Three Highlanders Win Awards at Yale Model UN

YMUN is one of the largest Model UN conferences in the country, drawing more than 1,800 high school students from all over the world who are at the top of their game. Over the course of four days, Gunn students participated in over 15 hours of committee sessions and competed in different locations across the Yale campus, noted Model UN Head Coach Ian Rathkey, who also teaches Mandarin and is an Assistant Coach for Varsity Cross Country. Yale students who chaired each of the conference’s 50 committees were tasked with determining who would win awards within their committees.

“It’s really hard to get an award for being a top delegate. Last year, we were really lucky to get one Best Delegate award, and this year we got three!” Rathkey said.

Kat Crea ’25 won a Best Delegate award, the equivalent of a gold medal, Rathkey said, representing the linguist Pablo Alexander on her “Ship… to Shore?” Crisis Committee.  In this simulation, Crea and her fellow Crisis Committee members were challenged to imagine they had washed up on the shore of an unknown island “with limited resources and individuals of varying characteristics, skills, and health statuses,” according to YMUN. They were challenged to use “creativity, diligence, and the spirit of cooperation to not only survive, but thrive … while stranded at sea.”

“Crisis Committees are usually considered the most advanced and difficult kinds of committees as students are able to influence the game via crisis notes that they submit to the chairs, who run the committees. So almost anything can happen!” Rathkey said. 

Ryan Ryu ’25, a seasoned MUN veteran, won an Outstanding Delegate award, the equivalent of a silver medal, representing Singapore on the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Regional Body. “Regional Bodies are usually medium-sized committees, but Ryan’s was very small and competitive, with around 20 delegates,” Rathkey noted. 

In this simulation, delegates were encouraged “to explore the implications of Timor-Leste’s integration into the ASEAN community, focusing on the economic, political, and social dimensions of this accession,” YMUN said, noting that the Southeast Asian country of Timor-Leste has sought to join ASEAN since it gained independence in 2002. Separately, Ryu and his counterparts were challenged to address “the ongoing conflict in Myanmar and the status of the military government as a full member of ASEAN.”

Heehu Kim ’27 won an Honorable Delegate award, similar to a bronze medal, representing Angola on her ECOFIN General Assembly committee. “General Assemblies are the largest type of committees, and Kim’s had about 80 delegates,” Rathkey said. They are also among the most intense committees, according to YMUN.

"Through our many committees, most of which have no more than 30 delegates, students will research historical disputes and conflicts, investigate humanitarian crises and responses, and work towards collaboration to solve the most pressing of current international issues,” according to Peilin Lu, Secretary-General for YMUN LI. “Delegates will pass dozens of resolutions that address a wide range of topics, developing leadership, empathy, and teamwork skills that are crucial in shaping our next generation of world leaders.”

In addition, delegates had the option to participate in one of YMUN’s most beloved and important traditions, Yale Day. They could attend lectures by distinguished Yale faculty, take tours of campus and Yale’s art gallery, and participate in workshops with Yale student groups. During the Opening Ceremony, they heard from this year’s keynote speaker, Raoul Nyenimigabo, a current Yale student who spent seven years in Congo as a refugee after his father, a political dissident, was assassinated in 2015. During his time in exile, Nyenimigabo served as a Refugee Youth Representative and worked with the Red Cross and United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees as a translator, bridging the gap between Kirundi-speaking refugees and French and German-speaking staff. 

Congratulations to all 20 students who represented Gunn at YMUN LI: Zhanibek Bekov ’26, Gigi Boucher ’25, Anni Chavez ’27, Steven Chen ’26, Kat Crea ’25, August Dong ’28, Jessica Heo ’28, Marley Kennedy ’25, Ahram Kim ’26, Heehu Kim ’27, Jennifer Kim ’26, Eva Kwon ’27, Chris Kwon ’27, Ruby Lesson ’25, Tamaki Nakane ’27, Ryan Ryu ’25, Elizabeth Tu ’25, Michael Wang ’27, Jason Yan ’28, and Max Yuan ’27.

The Model United Nations cocurricular program at The Frederick Gunn School practices diplomacy aimed at addressing relevant world issues through simulation. Students research world issues, craft and articulate a position on the issues, and collaborate with others to create resolutions. The goal is to practice diplomacy at Model UN conferences. Highlanders have competed in recent years at MUN conferences organized by Harvard, Georgetown, and Yale.

Photo of Gunn's Model UN team at YMUN LI (above) by Ian Rathkey; and below, courtesy of @thegunnmun on Instagram