Twenty-two Upper School students spent four invigorating days discussing a host of urgent global issues — and strategies for solving them — as participants in the annual Harvard Model United Nations (HMUN), which took place January 30-February 2 in Boston.
Following a scenic ride on Amtrak, the students and their chaperones, History teacher Lauren Tartaglia and Middle and Upper School Admissions Director Xiomara Hall, arrived at their hotel, ready to meet their fellow high-school delegates for this notable international student leadership conference. A sizable representation of Harvard undergraduates, serving as members of the HMUN staff, also took part.
The Chapin delegates, who were all assigned to Iceland ahead of the event, joined more than 4,000 high school students from dozens of countries around the world for HMUN’s 67th annual session, the activities of which were guided by the far-reaching theme, “Diplomacy in the Age of Globalization.”
By participating on committees like the General Assembly, NATO, the World Trade Organization and the Economic and Social Council, this powerful contingent of young leaders assumed the roles of strategic decision makers, navigating significant international crises and developing groundbreaking policy solutions.
The skills they strengthened — such as persuasive negotiating, effective public speaking, critical thinking and collaborating with people from myriad backgrounds — will undoubtedly inform their approach to tackling small and monumental concerns, both in their individual lives and on the global stage.
“I had the chance to meet so many people from around the world and improve my public speaking and leadership skills. Overall, it made me a more confident speaker and leader,” remarked one participant, adding, “This year, no Chapin person was on my committee, so I was all alone…I was able to form friendships with many people from a variety of countries. I also got to balance my role in writing my resolution and speaking in the committee.”
A second participant commented, “My partner and I represented Iceland in the Disarmament and International Security Committee (DISEC) for the discussion of ‘Cyber Terrorism in the Age of Internet’…I absolutely loved attending the Harvard Model UN conference this year. This is my third year going, and every year I become more comfortable with public speaking, and with that, the experience becomes even more enjoyable.”
“The experience was amazing!” another student exclaimed. “I learned so much about the Latin American Debt Crisis of 1982, economic terms, foreign relations and interests, and more from researching the topic before the conference and from debating solutions with other delegations. I genuinely hope I can attend again next year.”
The Chapin HMUN Delegation:
Ashfah Alam (Class 11)
Muskaan Bhansali (Class 10)
Ayanna Chatman (Class 11)
Alyssa Cheng (Class 11)
Julia Fink (Class 12)
Annie Guo (Class 11)
Felicia Hou (Class 11)
Katherine Kim (Class 11)
Grace Kim (Class 10)
Olivia Kim (Class 12)
Natalie Krevitt (Class 10)
Veronica Marotta (Class 11)
Neha Nagpal (Class 12)
Carina Nanan (Class 11)
Elizabeth Rauenhorst (Class 11)
Christina Salas (Class 11)
Melina Steinberg (Class 12)
Zumaya Tousaaint-Farrell (Class 10)
Katharina von Maltzahn (Class 11)
Astrid Weinberg (Class 12)
Isabella Wu (Class 11)
Noa Yassky (Class 11)