Local student excels in Harvard essay

Hamilton student Nisha Novell represented Waikato when she placed in the top ten for Harvard University’s annual essay competition.

Every year students are selected from Australia and New Zealand to attend the Harvard United Nations Model Assembly and Yale United Nations Model Assembly.

While there, the Year 13 student from Hillcrest High School decided to take part in the optional essay competition.

The topic was about whether or not there was an international responsibility to protect framework, Novell said.

‘‘It’s completely a topic none of us knew anything about. It’s good to learn as you write.’’

She said when she first read the essay question she was confused, but that was what usually happened with UN competitions.

‘‘I did the Waikato speech one last year and it was the same kind of thing. It was ‘Human Security in Diverse Communities’ and I was equally as perplexed, but that all unravels when you do a bit of research.

‘‘I do enjoy maybe overanalysing anything and its the same with UN policies and frameworks. They’re quite easy to pull apart and consider bit by bit,’’ she said.

The essay had to be completed while Novell was on the trip and she said it was written a couple of nights before the deadline.

‘‘I’m a very last minute, all-inone-go kind of writer,’’ she said. ‘‘I was pretty happy with the essay in general.’’

Students were required to write 700 words on the topic, which Novell said was not a lot. Her essay was exactly 700 words.

The organisers said they received a record-breaking number of submissions, and Novell’s essay was one of the top ten.

Novell said the UN Model Assembly selection was quite Auckland-focused as the trip was not well-known to smaller towns.

‘‘I’d like to think that maybe I’ll help inspire more people to apply for this kind of thing. I definitely know heaps of extremely capable and talented Hamilton students who maybe just aren’t encouraged enough to think they can go for stuff on an inter- national scale.’’

Novell has plans to study towards a law degree in New Zealand or Australia, before wanting to complete a Masters degree overseas.

She believes her skills in writing and speaking will help her achieve her goals.