The Model United Nations Club, one of the over 100 student organizations at Willamette, trains students to think critically about the world around them and develop an understanding of perspectives different from their own. Model UN offers students experience collaborating across differences and crafting conclusions that balance competing perspectives. Throughout the process of drafting resolutions, students develop their analytical research, communication, critical thinking, and public speaking skills.
Last semester, Willamette’s Model UN Club hosted a regional conference with students from Willamette, Lewis & Clark College, and Western Oregon University – a major achievement for the recently-activated club that showcased students’ commitment to collaborative problem-solving on global issues.
In the club, students become delegates, each representing a country from around the globe and work to embody their country’s foreign policy positions on the world stage. Students cooperate with fellow delegates to formulate resolutions on sociopolitical issues, such as climate change, nuclear proliferation, and refugee assistance. Delegates take on the roles of members of the United Nations General Assembly, and collaborate with the ultimate goal of designing legislation for the United Nations to take into consideration. In serving as a representative for their specific country, delegates learn how to advocate for positions that may not align with their personal beliefs.
The student club and co-curricular class is advised by Associate Professor of Asian & International Studies Greg Felker of the International Studies Department and was re-founded by Keenan Yoshizawa BA’27, who dedicates himself to teaching his peers the inner-workings of preparing and debating resolutions.
After a hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Model UN was reactivated as a club in the Fall of 2024. Currently led by Katelyn Beissel Rosales BA’28, Model UN offers a space for students to learn the nuances of diplomatic relationships, while advocating for policies that consider cultural differences and opposing world views.
“Model UN was something I was introduced to when I came to Willamette, and I have cherished the people I have met and the skills I have built as a member of this organization,” Rosales said. “I see Model UN as a collaborative effort and it's inspiring to be put in the shoes of our own political leaders and work to make change with peers from across the Pacific Northwest.”
