From Nov. 21-23, hundreds of high school students from Australia, Canada, South Korea, Japan, the mainland, and across the Pacific gathered at the Marriott Resort in Waikiki for the fourteenth Pacific Model United Nations (PacMUN) conference.

The students spent the weekend acting as delegates by simulating real-world United Nations diplomacy. They debated policies, drafted resolutions, and delivered speeches on major global issues such as the protection of journalists and fighting antimicrobial resistance.

PacMUN featured four main committees, SOCHUM, WHO, UNFPII, and UNESCO, where students worked on solutions to given real-world problems. The conference also included four specialized agencies and three crisis committees, which simulated actual historical events for fast-paced decision-making.

Mallory Cochran, Kelsyn Stefanik, John English, Olivia Killian, Emma McNaughton, Errali Perez, Gregory Cachero, and Juan Perez, each participating in a given committee, represented real countries across the conference.

John English, who represented Ireland, stood out during the conference and won the Best Delegate award for his committee. For his outstanding performance, diplomacy, and collaboration with other delegates, he received both a gavel and a certificate as a reward.

In addition to John’s individual award, our school’s delegation earned the Outstanding Small Delegation award, which recognized the effort of our entire delegation throughout the conference.

With the closing of PacMUN XIV, it was abundantly clear that our school’s Model UN club had an impressive debut. In its first year, the club not only participated actively at the biggest conference in the state but also earned individual and group awards; this lays the foundation for continued growth and achievement for years to come.