ROCK HILL, SOUTH CAROLINA – The Winthrop University Model United Nations Program brought home several awards as students tested their global knowledge at a recent regional conference.
Fourteen Winthrop students competed against other collegiate delegates from 33 institutions at the 33rd Annual Southern Regional Model United Nations (SRMUN) Conference Nov. 17-19 in Atlanta, Georgia.
Political Science Professor Jennifer Disney called the participation in the United Nations program a transformative experience because it helps students understand other cultures, develop diplomatic skills, improve communications skills and think about global challenges from different perspectives.
Winthrop has a history of award-winning success at this conference, Disney said. “After having a storied past as Model UN award winners, we are thrilled to have this success so soon after COVID and in only my second year directing the program after the retirement of 25-year director Chris Van Aller,” said Disney, who is chair of the Department of Political Science.
Winthrop had eight out of 14 participating students win five awards across its three delegations: Ireland, Ukraine and Yemen.
Students find the Model UN class and competition to be very beneficial to their professional development. "Without the experiences I've had in this program since my first Winthrop conference as a high school delegate, I would never have chosen Winthrop, dreamt of pursuing law school, or felt equipped to organize and lead volunteers in my community. I am absolutely a better leader and future lawyer thanks to our Model United Nations classes,” said Jeremiah Williams, a junior political science major.
Stephen Magda, a senior individualized studies major, added: "SRMUN was an amazing experience because it felt like the culmination of all of the time and effort I put into participating in Model UN. Model UN has been indispensable in shaping me as a student and as a citizen. It has enhanced my written and verbal communication skills. It has improved my ability to problem-solve and make persuasive arguments. It has also given me the skills to cooperate with others as a team in doing all of those things and more. I have become more globally literate and gained awareness of the world around me, something from which everyone could benefit. I am grateful for everything that Model UN has given me, from the skills and knowledge to the friendships and memories. Model UN has been an excellent experience for me."
Next March, hundreds of high school students from the Carolinas will flock to Winthrop to participate in the university’s 47th Annual Model United Nations Conference. The college students who take the United Nations college course will coordinate and direct the March 29-31, 2023, conference.
The Winthrop students who won awards in Atlanta were:
Stephen Magda and Ryan Noblett, Ukraine (Best Delegate Award - GA Plenary)
Henry Waldrep, Ireland (Best Delegate Award - GA Plenary)
Jeremiah Williams, Yemen (Best Delegate Award for League of Arab States)
Marley Bassett, Phillip Byars, CeCe Haynes, Ella Miller and Jeremiah Williams,Yemen (Distinguished Delegation Award and Outstanding Position Paper Award)
For more information, contact Judy Longshaw, news and media services manager, at longshawj@winthrop.edu.
