Colonial Middle School delegates shine at Junior Model United Nations Conference

At the recent Junior Model United Nations Conference hosted by the World Affairs Council of Philadelphia, delegates from more than a dozen countries came together to debate and develop resolutions that focused on reducing gender inequality and promoting peaceful societies.

Representing China and El Salvador, the Colonial Middle School delegations were recognized for their outstanding performances—earning the most awards of the day.

Leading up to the event, the students engaged in weeks of preparation—researching global issues, learning about the cultural and political perspectives of their assigned countries, and anticipating how other delegations would respond.

For eighth grader Claire Stephens, the experience wasn’t just about the outcome; it was about the process. She explained how acting as a delegate taught her the importance of diplomacy, collaboration, and adapting in real-time—especially as she argued for China’s stance on gender roles.

“I learned a lot of collaboration skills from this, because there were, of course, people who didn’t agree with me,” she said. “I learned how to interact with people and voice my opinion, but also give grace to them to voice what they wanted to do.”

Fellow CMS eighth grader Oliver Nasitir, also part of the China delegation, found the open floor discussions and real-time voting process to be a highlight. “What shocked me was that it was kind of an open mic. You’d raise your country’s placard, and then you’d have the floor to speak on whatever issues that concern you regarding the resolutions. It was fun.”

In addition to the full meetings, the conference also included smaller caucuses, where the CMS delegates worked hard to develop relationships with other countries, create alliances, and figure out how to gain support from the delegations that didn’t agree with their amendments.

“I liked seeing other people’s points of view and then making a counterargument to them,” said Claire. “I was trying to get what my country would want, but I was also working with the other countries to figure out how the resolution could best make everybody somewhat happy.”

Teacher Carla Pacitti, who helped guide the students through the preparation, emphasized how seriously the group took their roles. “Seeing kids be presented with a challenge that is meaningful and relevant and has a direct application to the outside world—and then seeing them rise to that challenge—is really exciting and rewarding for me,” she said. “They all did such a nice job. I’m really proud of them.”

CMS award winners:

Team awards:

Outstanding Student Delegation, Building Peaceful and Inclusive Societies:
- Joseph De Guzman, Oliver Nasatir, Albert Wu (representing China)
Outstanding Student Delegation, Building Peaceful and Inclusive Societies:
- Avery Fritts, Jordan Paul, Luke Olszyk (representing El Salvador)
Honorable Mention, Outstanding Student Delegation, Building Peaceful and Inclusive Societies:
- Avi Anand and Siva Kathirvel (representing El Salvador)
Honorable Mention, Outstanding Student Delegation, Achieving Gender Equality for All:
- Sadie Swetkowski and Lexi Strom (representing El Salvador)

Individual awards:

Outstanding Student Delegate:
- Claire Stephens (representing China, Achieving Gender Equality for All)
- Oliver Nasatir (representing China, Building Peaceful and Inclusive Societies)
Honorable Mention, Outstanding Student Delegate:
- Zoe McCaffrey (representing China, Achieving Gender Equality for All)

In addition, the following students had their resolutions selected for presentation and defense at the conference:

Joseph De Guzman, Oliver Nasatir, and Albert Wu (representing China)
Sadie Swetkowski and Lexi Strom (representing El Salvador)
Avery Fritts, Jordan Paul, and Luke Olszyk (representing El Salvador)
Jamieson Wholey and Andrew Zhong (representing El Salvador)

For Colonial Middle School’s student delegates, the Junior Model UN was more than just a competition; it was a meaningful opportunity to think globally, act diplomatically, and grow as leaders and communicators.