Manhattan College Shines During In-Person Model UN Conference

It was the first in-person National Model UN conference for Manhattan College. 

But the students in Manhattan College’s delegation overcame any nerves about attending a 700-person conference, and returned from Washington, D.C. with an honorable mention award and two awards for outstanding position papers.

“The students did an amazing job,” said Pamela Chasek, Ph.D., professor of political science and advisor to the Model UN team. “This was especially sweet since we haven't participated in an in-person conference in two years and only one person on the delegation had ever been to an in-person Model UN conference.”

Sixteen students formed the Manhattan College delegation that represented the People's Republic of China. Hailey Peña ’22 and Mia Brito-Karcher ’22 each won a position paper award in UN-Women, and Carolyn Allen ’23 and Shaelyn Poulin ’25 earned a position paper award in the UN Environment Assembly. 

The group also saw a familiar face in the nation’s capital: Kaylyn Atkins ’20, who served on the staff for the conference. Jacob Sarasin ’19 also has worked at the National Model UN staff in New York since 2020. 

The Manhattan College delegation included: 

Carolyn Allen ’23, political science and peace studies
Ben Bagbek ’22, political science and economics
Patrick Brady ’22, economics and finance
Mia Brito-Karcher ’22, international studies and environmental studies
Anna Burnett ’22, political science and psychology
Joseph DeMauro ’23, economics
Emma Gilibert, an exchange student from France
Kulangi Gunawardana ’25, international studies
Reese Hollister ’23, history and international studies,
Synne Iversen Kverndal ’24, international studies
Liola Moody ’22, political science and international studies
Hailey Peña ’22, international studies and sociology
Shaelyn Poulin ’25, political science
Kathryn Slotterback ’24, political science 
Maggie Tonns ’22, international studies and peace studies
Josh Whipple ’25, international studies and history