Ramapo’s Model United Nations already has their first conference in the books for their 2025-2026 season. POMUN III, organized by Conference Chairs Luke D’Altilio, Finn McCarthy, Leia Gomez, Maddie Kincel, Jasper Ho, Irdas Shehu, Julia Coppo, and Mia Narula, was attended by both Ramapo and Indian Hills students and was very successful. Model UN Advisor, Mr. Verdon, reflected, “I am very proud of the way our students carried themselves throughout the entire event. Their professionalism in committee, their enthusiasm during debate, and the sense of camaraderie they built with one another truly defined the spirit of POMUN III.”
The United Nations is divided into committees and agencies, and three of them are portrayed at POMUN: the World Health Organization (WHO), the Disarmament and International Security Committee (DISEC), and the Social, Humanitarian, and Cultural Committee (SOCHUM). Each delegation gave out awards; the WHO Best Delegate was presented to Andrew Fox (Philippines) and the WHO Outstanding Delegate was awarded to Murad Avanesyan (Panama). Likewise, Jacob Lee (South Korea) won the DISEC Best Delegate and Natalie Bohchalian (Greece) won DISEC Outstanding Delegate. In addition, the SOCHUM Best Delegate was won by Sofia Pavoni and Sophia Baez (United States) and the SOCHUM Outstanding Delegate was won by Lily Lohman and Sabrina Moroz (United Kingdom). Finally, Gavin Levine (Belgium) and Ava L’Heureux (Sweden) were recognized for the best position papers.
The delegates thrived due to their immense amount of preparation and dedication, as well as their strong collaboration with their peers. Perhaps more importantly, however, was their supportive environment. DISEC Outstanding Delegate Natalie Bohchalian explained, “The motivation and dedication of my peers played a crucial role in my success. Being surrounded by driven, hardworking individuals inspired me to stay focused and persevere throughout the conference.” Each delegate has put in an extraordinary amount of work into their position, and the POMUN III Conference was a celebration of their accomplishments. Mr. Verdon added, “Watching Ramapo delegates rise to that challenge – finding their voice, building coalitions, and making their mark in committees filled with talented competitors – is always one of the most rewarding parts of the year.”
Now, the students are preparing for AMUN at Bergen County Academies in February, which will be attended by hundreds of delegates from all over North Jersey. “I believe this will challenge me in a positive way, and push me to improve,” Natalie Bohchalian commented. “I am eager to meet new people and hear different perspectives on our topic, and it will be a great opportunity to grow as a delegate and see how I perform in a more high pressure setting.”
Undoubtedly, the delegates will continue to uplift and support one another as they debate global matters, while also continuing to work towards success at their next conference.
