ĢAV Model UN Team Earns Major Accolades at Washington, D.C. Conference
ĢAV's Model UN team pose with their advisor Professor Michiko Kuroda at the Washington DC conference.
ĢAV’s Model United Nations team returned from the National Model United Nations Conference in Washington, D.C. with major accolades, earning both a Distinguished Delegation Award and an Outstanding Delegate Award for their performance during the conference held November 7–9.
The conference drew roughly 800 students from more than 80 universities and academic institutions across the United States and abroad, including a delegation from Kenya. Mercy’s results mark a new milestone for the program.
“This is a new achievement for us,” said Michiko Kuroda, faculty advisor to the MU MUN Team. “Receiving an award means the performance is in the top 10 percent of participating students. It indicates that our students performed very well. These awards were a wonderful honor for the team and very rewarding.”
Professor Kuroda added that the Outstanding Delegate Award, received in the Security Council Committee, was an unexpected highlight: “Usually, we do not even try to get it, because it is difficult to obtain. It demonstrates how diligently our students worked.”
Ten ĢAV students attended the conference, representing Sierra Leone. According to Professor Kuroda, the group approached the event with discipline, motivation and a commitment to high-level performance. “Mercy students always excel in the conference,” she said. “They strive so hard to achieve their goal. It’s inspiring to watch them act that way.”
Beyond awards, Professor Kuroda emphasized the transformative nature of Model UN. “What our students gain goes beyond the United Nations or international affairs. It is about developing skills and learning how to navigate life. Knowledge alone is not enough—diplomats must perform. Our students improve their performance and life skills with every conference experience.”
Students echoed those sentiments, calling the conference a formative, confidence-building experience.
Matthew Viskewich, head delegate, described the experience as “life-changing,” noting weeks of research, position-paper writing, mock debates, and public-speaking workshops that went into preparation. “Seeing that hard work translate into success was incredibly rewarding,” he said. Matthew and his partner earned the Outstanding Delegate Award in the Security Council—an honor voted on by fellow delegates.
“As head delegate, I am incredibly proud of how much our students have grown,” he added. “Winning this award places our university among the top-performing schools at the conference.”
Student delegate Evangelos Flokos said joining MUN was “one of the greatest decisions I have ever made,” highlighting the sense of belonging he felt in committee sessions. “Winning the Distinguished Delegation Award in my first conference made me incredibly proud,” he said. “Model UN offers a level of growth that no single course can give you.”
Biology major Diya John credited the team’s success to perseverance: “Balancing classes, extracurriculars and preparing all semester was not easy, but we pushed through multiple obstacles. This experience reinforced my belief that progress can only be achieved through teamwork and adaptability.”
For Journey Simon-Greenaway, meeting peers from around the world was among the most memorable aspects. Her Security Council committee won the Outstanding Delegation Award. “Matthew and I worked really hard, and it's always nice to see our efforts recognized by other delegates,” she said.
With the Washington conference behind them, MU’s MUN team is already looking ahead. Students have begun preparing for the next major event, the spring Model UN conference in New York City with high hopes.