club and can't wait to return to EXPLO next year.
My biggest interest is probably history, but I also enjoy international relations. For example, I’m very interested in how the recent outbreak in terrorism directly correlates to history and the Iraq War. I wrote my final paper in seventh grade about how the Iraq War directly related to the rise of ISIS in Iraq and Syria because of the proposed weapons of mass destruction that were never found during that time and how, because so much turmoil was caused in the Middle East, that Iraq — once a rich country — turned extremely poor.
I would like to tie myself with history in the future as well, although I’m not exactly sure who I’d like to be. I would like to work with the United Nations; that would be really exciting. I’m taking the Model United Nations course and if I could somehow get into a similar program, I think that would drastically help me in my quest for finding what I want to do. I would love to do something that involves international relations and history as well.
EXPLO has taught me to broaden my view. Before I came here I used to think that only one set of beliefs was correct on certain issues. But now, especially in the Political Debate Club that I recently joined, I’ve learned that there is more than one side to a story, and even though I may not agree at all with something, I find it valuable to gain everyone’s opinion on certain issues. Just recently we were talking about the Iraq War and the tension towards Muslims and the Middle East, about Donald Trump and his unorthodox way of approaching politics, and about a woman’s right to choose what she does with her body.
My favorite thing about EXPLO is that it gives me an opportunity to experience what college is like and I really enjoy taking classes in the morning. I love that I can meet people here who I share the same interests with. That’s one of the reasons I chose EXPLO, and even though it’s my first year I already know that I want to come back.
Fidelia Randmäe