EAA Youth Series: Ahmad Khan
However, I was raised among the beautiful palm trees and the searing hot deserts of Doha, Qatar, for my whole life. At my core, I’m an avid reader, video-game enthusiast and free-lance therapist for my friends. My interests branch deep into many fields; I am serving as the Deputy Secretary General for THIMUN-Qatar 2021, a five-day simulation of the United Nations for secondary school students, where I help train student officers and review research reports. Alongside this, I have been mentoring a hundred kids for the World Scholar's Cup weekly afterschool. When I’m not in meetings or doing homework for hours, you can find me watching anime- my favourite genre; it is slice of life!
As the child of a second-generation immigrant family, I quickly hammered home determination and rigor, which ultimately led to my academic success in school. I soon came to realise the great importance of education and its power to change lives – including my own.
In spite of this, being the “quiet” kid in class was not an entirely easy experience growing up. Despite this, when my friend forced me into my first debate, I was a statue that carried no voice nor hope. My successful failure motivated me to improve - I wanted to orchestrate the art of public speaking. This drove me to join several related activities such as Model United Nations and World Scholars Cup. Public speaking ignited a fire in me; it was where I discovered my confidence and it eventually led me to the opportunities I have today.
It was under the mentorship of my Model United Nations Director that I first learned to grapple with the role of leadership. MUN became a platform for me to translate my voice and ideas into action. As the Co-Secretary General for my school’s conference, my executive team and I organised Qatar International Schools’ first beach cleanup - taking 104 students to Zekreet, a village in north-western Qatar. That day, we collected 50 bags of disposable waste; it’s safe to say that it was a huge success. I now know that it is only through these small, collective milestones that we are able to reach the Sustainable Development Goals for 2030.
Last year, I had the honour of serving as a Conference Coordinator at the Qatar Leadership Conferences. The experience helped me develop my approach to difficult situations and illustrated the importance of teamwork and collaboration. Recently, the THIMUN-Qatar executive team, kick-started a COVID-19 Relief Box Initiative that provided food and sanitary products to essential workers and low-income families in Qatar with the aim of improving their situation during the current global pandemic. Currently, we are working on several projects to elevate the youth voice in Qatar.
As an EAA Youth Advocate, I am always striving to learn about new issues and use my platform to help others. In the future, I am hoping to pursue a degree in Economics and help improve social mobility around the world.
