By Gabriel Nochera

The United Nations is the largest intergovernmental organization on the planet, and its goal is to address global issues of today and work towards world peace. Model United Nations is a nationwide club which helps students learn to develop skills needed in tackling the problems of today and working towards peace worldwide. Ponte Vedra High School (PVHS)’s Model United Nations or MUN, is proudly co-run this year by seniors, Aiden Killian and Star Binyamin. 

Aiden has been co-president for two years now and according to him has, “been wanting to join Model United Nations since I was well in elementary school.” For students like Aiden this club is a great opportunity to be able to develop public speaking skills and interact with peers who have similar interests in politics, history, government and much more. Aiden adds, “I was super interested in world affairs, but I wasn’t as knowledgeable about it as I thought I was, but as soon as I came to Model UN this entire world opened up to me about everything that I could learn and everything I could do.” 

  The skills students develop and acquire over the course of club membership is invaluable according to both co-presidents. Star, who is starting her first year as co-president of the club states, “I don’t think there’s anything you can do with your life where poli-sci [political science] isn’t relevant if I am being honest.”  Political science, which is sometimes referred to as poli-sci, is defined by Merriam-Webster as “a social science concerned chiefly with the description and analysis of political and especially governmental institutions and processes.” Every-day understanding of how societal systems work is a much-needed life skill that is expressed in MUN through nearly every activity and event they host.  

MUN offers many opportunities to grow and learn as a person. The club has a partnership with the University of North Florida’s World Affairs chapter in which students may sign up to speak and listen to world leaders, from various roles in government and society. People who are among the world’s most influential speak at these events, from leaders in the development of Artificial intelligence, to world leaders such as the former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom Boris Johnson, and the former president of Mexico Ernesto Zedillo, to name a few. Star comments, “truly no matter what you’re interested in, there is something that applies to you.”  World Affairs meeting are on a variety of topics ranging from peace in the middle east to the future of artificial intelligence and are always done over a hot meal buffet. This year, influential speakers from across the nation will inform and engage students on current events, featuring distinguished leaders in foreign policy such as William J. Burns, former Director of the CIA, and Ambassador John Sullivan, who served as U.S. Ambassador to the Russian Federation and Deputy Secretary of State. Also joining the lineup is Jen Easterly, a top authority in cybersecurity. Aiden adds that, “we always get to have very intimate, very personal conversations with them [the speakers] where there is always time for questions.” These conversations allow students to explore what they may be interested in and talk to leaders within these groups.  

Model UN hosts and participates in many events. Every year in January MUN participates in a statewide tournament at the University of Florida called Gator MUN, with last year around 42 students participating and competing in this event; and a national trivia competition called Academic WorldQuest. In both tournaments students from the PVHS MUN have walked away with distinctions and awards in the past. PVHS MUN also hosts once a month Richard Reiter, a professor from the University of North Florida, he is a lecturer who has served in the US State Department in senior officer positions and been appointed as Vice President of Joe Biden’s national security team during the Biden administration and worked in other advisory positions. Model UN serves to connect and learn in a hands-on way that is both unique and interesting.  

For many students, being a part of Model UN is a good addition to a college application. According to communityliteracy.org, “Model UN looks great on your high school resume and college applications. If you’re a delegate, you may have won a few awards, which show off your ability to communicate well in writing, compromise with others, and speak eloquently.” For seniors, juniors or ambitious underclassmen, MUN may serve to demonstrate student’s skills and forge a compelling narrative to convince colleges.  

Pictured: Star Binyamin (12) and Aiden Killian (12) holding UN flag