The TCU Model United Nations team recently went to Washington D.C. to compete in a national conference where students Christian Johnson and Kelsey Edwards won individual awards.

Johnson and Edwards were recognized for their representation of the Republic of Korea Security Council. The team of TCU students on the Korea delegation received Outstanding Delegation, the highest possible category for performance. In addition, Daniel Diaz and Maxine Pittman performed as head delegates for the team in D.C.

In order for the students to prepare for the conference outside of class, they met once a week and conducted research on their own time. The Washington D.C. conference does not give class credit for participation, but the New York conference in the spring does give class credit. The Model UN conference in New York is the largest in the world, attended by students from all over the world. By attending the conferences, the students enhance their negotiating, public speaking, and writing skills as delegates of member-states of the UN.

The TCU Model UN program is a product of Student Development Services and the Department of Political Science at TCU. This program opens students’ eyes to a more diverse perspective about issues around the world. Moving outside the classroom to apply their knowledge of political science in a real-world setting allows the students to gain experience unlike anything found in a textbook.