WEST CHESTER, PA — Students from West Chester Area School District’s Rustin High School didn’t have to travel the globe to tackle some of the biggest challenges of the 21st century; all they needed to do was head to Virginia for the UVA Model United Nations Conference! Over the course of three days, 23 Rustin High School students competed in the UVA Model United Nations Conference held at the University of Virginia for the UVA Model United Nations Conference. Numerous teams of students from high schools across the mid-Atlantic region were in attendance.
“It was a great way to improve my public speaking. We were talking about human trafficking and I learned that there’s still slavery in many parts of the world and I didn’t know much about that before,” said Maggie Ricciuti, Rustin High School student. Rustin student Emma Bowers said, “I felt a lot of pressure because this was my first time attending, but next time I look forward to making my voice heard more.”
From famine and disease to human trafficking, food instability and nuclear disarmament to trade imbalances, these students spent the weekend discussing issues and strategizing solutions while representing their schools and making new friendships.
“Opportunities like this conference offer students a unique experience to not only put into practice what they’ve been learning but also to exchange ideas with their peers from various backgrounds,” said Rustin teachers and Model UN sponsors, Mark Winfield and Matt Taglang.
“We are so proud of all the students who participated in the conference,” said Taglang. “The topics and problems discussed are extremely complex, and these students demonstrated thoughtful critical thinking skills and exceptional abilities to work collaboratively with others throughout each step of the process.”
Rustin High School students receiving special recognition and commendations include:
- Best Delegate Award: Emma Bowers and Rachel Ariadne Stetter for representing the People’s Republic of China on the Special Political and Decolonization Committee.
- Honorable Mention: Natalie Monahan and Anika Chaudhary representing the country of India on the Committee on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice.
- Verbal Commendation: Molly McCoy and Malini Upadhyay representing the country of South Korea on the Economic and Financial Committee.
- Verbal Commendation: Cacilia Rollet and Isabella Pizzi representing the country of Venezuela in the International Coffee Organization.
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