Galloway, N.J. – Several Stockton University students traveled to New York for the five-day National Model United Nations Conference (NMUN), where they had the opportunity to network with over 3,000 peers and were selected for two awards.

The 17 students, as part of Stockton’s Model UN, attended the conference April 6-10. During, Stockton’s Model UN represented the Arab Republic of Egypt and were involved in nine committees during the conference, including the Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice.

From that committee, Lindsay Grande and Skylar Ballin received the Best Delegate Award after being nominated by their peers at the end of the conference. Grande and Ballin are both dual majoring in Political Science and Criminal Justice, and prepared and researched the committee and Egypt’s role in global criminal justice reform throughout this spring semester.  

Jonathan Wong, an Accounting major, worked closely with Té Sammons, a dual major in Psychology and Finance, and Grande to draft a position paper for Wong’s committee, the General Assembly First Committee. 

As a first-time attendee, Wong appreciated having support from Sammons and Grande, who have experienced multiple Model UN conferences and earned awards for their work. Their hard work and collaboration earned them the Position Paper Award, which honors participants' deep understanding of their respective countries’ diplomacy.

According to Grande, Sammons and Ballin, the experience was invaluable for both new and returning conference attendees. They specifically thanked Associate Professor of Political Science Tina Zappile (Model UN advisor and director of the William J. Hughes Center for Public Policy), the School of Social & Behavioral Sciences and Stockton’s Student Senate for making that experience possible.

“Through hours of debate, resolution drafting and cross-cultural collaboration, students not only developed practical skills in research, writing and public speaking but also formed lasting friendships and gained a new appreciation for the intricacies of international policymaking,” the group said in a statement. 

Zappile, who has served as an advisor for the program for over a decade, echoed their sentiments and described a rewarding experience seeing the students blossom in this club.

“The best part of advising this program is watching the small moments of transformation, where students develop new skills, apply their disciplinary expertise from their majors and other classes in a new setting and learn something about themselves along the way. They grow through this experience, and I'm always honored to witness that change," Zappile said.

Stockton’s Model UN team is already planning for future conferences, including summer’s Japan University English Model United Nations Conference in Kyoto through a partnership with the Lloyd D. Levenson Institute of Gaming, Hospitality and Tourism, and fall’s NMUN Conference in Washington, D.C., where they’ll represent the Islamic Republic of Pakistan. 

– Story by Loukaia Taylor

– Photos submitted 

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