New York City: Visiting the United Nations

Today students participating in the Ramble had the opportunity to visit the United Nations which was an extremely impactful experience. We were given a brief overview of the UN at the start of the tour, including the history of the international body which was created in 1945. We got to visit the General Assembly, the Security Council, the Economic and Social Council, and the Trusteeship Council. Notably, we were also given descriptions of the many art pieces placed throughout the UN, which rival any museum.

The sheer amount of precise symbolism that has been incorporated into the building of the UN was very striking to me. For example, the unfinished ceiling was consciously designed to represent the fact that the economic and social work of the UN can never be finished; there will always be more that needs to be improved and more that can be done. This concept can be extended to the rest of the UN; the pursuit of peace, justice, and prosperity is a never-ending task. The many peacekeepers risk their safety and well-being regularly to support these goals, and the delegates of the UN’s member and observational countries collaborate on a daily basis to find common ground and to improve lives.

This experience caused me to reflect upon the purpose of my career. As an Economics and Information Systems double major, I want the work that I do to help solve challenging economic problems, and I want to develop skills that support such an endeavor. Like the ongoing goals of the UN, I recognize that I will often face challenges during my career that surpass my impact as an individual person. However, I want to be able to consistently make a contribution in the right direction. I greatly appreciated being able to consider the societal and global impacts of business careers, while being informed about one of the most impactful international governing bodies in the world.