Model UN Wins Individual and Team Awards at Oxford University

Monmouth University's Model United Nations (UN) team recently earned four individual awards and an overall team award at the 2025 Oxford International Model UN Conference (OxIMUN) hosted by Oxford University.

The delegation of Anthony Tesoriero, Warda Chowdhury, Chris Feliks, Juli Casey, Giavanna Cangialosi, and Eleanor Parks-Orr received the Highly Commended Delegation Award, placing among the top two universities overall. In addition, Tesoriero, Chowdhury, Feliks, and Casey each earned individual speaker awards for their performances.

"Monmouth students went toe to toe with some of the best students in the world and delivered a brilliant performance … The history and prestige of Oxford University was truly breathtaking and contributed to the ambiance of high-level intellectual discussion and success. To have been able to participate in a place where some of the greatest minds in history taught and learned was a surreal experience. It was truly an honor to lead such an ambitious and high-performing group of individuals," Tesoriero, head delegate of the Monmouth team, said.

Monmouth was the only United States institution represented at the conference, competing against universities from across Europe and the United Kingdom. Throughout the three-day conference, students delivered formal speeches, collaborated on the writing of UN policy resolutions, and participated in group negotiations with their peers.

Delegates also took part in thematic committees hosted by individual colleges of Oxford-Christ Church, Jesus College, Balliol College, and Pembroke College-and attended evening social events around the city, including a black-tie dinner at St. Anne's College.

The Model UN Team extended special thanks to President Patrick F. Leahyfor championing the club and encouraging its pursuit of high-level academic competition; Vice President for Student Life James Pillar for providing the resources that make these transformative experiences possible; the Political Science faculty for dedicating their time and expertise to preparing students for these rigorous academic competitions; and Wendy Harris, coordinator for the Department of Political Science and Sociology, for managing travel logistics, visa arrangements, and other documentation required for Monmouth University students participating in international travel.

Building on the success at OxIMUN, the Monmouth Model UN team will next compete at the National Model UN Conference in Washington, D.C., representing the University with a delegation of 32 students. The team is also set to attend four additional conferences in the spring semester at Harvard University, University College London, Rider University, and University of Zurich.