Model UN Competitors Earn Gavel

Caroline Ko of Hoboken and Natalie Yoo of Englewood Cliffs added another gavel to the Academy of the Holy Angels’ growing collection of Model United Nations awards. Yoo, a seasoned competitor, and Ko, a first-time participant, teamed up to win Best Delegate (first place) for representing Turkey at the Bergen Academies Model UN meet.

There was plenty of competition at this well-attended event, which included committees of 30 to 90 members. Delegations met in Hackensack February 1 and 2.

“Natalie and Caroline did an excellent job representing Turkey on the Social, Humanitarian, and Cultural Issues Committee,” AHA MUN Moderator Jennifer Cucchisi reported. “Both students are on our executive board. Natalie is one of our senior co-presidents and Caroline is one of our junior vice presidents. While Natalie has participated in several conferences, this was Caroline’s first conference. I am proud of both delegates for their hard work and perseverance.

“I am truly so proud of all of our delegates who attended Bergen Academies Model UN,” Cucchisi added. “In addition to Natalie and Caroline, Lilianna, Cara, Carina, Victoria, and Taylor worked hard preparing for, and during, the conference and they were able to get things done in their committees.”

AHA’s full delegation included Ko, Yoo, Victoria Perez Vega of Cliffside Park, Carina Ardizzone of Englewood, Taylor Glynn of Hoboken, Lilianna Garber of Mahwah, and Cara Boyce of Old Tappan.

AHA represented Turkey, Sweden, and Ukraine. Angels served on the Disarmament and International Security Committee, the Commission on the Status of Women, and the Social, Humanitarian, and Cultural Issues Committee.

“Model UN has helped me become more vocal and confident, but I’ve concurrently developed a passion for global politics,” Yoo shared. “Model UN has allowed me to develop opinions on issues that are deeply humanitarian and, I believe, significant to understand.”

Asked if Yoo had a peer mentor, she said, “Caroline Dupas, who graduated last year, was especially inspirational to me. She was pretty much the personification of a UN delegate. Now, as a senior…many of the new delegates also inspire me to continue working hard and learning.”

In addition to developing her public speaking, leadership, and research skills, Yoo said MUN has allowed her to learn about diplomacy and resilience. She noted that conferences can get very hectic, and it’s important to maintain one’s patience and integrity.

Yoo described Ko as “the best partner I could have asked for!” She added, “I’d love to give notice to Ms. Cucchisi who gave so much encouragement to all of us throughout the two-day conference. And I’d like to recognize all of the delegates — Taylor, Cara, Lilliana, Carina, and Victoria — who worked super hard over the two days.”

Ko joined Model UN as a ninth grader because she was interested in learning what it was about. Yoo was instrumental in helping Ko navigate her way from a brand new MUN member right up to her first gavel.

“(Yoo has) been the best instructor of the processes and intricacies of Model UN,” Ko said. “Natalie has been so patient and helpful when dealing with me. She is one of the best speakers and Model UN members I’ve ever seen. I have learned so many new skills, such as how to speak more intelligently impromptu, how to navigate the processes in MUN, and diplomacy among fellow delegates.”

Asked about her expectations at the latest competition, Ko said, “I was prepared to treat this conference as more experimental to learn strategies and skills from others because it was my first. As we reached the end of the second day, Natalie and I dealt with a fun and hectic committee and I could tell the chairs were impressed with Natalie’s organizational and people skills. After our paper passed, I had the feeling that we had a serious chance of winning an award, but I could have never guessed we would be given such an honorable one.”

Founded by the School Sisters of Notre Dame in 1879, the Academy of the Holy Angels is the oldest private girls’ school in Bergen County. While AHA is steeped in Catholic tradition, this prestigious school serves young women from many cultural and religious backgrounds. AHA’s current leaders continue to further the SSND mission to provide each student with the tools she needs to reach the fullness of her potential—spiritually, intellectually, socially, and physically, by offering a first-rate education in a nurturing environment where equal importance is placed on academic excellence, character development, moral integrity, and service to others. Visit https://holyangels.org/ for more information.