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Model UN team members awarded at national meetup

The Model UN team poses at HMUN.
Model UN team members awarded at national meetup

Olivia Burgin, Orion Winnicki and Jose Susano Trujano were recognized at Harvard Model UN.

Three Beekmantown High School students were honored with awards at this year's Harvard Model United Nations conference, where they competed among 3,000 peers from all over the world. 

Olivia Burgin and Orion Winnicki were named Outstanding Delegates for their work representing Japan on the topics of Period Poverty and Menstrual Health. In a separate historical simulation of the Russian Revolution, Jose Susano Trujano earned an Honorable Mention for his role as Nikolai Nikolaevich.

Three students pose with award certificates.

“Winning an award at Harvard Model is like medalling in the Model UN Olympics,” said team advisor Hillary Sponable. “I am so proud of the hard work of all our delegates. The amount of time that goes into preparing for a conference is demanding. Students have to research their topics, as well as their country’s viewpoint on the topic. We are a tryout based team, so we have to fundraise every dollar to be able to go. The team raised over $6000 to be able to attend the Harvard Model UN in Boston. So we would also like to thank our sponsors”

The four-day conference, from Jan. 29 to Feb. 1 in downtown Boston, required participants to act as international decision-makers, debating current global issues and drafting practical policy solutions. Throughout the event, the Beekmantown delegation practiced skills in public speaking, negotiation, and collaborative problem-solving. Since the conference is attended by youth from all over the world, students were able to make connections and collaborate with students from other cultures and backgrounds, an experience that will stay with them throughout their educational careers.

This year was also special because Beekmantown alumni Ozzie Comer, who is a freshman at Harvard and participates in the collegiate Model UN team there, was helping run a committee at the conference. It was a full circle moment that showed the lasting impact of Model UN on students’ career paths.

In addition to HMUN, the Beekmantown Model UN program ran their own regional conference in October attended by over 300 delegates from the North Country and Vermont. The team also participated in Champlain Valley Model UN at SUNY Plattsburgh, and is looking forward to North Country Model UN, hosted by NCCS this week.