Montana Model UN Announces Student Winners

MISSOULA – Many students earned awards during the 55th annual Montana Model United Nations Conference, hosted online Nov. 13 by the University of Montana. More than 130 students from nine Montana high schools participated.

The top five high school seniors – who will be offered $1,000 scholarships to attend UM – were Eva Bruce of Flathead High School in Kalispell, Fiona Marrow of Big Sky High School in Missoula, Amelia Hartshorn of Bozeman High School, Grace Johnson of Helena High School and Claire Vlases of Bozeman High School.

Each student wrote an outstanding position paper and actively and accurately represented his or her country during a day of debate on world issues.

At Model UN conferences, students represent countries from across the world. Like real-world diplomats, they participate in UN committees such as the General Assembly and Security Council. By writing, negotiating and voting on resolutions, students learn to examine international affairs from different perspectives and experience what it is like to cooperate in solving real-world problems.

Schools also won awards at the conclusion of the conference. The participating schools were divided into small and large delegations based on number of students attending the conference and judged on the overall preparedness, participation and excellence of their delegates.

The three school award categories include Outstanding School for the top 10%, Distinguished School for the top 20% and Honorable School for the top 30%.

The small-delegation school winner was Helena High School, advised by Lauren Gustaffson. The large delegation winner was Flathead High School, advised by Sean O’Donnell.

The top 20% of the teams representing countries and students who attended the conference also received awards, as did UM students who planned and staffed the conference.

For more information, visit the Montana Model UN website at https://hs.umt.edu/mun/.

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Contact: Karen Ruth Adams, political science professor, UM Department of Political Science, 406-214-5451, karen.adams@umontana.edu; Taylor Gregory, Montana Model UN secretary general internal, 406-207-7798, taylor1.gregory@umontana.edu; Zoe Savisky, MMUN secretary general external, 206-849-9719, zoe.savisky@umontana.edu. 

2020 Montana Model UN Awards

For awards criteria, see the MMUN Delegate page.

Delegate Awards

General Assembly First Committee

Honorable Delegates (Top 20%):

Distinguished Delegates (Top 10%):

Outstanding Delegates (Top 1-2%): 

General Assembly Second Committee

Honorable Delegates (Top 20%):

Distinguished Delegates (Top 10%):

Outstanding Delegates (Top 1-2%): 

United Nations Environment Assembly

Honorable Delegates (Top 20%):

Distinguished Delegates (Top 10%):

Outstanding Delegates (Top 1-2%): 

Honorable Delegates (Top 20%):

Distinguished Delegates (Top 10%):

Outstanding Delegates (Top 1-2%): 

Distinguished Delegate (Top 10%):

Outstanding Delegate (Top 1-2%): 

Position Paper Awards 

Honorable Position Papers (Top 20%)

From (school)            Representing               Student Name             Committee

Distinguished Position Papers (Top 10 %)

From (school)            Representing               Student Name                       

Outstanding Position Papers (Top 1-2%)

From (school)            Representing               Student Name                       

Top 25 Seniors

Top 5 (Scholarship Recipients)

From (school)             Representing               Student                                   Committee     

Remaining Top Seniors (Reserve Scholarship Recipients)

Country Awards

Honorable Country Delegations (top 20% of countries represented at the conference)

Country                                                                       Represented by (school)

Distinguished Country Delegations (top 10% of countries represented at the conference) 

Country                                                                       Represented by (school)

Outstanding Country Delegations (top 5% of countries represented at the conference)

Country                                                                       Represented by (school)

School Awards

Honorable Schools (top 30% of schools attending the conference)

                                                School                                     Adviser(s)

Small Delegation:                    None - Tied Distinguished

Large Delegations:                  Bozeman High School            Amy Wallner-Drake &
                                                                                                Jason Nagel

Distinguished Schools (top 20% of schools attending the conference)

                                                School (s)                                            Adviser(s)

Small Delegation:                    Columbia Falls High School               Jenny Lovering
                                                Big Sky High School                           Nicole Sarrazin-Strong &                                                                    Meleina Helmer                                 

Large Delegation:                    Hellgate High School                          Courtney Christopher &                                                                      Jeff Waniata

Outstanding Schools (top 10% of schools attending the conference)

                                                School                                                 Adviser(s)

Small Delegation:                    Helena High School                            Lauren Gustafson

Large Delegation:                   Flathead High School                         Sean O’Donnell

Staff Awards

Chair                                                   Student Name  _         Committee                             

Honorable mention:                            Taylor Curry                UNEA                         

Best Chair:                                          Shang Vang                UN Habitat

                                                            Nikolai Silvia               Security Council         

Vice Chair _                                        Student Name _          Committee     

Honorable mention:                            Vanessa Estrada        Security Council

Best Vice Chair:                                  Camryn Vaughn          UN Habitat

                                                            Cassandra Williams    GA-2

Rapp                                                   Student Name  _         Committee                 

Honorable mention:                            Canyon Lock              UNEA             

Best Rapp:                                          Tiffany McFarland        GA-2

                                                            Tyler Worm                 Security Council                                 

Expert _                                               Student Name _          Committee     

Honorable mention:                            Brandon Fulbrook           GA-1  

Best Expert:                                        Davis Graham           Security Council