Want to become an award winning Model UNer? Check out these tips from 10 outstanding High School MUN Delegates who received High School Model United Nations Diplomatic Excellence Awards during the 2024-25 school year!
Sophia Barros, Santa Margarita Catholic High School, 2027
Awards won:
- Outstanding at Tustin MUN Adv.
- Research at BMUN UCLA Adv.
- Best Delegate and Research at Capo Valley Adv.
- Distinguished Delegate at Royal Russel MUN in London
- Outstanding and Research at Laguna Hills MUN adv.
- Best Delegate at SM’s SMIRC conference (within school)
Tip: The best MUNers are those who try to organize all the information and ideas, specifically paying attention to the special benefits each individual can provide to the group. By understanding the nature of the contributions, it is much easier to manage the conversation and be a successful leader who is efficient with their fellow delegates’ time.
Eva Chen, Fairmont schools, 2029
Awards won:
- Best delegate at ISPMUN
- Honorable mention NMUN
- Most improved delegate ISPMUN GENEVA
Tip: Be extroverted! Don’t be shy, everyone is there to learn! Be open minded! The resolution you walk in with, should not be the resolution you walk out with! Read the room! Look around, pay attention to alliances, dynamics, and tones! Be kind! Help a delegate who seems to be alone!
Yasmin Dominguez, Pembroke Pines Charter Highschool, 2027
Awards won:
- EAGLEMUN ‘25: Outstanding Delegate (2nd)
- BULLSMUN ‘25: Best Delegate (1st)
- (Virtual) GLOSUMMIT ‘26: Best Delegate (1st)
- GATORMUN ‘26: Outstanding Delegate (2nd)
- ACADAMUN ‘26: Best Delegate (1st)
- WEMUN ‘26: Outstanding Delegate (1st)
- MICSUN ‘26: Best Delegate (1st)
- FHSMUN ‘26: Outstanding Delegation as an Independent
- RAIDERMUN ‘26: Honorable Delegate
Tip: The best delegates aren’t the ones who speak the loudest or write the most, but the ones who build cooperation and work with others the best.
Sufee Kathane, Homestead High School, 2027
Awards won:
- Best Delegate at PANMUN
- Outstanding Delegate at GauchoMUN
- Outstanding Delegate at GMUNC
- Outstanding Delegate at EVMUN
- Verbal Commendation at SMUNC
Tip: If you’re in a large committee, build a group. It doesn’t have to just be by making an impressive opening speech; you can do so by being present in conversations in smaller groups, and more importantly, carving out space for those who are unable to speak otherwise. If you’re in a small committee, what you hear from others can be more important than what you say; so listen well, and repeat it back just as carefully. No matter where you are, MUN or otherwise, collaboration is a two-way street!
Elliot Levin, North Broward Preparatory School, 2029
School, 2026
Awards won:
- Outstanding Delegate at ArchiMUN
- Best Delegate at EagleMUN
- Best Position Paper at GatorMUN
- Verbal Commendation at MICSUN
Tip: One Model UN Tip that I would like to share is that it is always important to come prepared with extensive knowledge of the subject of your committee. When delegates know what they are giving speeches about and have articulate plans, they will go far and succeed.
Syra Mungara, Santa Margarita Catholic High School, 2028
Awards won:
- Outstanding at Huntington Beach Novice MUN
- Outstanding at Laguna Hills High School MUN
- Verbal Commendation at Gaucho MUN (UCSB)
- Outstanding at Capistrano Valley High School MUN
Tip: One tip I would give to the MUN community would be to make connections with all people because you never know when they will come in handy. Additionally, always make sure to speak and voice your ideas and opinions at any chance given.
Zahra Prasad, Arlington High School, 2027
Awards won:
- Honorable Mention at BosMUN (25-26)
- Best Delegate at LEXMUN (25-26)
- Diplomatic Commendation at ClarkMUN (25-26)
Tip: The key to mastering Model UN isn’t just having the most detailed research or knowing every niche intricacy of your topic – it’s how you use your knowledge. The thing that will set you apart from the other delegates is your gusto and initiative: your ability to speak with passion, constantly advocate for your ideas, be assertive, and collaborate with others. In order to succeed in Model UN, you must be willing to continuously place yourself into debate about the issue – don’t wait for the “perfect” moment to contribute!
Emory Ratzlaff, Santa Margarita Catholic High School, 2027
Awards won:
- Best Delegate at Edison MUN
- Best Delegate at CAPO MUN
- Outstanding at GloPo MUN
Tip: The best piece of advice that I could share is find your MUN niche. By that, I mean find the committees that interest you and make you want to learn and grow as a delegate. Once I found out that Crisis committees were what I was most successful at, I found myself much more interested and involved in committee, therefore leading to me winning more awards. It may take some trial and error, but once you find your niche, it makes MUN even more fun!
Rithika Saravanan, Meridian World School, 2028
Awards won:
- SICMUN 2024 Best Delegate
- MUNSA 2025 Distinguished Delegate
- HAMUN 2025 Best Delegate
- DBBMUN Online 2025 Best Delegate
- BDMUNC Honorable Delegate 2025
- Spring CTMUN 2025 Best Delegate
- Fall CTMUN 2025 Outstanding Delegate
- MUNSA 2026 Honorable Delegate
- Spring CTMUN 2026 Best Delegate
Tip: My biggest Model UN tip is to be confident, but don’t let that confidence turn into overpowering others. Model UN is about collaboration and helping everyone reach effective diplomacy, so making space for others is just as important as speaking up.
Julia Szmajda, Glenbrook South High School, 2028
Awards won:
- Honorable Mention at Stevenson (SHSMUN)
- Outstanding Delegate at Carl Sandburg (SMUNC)
- Honorable Mention at the University of Virginia Model UN (VAMUN)
Tip: Build ethos in your speeches by researching how the topics of discussion directly affect inhabitants of your nation and incorporate these stories as hooks for your speeches. This shows you have an understanding of the issues beyond numbers and statistics—you took time to examine the people behind those numbers.
Want to see the full list of students who received a High School Model UN Excellence Award during the 2025-2026 School year? Click here.
