Upper School Model UN Students Named Outstanding Delegation at Philadelphia Conference
The Upper School Model United Nations season wrapped up this past weekend in grand fashion as the MFS delegation was named Outstanding Delegation at the Philadelphia Model UN Conference, or PhilMUN, (February 22-25), hosted by Rutgers University and the Institute for Domestic & International Affairs, Inc. It was the final competitive conference of the school year for MFS Model UN.
In addition to the Outstanding Delegation recognition, MFS students also captured the following awards:
- Charlotte Nesevich ’25 & Haila Desai ’24 – Best Position Paper (UNPFII)
- Mason Levens ’25 & Andrew Zhou ’25 – Distinguished Delegates (UNHCR)
- Samantha Lee ’24 & Jaya Lawrence-Gupta ’26 – Outstanding Delegates (UNCTAD)
- Ali Sabir ’26 & Olivia Arzu ’27 – Outstanding Delegates (WHO)
- Ethan Cohen ’26 & Emmie Huynh ’27 – Outstanding Delegates (UNODC)
- Maya DeAndrea ’25 & Sophia Lalani ’25 – Best Delegates (UNICEF)
- Himanshu Sahore ’24 – Best Delegate (UNHCR)
- Luke Iacono ’25 – Best Delegate (Rio de Janeiro Protocol Committee)
Advisor and US History Teacher Clark Thomson praised the teamwork present with the entire group that led to this year’s successes: “When Maya [DeAndrea] and Haila [Desai], our Secretaries General, addressed the delegation before we got off the bus at MFS, they reminded everyone that our Outstanding Delegation trophy was the result of everyone’s work, not simply the delegates that received individual honors,” he said. “I know everyone in our delegation knows and embraces this truth. Everyone contributes to every delegate’s success; from the beginning of their classroom preparation, to their circles during the class before a conference, to encouragement at the conference, to the pre-curfew support and hilarity that fuels our tired delegates after the 7:30-10:30 p.m. committee session. The myriad of emotions that are brought on by commitment to goals and leadership should be embraced. No one can prepare you for this. And, may we never lose the sweetness that accompanies these moments in all the ways it manifests itself.”