Written by Layne Fennell | March 11, 2024 | SHARE
In the landscape of first-year expectations, speaking at the United Nations (UN) isn’t a typical venture. However, for three first-year Lehigh students, this unique experience quickly became a reality.
The Lehigh University / United Nations Partnership staff created the world’s first United Nations Youth Representative program in 2008. Since that time, more than 200 students have served as the voice of a UN-accredited Non-Governmental Organization (NGO). But, never before have three first-year students been selected to serve in this globally significant capacity.
Diya Narayan, Tasfia Ahmad, and Ana Sofia Mendoza have all been named to this prestigious position, and now travel regularly to the UN and collaborate closely with an NGO partner. Each of these students had high expectations for their first year at Lehigh, but not quite at this level.
Diya Narayan, from Roxbury, New Jersey, is studying Marketing and Applied Statistics in the College of Business. Her interest in research led to her involvement with the International Public Relations Association (IRPA).
“I specifically applied for the Youth Representative role with IRPA because I love doing research, and I love watching videos, attending relevant meetings, and gathering a lot of details and data behind it,” said Narayan.
IPRA is a global organization that publishes articles about issues occurring at the UN and works to promote ethical and open communication and awareness. She reports to Matthew Cossel, a Lehigh alum who previously interned and then worked for the UN.
“The point of joining IPRA is also to help me grow as a writer and learn how to develop public speaking skills,” said Narayan.
Tasfia Ahmad, also from New Jersey, majoring in Political Science, represents the Nadam Foundation at the UN. The Nadam Foundation is an NGO based in Southern India that addresses a large range of issues in their local area.
Ahmad said that seeing Nadam focus on issues like sustainability, gender equality, education, and poverty drew her to the NGO, where she knew she could advocate for many issues instead of one.
Additionally, Nadam appealed to Ahmad as she said she felt a heightened cultural understanding of the NGO’s issues. “I am Bangladeshi, and there is a cultural connection between what Nadam was doing and what they’re hosting and talking about with their community and what I knew from my personal background,” said Ahmad.
Ana Sofia Mendoza, from Lima, Peru, studying Political Science and Sociology, was compelled to apply to Lehigh largely due to its partnership with the UN. Mendoza represents an NGO based in Armenia called Nor Luyce, which empowers young women to pursue higher education.
“In that area, a lot of women don’t get the chance to go to college, because they have a very chauvinistic society that says that women shouldn’t be allowed to do certain things,” said Mendoza.
Despite being unfamiliar with Armenian culture before accepting the position, Mendoza said that her own cultural background has informed her experience as a Youth Representative. “I feel I’m really connected to it because I grew up in Peru, and it’s a country where similar traditions are taking place,” said Mendoza. “I feel I can really connect with the girls in Armenia, so I thought that connection would allow me to do a much better job when performing my UN Youth Rep duties, like advocating for them, and speaking at the UN.”
All three students emphasized their appreciation for their involvement in the program and expressed gratitude for the opportunities and experiences they had encountered just a few weeks into their second semester.
Narayan expressed this sentiment, saying “I did apply Early Decision to Lehigh in order to take on a role with the United Nations, and it's really cool to see that dream achieved”.
LU/UN Partnership Director Bill Hunter, who founded the Youth Representative program, was very excited to see first-year students step into such impactful roles. “These are incredibly competitive positions, so it’s remarkable to have three such talented, well-spoken, and cause-driven students be accepted into roles typically held by juniors and seniors,” Hunter noted that all Youth Representative positions are open to any student on campus, but the ultimate decision to receive a UN badge is made by the respective NGO President. The Youth Representative program is managed by Lehigh’s Alternate Representative to the UN, Elena Reiss.