Superlatives are the most ridiculous and telling awards that I have personally encountered. Ridiculous, because “best hair” usually goes to the bald person in the room, or “best dressed” usually goes to the man with the salmon-colored slacks. However, they also have the enormous power to be indicative of what others think of you. I have won three superlatives in my life.

The first was in April 2012. When I finished my student ambassadorship at the World Affairs Council, I was named "Most Likely to Become Secretary of State." I didn't even think of myself as in the contention for this superlative; I had another friend who was far more diplomatic. Of course, studying and doing Model UN at university has taught me differently; sometimes, it's not always a good thing to be diplomatic if you need to get somewhere. I'm flattered that others think I'm diplomatic and tenacious.

The second was in October 2013. I had just finished a MUN conference in Washington, DC hosted by Georgetown University. This committee was a reenactment of the South Korean National Assembly after the 2010 sinking of the ROKS Cheonan. It was a committee, nominally with sixty or so university students debating about the relative merits of further sanctions against North Korea. It was really about gavel hunters and brutally taking another down via verbal jousting. I walked away with a verbal commendation, which is something I'm still pleasantly surprised by. Of course, that's not my superlative. I won "Best Canadian." Now, I'm not Canadian at all. I haven't been to Canada since I was two years old. However, some people have this misconception I do. Is it my penchant for maple syrup? Do I love Tim Hortons, despite having never been to one? I don't say "eh" that much, do I? Should I attempt to be less nice and more belligerent? Like the question of how many licks it takes to get to the center of the Tootsie Pop, the world may never know. I'm still unsure of what to make about this one, so I'll let you draw your own conclusions.

The third was in January 2015, when MUN at UCLA held a day-long mock conference. Fifteen people, a good half of whom I count among my best friends, named me "Most Likely to Get Assassinated." Now, given that the last one gave me the impression that others thought I'm quite nice and easygoing, I'm really not sure what to make of this one, and I'm actually quite amused by the fact that there's such a variation in attitudes towards my person. Of course, the question is, am I assassinated because I speak up for what I believe in even though people might get irritated at me, or because I'm annoying? I like to think it's the first, and I definitely want to become the sort of person that the first superlative makes me out to be.

I like to take a look at what others think about me, even though I don't think they're a be-all end-all to my personality. It's important to take a look from the outside to evaluate the person you think you are, and the person you really are. Otherwise, my head's going to be the size of Saturn, and how will I ever fit through doors then?