Skip To Main Content

Logo Image

Upper St. Clair School District

Logo Title

USCHS students earn top finishes at Model UN

Model UN

Oct. 31, 2023

USCHS students earn top finishes at Model UN

Model UN
Upper St. Clair High School garnered seven top finishes at the Model UN high school conference, sponsored by the University of Pittsburgh. The PittMUN High School Conference 2023 was held on Tuesday, Oct. 24, 2023, on Pitt’s campus in Oakland.

USCHS took home the following awards:

First Place/Best Delegate

  • Representing China, Syrian Civil War: Isabel Vilensky

Second Place

  • Hellenic Parliament – Position Paper: Roshan Mishra

Third Place

  • Overall Delegation – Representing Equatorial Guinea: Max Biedrzycki, Prachi Chetlur, Anoushka Barve, Pritika Gupta, & Kaia Petrick
  • Economic and Financial Committee (ECOFIN) – Representing China: Shiven Verma & Ian Putorti
  • Social, Humanitarian, and Cultural Issues (SOCHUM) – Representing Equatorial Guinea: Anoushka Barve & Pritika Gupta
  • Space Regulation – Position Paper: Rohan Mehta
  • U.S. National Security Council – Position Paper: Will Whitman

USCHS's Model UN team includes 20 students across grades 9-12. Each researched and wrote a position paper prior to the conference to reflect their delegation’s views on the committee topics.

“Our USCHS MUN team had its best showing ever at Pitt's annual MUN simulation,” Thomas Yochum, gifted education teacher, said.

The Upper St. Clair High School team is led by its four captains: juniors Jamie Barrett, Anna Engelman and Isabel Vilensky, and sophomore Anoushka Barve.

“These girls were instrumental in preparing our team and helping new members achieve success at their first conference,” Mr. Yochum said. “The USCMUN team has grown exponentially in recent years. I'm proud of each student's commitment to the rigor of conference preparation and a dedication to learning about current and historical global issues.”

In total, more than 400 students from throughout the region participated in the Model UN High School Conference. 

Model UN, a simulation of the sessions of the United Nations, provides an opportunity for high school students to apply their studies to real-world contexts and practice diplomacy, negotiating and resolution writing.