Upper School Students Reflect on Model U.N. Experience

 

Earlier in the semester, 13 Ravenscroft Upper School students in grades nine through 12 attended a three-day international relations simulation at a Model U.N. conference at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. The conference, also known as “MUNCH,” was held Feb. 28 to March 2, 2025. Participants took part in a variety of mock debate situations representing different countries. Students worked in groups throughout the conference to craft a paper representing their collective interests. 

Below, six Ravens share details about their experiences and what they have learned from attending MUNCH.

For all of us participating in the Model U.N., including Jai and me, it was our first time — in fact, it was Ravenscroft’s first time competing in over 10 years! We each chose the committees we wanted to participate in beforehand and spent the weeks leading up to the conference researching, writing and preparing papers and speeches to present. 

My sister [Rieka ’26] and I were on the Disarmament and International Security Committee, known as DISE. We assumed the roles of delegates from South Africa. Over a series of six committee meetings surrounding cyberattacks and spyware, we fought hard to ally with other nations, come up with a proposed resolution, and adjust it in order to get it based. At the end of the conference, resolutions were voted on by all of the nations, and ours actually passed! 

It was a really gratifying moment to end an amazing experience at MUNCH. With all this being said, we were all a little nervous coming into the conference as first-timers, but we quickly got the hang of it and had a great time.

— Lexi Davis ’25

 

For me, I had participated in government programs across high school like Youth and Government (YAG) or Young Legislative Assembly (YLA). I had never participated in a conference before like Model UN and the format of the debate session presented a challenge. 

The Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) was 46 groups of two students who were trying to understand each other’s goals. Eventually, the groups split into factions known as blocs, and various countries would lead these blocs to create a resolution paper to be passed by vote. My partner, Aida Saake from Charlotte Country Day, and I were eventually able to lead our bloc and form the first resolution paper of the chamber. We worked with a variety of other countries to develop a framework for human trafficking around the world to prevent and mitigate it as quickly and efficiently as possible. Eventually, when it came to voting, our paper was the only one that passed in the chamber, which was an especially exciting moment. 

All of this eventually culminated in my partner and I winning the Best Delegate Award for ECOSOC!

— Jai Gupta ’25

 

I didn't know what to expect going into Model U.N., but I did know that I was very interested in international relations and diplomacy. This interest came from a week-long summer academy I did at Georgetown University. The Model U.N. conference only furthered my interest, as I got a feel for the actions involved in international relations rather than just studying it from the outside. 

My partner and I represented Switzerland in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations. We worked with other countries to aid refugees and migrant workers in Southeast Asia, as well as minimize the pollution from palm oil companies in Indonesia. 

I learned valuable collaboration skills from MUNCH, such as effectively blending multiple plans and ideas to reach a commonly supported and functional solution. Overall, MUNCH was a very rewarding experience and I highly recommend it to anyone interested!  

— Cole MacKinnon ’26

 

MUNCH was my first experience with any government-based club and out-of-school club event. Together with my partner, we were supposed to represent Singapore in the ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) committee. However, due to an unexpected complication, my partner and I had to make a last-minute change to represent South Africa, requiring much-added work. Suddenly, all our preparation was out the window and we had to continue on the fly! Despite the setbacks and additional work, Model U.N. was a great experience, allowing me to personally hone important skills such as public speaking and collaboration while tackling real-world problems. 

Overall, MUNCH was an amazing experience and I would highly recommend it to anyone interested.

—Thor Vilsoee ’26

 

This was my first time attending any type of Model U.N.! Beforehand, I chose my committee, Economic and Social, and I was representing the United States of America. Taking the first steps into my committee room, I was SO nervous alongside my partner. However, my nerves soon disappeared as my partner and I formed many alliances with other ‘countries’ and reached the point where our resolution was the only one that passed out of four other resolutions, with three-fourths of the delegates' votes! 

Model UN was an incredible opportunity for me to collaborate with like-minded students, improve my public speaking and leadership skills, make new friends and spend time on UNC’s beautiful campus. I loved the experience and am already excited for next year’s conference! 

— Izzy Sotomayor ’27

 

Model U.N. is a great opportunity for students like me to step out of their comfort zones and work on many tricky skills like public speaking, teamwork, and writing. When I first entered the conference, I was incredibly nervous and unsure of what to expect, but as the conference proceeded, I gained confidence in my speaking skills and was able to present more comfortably about the various topics covered. 

I particularly enjoyed the collaborative environment the conference promoted among students! There were so many enthusiastic and intelligent peers surrounding me. I felt awed and inspired to put my best foot forward. Model UN was an incredible experience for me and I look forward to next year’s conference!

— Shriya Bhatnagar ’28