Matric pupil at Edenvale High School, Tyler Booth, recently participated in the Young Leaders Conference.
The conference was hosted by the South African Institute Of International Affairs (SAIIA) at the University of Witwatersrand.
The national event was held between June 26 and July 1, and featured 75 participants, 18 of whom were university students, taking part.
Tyler said participants came from various provinces across the country.
“The four day event was very exciting,” said Tyler.
During the event, Tyler took part in the Model United Nations (MUN), an educational simulation that allows pupils to experience and practice diplomacy.
At the MUN, participants had to discuss the the challenges that municipal governments were faced with.
Tyler said some of the challenges that were addressed by the MUN included stakeholders within the community, basic needs for residents, service delivery, gender equality and the improvement of living standards.
Tyler enjoyed the MUN because it gave her the opportunity to do research on global issues and to meet new people.
“The people there were great, they were so like-minded and wanted to achieve similar goals,” said Tyler.
She said the participants shared common ground in wanting to do more research and improving the world.
As a participant in the conference, Tyler also had the opportunity to be part of a team that visited the Union Buildings in Pretoria where she and a team delivered a presentation to the Deputy Minister of the Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO) Mrs Maite Nkoana-Mashabane and the Deputy Minister of Presidency Mr Buti Manamela.
Tyler’s passion for public speaking and debate came naturally to her. As a primary school pupil she took part in the eisteddfod, mainly in the individual section.
“I always wanted to participate in school plays but instead I chose to compete in the single poetry category,” said Tyler.
In grade 9 Tyler decided to take her passion for public speaking one step further and joined the debating team.
“The only reason I did not start in grade 8 was because I missed the sign up date,” said Tyler.
Tyler said she also took part in the CEO Sleepout after being invited by the Canadian High Commission.
“It was very interesting and a real eye opener for me. It allowed me to experience empathy,” said Taylor.
After she finishes high school, Tyler wants to study both medical sciences and diplomacy in the hope that she can use the two together and and work for the an organisation similar to the World Health Organisation (WHO).
