Model United Nations: A Review of the Past and Excitement for the Future
Media provided by Maggie S. ’26
On Saturday, November 8th, the Model United Nations (Model UN) team and club at Grace High School in New York City attended the first conference of the season at Stuyvesant High School.
Last year, Grace’s Model UN team exceeded expectations, earning an abundance of honorable mentions, best delegate, and position paper awards! Now, with new student leadership and an abundance of new members ready to take on the challenge of Model UN, an academic simulation grounded in the roleplay of students as diplomats from different countries, to debate global issues, students at Grace are ecstatic for the upcoming season.
Junior Luka H. ‘27 voiced his excitement for his first year participating in Model UN: “I am most excited for the longer and statewide conferences because I will be exposed to more cultures and countries I was previously unexposed to. I also think that we will be poised for success this season, with the new student leadership surrounding the club. Being new to Model UN, the abundance of emails and tips sent to me has been extremely helpful in helping me learn the foundations of Model UN.”
Similarly, Cole D. ‘27 expressed his excitement as he plans for his first year participating in the club. As a junior, Cole communicated his excitement to “meet some of the upperclassmen at Grace, and [is] excited to represent countries and diplomats worldwide, while cultivating greater leadership and critical thinking skills.”
Elaborating on the benefits and successes our Model UN team has achieved and continues to strive for, the Model UN faculty advisor, Ms. Grafton, shares her thoughts ahead of the conference. “We’ve had an amazing tradition of great student leadership, with a real sense of camaraderie and student ability to lead. My role as an advisor of Model UN has been mostly logistical work, while 99% of the work has been student-led, a true strength of our Model UN team that continues to impress me”.
Pictured Grace’s Highschool Model UN Team. Media provided by Blake H. ’27.
Model United Nations is a fantastic opportunity to gain confidence and find your voice through public speaking and critical thinking on short notice. Learning to debate about and draft resolutions with regard to global issues, we learn that by coming together and communicating, no matter the circumstances or external conflicts, we benefit from compromise and working to achieve a common goal.
As we kick off our Model UN season, I encourage all students to join as we welcome everyone. It is truly an opportunity to better yourself and cultivate new skills you may not know you have.
Blake H. ‘27, the author, is a staff writer for The Grace Gazette, and he is a member of Grace’s Model United Nations Team.