D-E’s Model UN club had a successful trip to this year’s Yale Model UN (YMUN 2025) Conference, from Jan. 23-26—winning 13 individual awards and the award of Best Large Delegation!
“Our school was the most successful in the entire conference, reflecting the product of a semester of practice and honing individual delegates’ diplomatic skills”
YMUN is among the most prestigeous Model UN conferences, held on Yale’s campus in New Haven, CT, that brings together thousands of high school delegates from 40+ countries across the globe to simulate the work of the United Nations.
D-E was represented by 20 delegates that were subdivided into committees, including the Disarmament & International Security Committee (DISEC), Economic and Financial Committee (ECOFIN), and crisis committees such as Queen Elizabeth’s Court and Mongolian Empire. Two of our delegates share their experiences:
“Our school was the most successful in the entire conference, reflecting the product of a semester of practice and honing individual delegates’ diplomatic skills,” says Max Koppelman ’25. “The genuinely international community at Yale’s conference sets it apart from others we have been to. I had one delegate from the Philippines and one from Shanghai, China, in my committee. In larger assemblies, almost half of the bodies comprised international students. The quality of this conference was unmatched, with many chairs and administrators having years of Model UN experience that informed their decision-making and committee organization.”
“At conferences, you get to meet like-minded kids from all over the country and around the world—and these are connections you’ll have forever”
“At YMUN, I got to participate in my first ever crisis committee,” says Hayley Fuld ’26. “My experience in crisis—from making countless speeches every committee session to working on how to solve the current topic—has taught me so much about working with others and instilled a sense of confidence for how I can perform under pressure!”
Hayley adds that for students interested in current events, politics, and/or history, Model UN provides an outlet for them to voice their opinion and brainstorm solutions for real-world problems. “In addition, at conferences, you get to meet like-minded kids from all over the country and around the world—and these are connections you’ll have forever,” she says.
Max concludes, “Being part of D-E MUN is one of the most rewarding experiences at Dwight-Englewood and will undoubtedly be the memories I look back on with the most fondness. With almost complete student oversight, Model UN has become a culture within the school, attracting everyone interested in public speaking, diplomacy, and competition. As someone who lacks a sport in their schedule, leading the team as Secretary-General and competing in conferences more than satisfies my competitive nature and support for collegiality among team members. We like to say that once you attend a conference, you become a MUNer for the rest of your time at D-E, which certainly rings true.”
