Creating Change During a Pandemic

By Emerson Harned

In the midst of a pandemic where many in the world feel like giving up, Kentucky’s teens have kept going, kept fighting. In a non-COVID-19 world, students across the commonwealth would attend KUNA at the Galt House or Crowne Plaza in Louisville. It would be a time to see friends, walk around and see displays at the World Expo, and enjoy the famous strawberry smoothies.

But, due to COVID-19, the yearly conference was moved online. No late nights in the hotel, no rooms full of country displays, and no smoothies. So why are students attending this conference on a virtual platform? Change. The students at this conference want to create change and will create change.

When hearing “KUNA”, the first thing that comes to mind might be some of the in person aspects of the conference. But, learned from the online format, KUNA is so much more than that. There is a much bigger picture. The Kentucky United Nations Assembly is being the voice of change in the world, forming relationships that last a lifetime, and learning that with just a little bit of research, there is so much to learn about the world.

Creating change doesn’t require an in-person environment, and the students attending this conference are proving just that. They are taking initiative and proving that the world can change, even if there is a worldwide pandemic happening. These teens are the future and they make the future look bright.