They came, they saw, they won multiple awards.  But more than that, they shared, they engaged, they collaborated at the Yale Model United Nations Europe (YMUNE) conference in Rome. 

One of this year's International Education Program (IEP) trips during spring break started in Germany, with part of the group then moving on to Poland and the other students heading to Rome to participate in the Model UN event. 

“What stood out most was how much [the students] grew in just a few days, their confidence, their ability to work with students from around the world, and how they rose to the challenge,” said Model UN moderator Reem Aweida-Parsons, one of the teachers who accompanied the students on the trip. “... They represented Loomis incredibly well, with professionalism, creativity, and a level of diplomacy beyond their years.”  

Sophomore Vicky Jain won outstanding delegate representing Volumnia Gaul in the Hunger Games simulation. Senior Aster Conway-Reppert, representing Zimbabwe in the African Union, earned an honorable delegate award. Senior Rodrigo Castroparedes Cuevas and junior Aidan Dobsch, representing the Netherlands, each won honorable delegate designations in the Commission on the Status of Women. 

“My Model UN experience started last year, and it has been a lovely journey,” Vicky said.  

She said her role in the Hunger Games simulation was thrilling “because it has been one of my favorite book series since I was 10 years old. Being Dr. Volumnia Gaul in a Hunger Games crisis committee meant I was playing the antagonist. At first, it was nerve-wracking because I had to push ideas that nobody really agreed with, and I didn’t have many allies. But I actually loved it. Being the villain meant I could be bold, creative, and really get into the moment.” 

Crisis committees in Model UN have a fast-paced format that simulates the decision-making process of a specific body. That pace and unpredictability, said Vicky, “made it even more fun. This experience helped me grow so much in confidence and public speaking. I realized it wasn’t about winning awards or having everyone on my side — it was about making meaningful connections, pushing myself, having fun, and making the most of every moment.” 

Senior Shane Lischin enjoyed the experience, too. 

“Model UN conferences are always very diverse, but YMUNE is especially so,” Shane said. “Being with so many people from different countries was one of the most exciting parts of the experience. It created an environment where every conversation offered a new perspective, shaped by different cultures, political systems, and personal experiences. At the same time, it was striking to see how easily people could connect despite those differences, which made the whole weekend feel both international and deeply human.” 

Participants write blogs for these trips, which are part of the Alvord Center for Global & Environmental Studies. Shane’s entry reflected on the totality of the experience in Germany and Italy. 

“Over the course of this trip,” he wrote, “our days moved between very different worlds, from the heavy silence of Dachau and the moral reckoning of Nuremberg to the beauty of the Alps, the grandeur of the Vatican, and the energy of debate at Yale MUN Europe. What made the experience so meaningful was not just what we saw, but how each place asked something different of us: to remember, to question, to listen, to represent others, and to remain open to unfamiliar histories, cultures, and perspectives. We encountered the lasting scars of hatred and dictatorship, but also the enduring power of resistance, faith, justice, art, and human connection. We saw some of the most incredible sights in the world, truly unimaginable beauty. Along the way, we shared long days, difficult conversations, laughter, late dinners, new languages, and countless moments of discovery that brought us closer as a group.”