Sixteen Model United Nations (Model U.N.) students from Westminster College participated in the 35th annual American Model United Nations (AMUN) National Conference in Chicago, Nov. 23-26, bringing home three awards including the Best Overall Delegation Award.

Accompanied by Dr. Michael Aleprete, Model U.N. adviser and professor of political science, Westminster students represented Egypt and Laos People’s Democratic Republic.

Westminster’s Egypt delegation was represented on six committees, while Laos participated in four. Delegations were tasked with solving problems related to a range global issues such as nuclear disarmament, indigenous peoples’ rights and agricultural development.

The Egypt delegation clinched the Overall Best Delegation Award, a first for Westminster, and the Outstanding Delegation Award in the General Assembly Third Committee. Westminster also picked up another Outstanding Delegation Award for representing United Arab Republic in the Historical Security Council of 1961.

“Our primary goal is always educational and to study the foreign policies of the countries that we represent. We learn about the United Nations while developing our negotiating and diplomatic skills,” said Aleprete.

“My co-delegate and I endeavored to give a speech every day—if not every committee session — and tried to utilize all the resources available to us, like the press. I think that this resolve to remain memorable in conference, coupled with our ability to create connections within our committee was what eventually led to us to a win,” said Sarah Anil Cherian, a member of Egypt’s General Assembly Third Committee that won an Outstanding Delegation award. Anil Cherian is a junior political science major and honors student from Conroe, Texas.

Tyler Hager, new to the Model U.N. team this year, learned about the structure of the conference as well as how to translate his experience into his own life.

“I learned so much more about world politics and news and it was very fascinating hearing all the different nations’ perspectives on the issues we face,” said Hager, a sophomore sports management and marketing and sales major from Lehighton, Pa.

Other participating students this year were:

General Assembly Plenary
Josh Furman and Tyler Hager (Egypt)
Sophia Klonowski and Marayna Sanders (Laos)

General Assembly First Committee (Disarmament & International Security)
Hayden Kenny (Egypt)
Lucas Crow (Laos)

General Assembly Second Committee (Economic & Financial Affairs)
McKenzie Means and Chloe Brodison-McMinn (Egypt)
Nathan Barber (Laos)

General Assembly Third Committee (Social, Cultural, and Humanitarian Affairs)
Sarah Anil Cherian and Ryan Crissman (Egypt)
Olivia Plummer (Permanent Representative, Laos)

Security Council
Wesley Yeager and Victoria Valcarcel Matos (Egypt)

Economic & Social Commission
Christina Loewe (Permanent Representative) and Lily Hefner (Egypt)

AMUN often recruits previous participants to serve as committee staff members during the conference, and this year Derek Bakewell ’19, Dr. Teresa Whetstone ’14 and Mitchell Henderson ’22 participated.

Whetstone was named president of the general assembly and will manage conference staff and oversee simulations for the 2025 AMUN conference.

In April, Westminster’s Model U.N. organization will host a local conference for area high school students.

For more information about Model U.N. or the high school conference, please contact Aleprete at alepreme@westminster.edu.

Pictured above are, in front from left, Victoria Valcarcel Matos and Sarah Anil Cherian. In back from left are Wesley Yeager, Dr. Michael Aleprete and Ryan Crissman.

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