Students Participate in Model UN in D.C.

Seven University of the Ozarks students recently attended the National Model United Nations (NMUN) conference in Washington D.C.

Those students from U of O who attended were, Estefanía Bautsista Lopez, Maksym Maliutenko, Chandler Mullinax, Grace Price, Arely Saucedo, Keren Dona Vallecillo, and William Rivas Guillen. The group's advisor, Dr. Chris Sarver, assistant professor of political science, also attended the conference, which was held Nov. 8-10 in D.C.

Sarver said the U of O contingent represented the Arab Republic of Egypt in various UN committees throughout the conference.

"The students spent countless hours of research, writing, and practicing their public speaking and diplomatic skills in preparation for a very intense but educational experience," Sarver said. "I am very proud of all the time and effort they put into the experience."

Bautsista Lopez, a sophomore political science and communication studies major from Managua, Nicaragua, served as the head delegate for the Ozarks contingent.

"In each committee, we all applied our leadership and diplomacy skills to negotiate with other countries and find solutions to world problems that include environmental sustainability, immigration and refugees, weapon systems, etc.," Bautsista Lopez said. "We all had the opportunity to contribute to the debates by using our previous research on the topics and practice speeches that could impact positively to the debate and negotiation. As a head delegate, I believe that every member of our delegation did an outstanding job in each committee; everyone gave a lot of effort in every step of the preparation, and during the conference we stood out as a united delegation, with spirit of cordiality."

Bautsista Lopez said that since high school, she has had a passion for Model UN and debating.

"Attending the National Model United Nations in D.C. was a dream come true for me," she said. "NMUN impacted my life completely because I felt truly engaged in my role as a diplomat and a leader who has a desire to create change and justice by first listening to others' needs and then creating solutions that benefit everyone."

Bautsista Lopez said the most memorable part of the experience was "discovering my potential as a leader and improving my skills in areas such as listening, teamwork, public speaking, writing, and international relations knowledge."

"I will always be thankful for the people I met who came from different parts of the world and shared their knowledge," she said.

In addition to the conference, the group had an opportunity to explore some of the sights around Washington D.C.

Topics: Political Science