Lone Star College students shine at National Model United Nations conference

HOUSTON, TX -- Students from The Honors College at Lone Star College once again received top honors at the National Model United Nations (NMUN) conference recently held in New York. NMUN, the world's largest and oldest ongoing university-level Model U.N., annually draws participants from more than 130 U.N. Member States to address current global issues.

“This achievement is a testament to the hard work these students and their professors do to achieve this level of success,” said Dwight L. Smith, III, Ed.D., LSC vice chancellor, Academic and Workforce Success. “These opportunities allow Lone Star College students to have a much stronger voice in international affairs.”

LSC students received two Outstanding Delegation Awards, representing the Philippines and Survival International. NMUN established Awards Criteria to evaluate delegate performance based on active engagement in committee, professionalism and diplomatic values and proper use of the Rules of Procedure.

In addition to receiving two Outstanding Delegations, LSC Honors College students were also recognized as Outstanding Delegates in the following committees…

United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization:

• Gwendolyn Crain, LSC-Tomball
• Bryant Hernandez, LSC-North Harris
• Nathaniel Victoriano, LSC-University Park
• Tung (TJ) Vo, LSC-Houston North

Peacebuilding Committee:

• Maris Bouché, LSC-Montgomery
• Alexis Lopez, LSC-Tomball

Commission on the Status of Women:

• Danna Munguia Ayarzagoitia, LSC-Tomball
• Yaritzha Veloz Botello, LSC-Tomball

Outstanding Position Paper in Committee:

• Dia Arakkal, LSC-Montgomery
• Mia Pierson, LSC-Montgomery

The theme for this year’s conference was “Global Solutions Through Diplomacy.” Students were challenged to incorporate it into their solutions for the future and showcase what they can do. NMUN participants take on new roles and work across and between cultures to understand other viewpoints, even those with which they may personally disagree.

“Thank you for taking part in the Model United Nations and for believing in the power of global cooperation to solve global problems,” said António Guterres, United Nations Secretary-General in a prepared statement. “Our world needs your engagement and ideas more than ever.”

Other colleges attending the conference included Florida Atlantic University, the Université du Québec à Montréal, Loyola University, Rutgers University, The Hague University of Applied Sciences, Texas Christian University and West Virginia University.

“The Honors College at Lone Star College is designed for high-achieving students seeking to improve their college transcripts and transferability with challenging coursework,” said Katharine Caruso, Ph.D., LSC associate vice chancellor, Honors and International Education. “Lone Star College is proud to provide these once-in-a-lifetime opportunities for our students.”

Visit LoneStar.edu/HonorsCollege to learn more about the opportunities to travel, attend off-campus educational and cultural events, perform service-learning opportunities and participate in conferences and special seminars.

The National Model United Nations advances understanding of the U.N. and contemporary international issues and has positively impacted the lives of thousands of student delegates. The Outstanding Delegation award is based on the delegation's ability to represent the positions of their assigned country, participate actively in committees and follow the proper rules of procedure for diplomatic exchange.