Five Lone Star College-CyFair students were part of an LSC Honors team with LSC-Montgomery, LSC-North Harris and LSC-University Park recognized as a Distinguished Delegation, representing South Africa, at this year’s virtual National Model United Nations (NMUN) conference.
LSC-CyFair student diplomats included Marcelo Carrizales and Alberto Mata, who both received Outstanding Peer Delegate awards, as well as Ashley Guerrero serving as campus team lead, Omama Ahmed and Fatima Shamim.
“We are impressed with how our students handled the challenges of preparing for the conference and then competing against teams worldwide, all in a virtual setting,” said LSC-CyFair President Dr. Seelpa Keshvala. “Their perseverance and teamwork led to great national success and we are very proud of them.”
These students said they took away more than national recognition from their conference participation.
“I really got out of my comfort zone. I learned so much about cultures, negotiations, public speaking, research, leadership and interpersonal skills I know I will use forever,” said Guerrero who is interested in a mechanical engineering career. “I developed such an appreciation for the United Nations and their efforts to make the world a better place for everyone. This program has really opened my eyes and I hope to give back to UN committees that have impacted me.”
Shamim, whose goal is a career in global politics, said the conference solidified her desire to be part of the United Nations and continue majoring in Political Science.
“The experience itself rekindled my desire to be part of international politics … The connections I built, the frequent moments of public speaking, and the engagement with my delegation were enough to remind me why I love my major,” she said.
Both on the path to medical school, Carrizales plans to pursue a forensic pathology residency while Ahmed aspires to be a general pediatric surgeon.
“This (NMUN) experience has allowed me to develop a better conscience about what it means to help others,” said Carrizales. “I have developed better speaking skills, networking skills, persuasive writing skills and confidence, which will help me when doing research, and presentations in front of my peers. I have also been given another motivator to keep striving toward entering the medical field.”
Ahmed said being part of a team that put an immense amount of effort into the conference, along with her LSC-CyFair experience learning to make meaningful connections with peers and mentors, has created a strong foundation and motivation for academic success.
Mata, who plans to double major in his passions for cinematography and history, said one of his conference take-aways - was that he learned about trust, forming alliances and potential rivals - “to be always prepared and stick to that rule as a doctrine.”
LSC’s South Africa delegation also earned five position paper awards and a third Outstanding Delegate award. The LSC delegation representing Doctors Without Borders with students from LSC-Kingwood and LSC-Tomball was recognized as a Top Outstanding Delegation and received four Best Paper awards and four Best in Committee awards.
These awards are a significant achievement as LSC’s delegations were competing with hundreds of teams, (primarily juniors, seniors, and graduate students) from around the world including American University in Cairo, St. Petersburg College, the University of Münster and numerous state universities.
To get involved with NMUN this fall, go to LoneStar.edu/ModelUN. LSC-CyFair is also currently registering for summer or fall sessions at LoneStar.edu/registration.