This January, for the second year, the Monarchs participated in the YMCA Model United Nations Conference in Hershey, Pennsylvania. Students engaged in discussions about world issues and worked with their peers to create thoughtful resolutions based on their country's views. Two months prior to the conference, students received their assigned countries in order to have sufficient time for research. Club leaders Taleen McOmber '26, Maren Vaclavik' 26, and Grace Chizsar ’25 worked hard to ensure that members were prepared for the conference as well as confident in their abilities.
The conference was a three-day event where students debated for five to six hours at a time, beginning early in the morning and ending late at night. Although Trinity Hall was one of the smaller delegations, they still took many awards home. The Monarchs excelled and earned numerous awards as a result of their evident diligence. Trinity Hall was recognized as an Outstanding Delegation for 2025, and Sydney Buchanan ‘27, Lucinda Haney ‘28, Bianca Scadino ‘28, and Grace Smith ‘27 were named Premiere First-Year Delegates. Additionally, Katherine Yehl ‘27 earned Outstanding Country, representing Indonesia. Taleen McOmber ‘26 and Grace Smith ‘27 were chosen to represent Trinity Hall at the Conference of National Affairs (CONA) this summer.
Furthermore, McOmber had the honor of being selected as Committee Chair for the 2026 conference. She states, “It was incredibly rewarding to have people approach me during the conference and share how they initially thought they'd dislike Model United Nations, only to find that they loved it. I’m so proud of our delegation and excited to see what we’ll accomplish at next year’s conference. I’m also committed to representing Trinity Hall as an officer next year and at CONA this summer.”
Although awards are a gratifying aspect of the conference, the strong relationships Trinity students made along the way were the most rewarding. The conference allowed the Monarchs to form new connections with students from multiple states, while also strengthening bonds with their fellow club members and classmates. The Trinity Hall Delegation is already preparing for the 2026 conference; the community cannot wait to see what the Monarchs will accomplish next year!