Keeping up the tradition, Maggie Walker’s Model UN club successfully claimed another title at a college-level conference, once again winning a delegation award. The Virginia Tech Model United Nations Conference (VTMUNC) hosted its first iteration this year, featuring a plethora of committees ranging from the Commission of the Status of Women to Trouble in Barbie Land. In total, the conference hosted 13 committees, each with its own unique topics that made participation in debate compelling and energizing. As a school, Maggie Walker won Outstanding Large Delegation for their performance at VTMUNC. Additionally, several Maggie Walker students received awards at this prestigious college level event, with Verbal Commendations awarded to RJ Matos (‘26) and Ethan Roerink (‘26). Honorable Mentions were awarded to Chris Qian (‘27), Kushal Gowda (‘25), Priya Kumar (‘27), Imran Ali Rassiwalla (‘24), and Alex Le (‘26), and Outstanding Delegate awards were awarded to Aditya Badhrayan (‘25) and Alex Percey (‘24). Additionally, the Best Delegate award went to Sonia Chornodolsky (‘25), Sriyutha Morishetty (‘25), and Winston Crane (‘25).  Whether or not MLWGS delegates received awards, all of them showcased amazing debate and diplomacy skills within their respective committees. 

Parth Tornekar (‘24), one of the Maggie Walker delegates who participated in the President’s Ad-Hoc Committee, which encompassed the topic of stealing the Mona Lisa while it was in transit from the Louvre to New York, highlighted how his favorite part of VTMUNC was “being able to bond with the underclassmen”. Tornekar also mentioned how he saw himself as “more of a mentor figure instead of a competitor.” On the other hand, Qian, who was in the World Health Organization Committee representing Nigeria, said that his favorite part of VTMUNC was “winning” and stated the importance of “internalizing feedback and applying it in a practical manner.”

“I was blown away by how well-managed it was,” said Shreesh Kalagi (‘24). Chornodolsky similarly appreciated the “heightened level of competence within the leadership” and greater organization and administration of a collegiate-level Model UN conference. Thomas Short (‘26), who represented Turkey in the Suez Crisis Committee, shared similar sentiments to Chornodolsky. He believed VTMUNC had better and more impressive chairs who were “very professional and knowledgeable” compared to the chairs of local conferences.  His favorite part of VTMUNC was being able to “hang out with [his] friends and getting food with them.” He also enjoyed walking around Virginia Tech because of its “big and beautiful campus.” Similarly, Roerink mentioned how he enjoyed “getting to spend time with a lot of [his] friends from the MUN club.”

Sonia Chornodolsky was a delegate in the Ad Hoc committee, where each member played a different role, and Chornodolsky was ‘Sky High Sarah,’ a former Air Force pilot and current United Airlines pilot. She enjoyed “the difficulty of Ad Hoc at VTMUNC” and liked competing against formidable peers. “I’m [told] that I have a very expressive face and style of speech,” said Chornodolsky. She believed this aided in her success at winning Best Delegate for her committee. She also believes that she is able to express herself in a way that “is thorough and nuanced to my character and myself, which helps me stand out as a delegate.” 

The Maggie Walker delegation has several characteristics which its members believe led the delegation to victory at VTMUNC. “Our community and our level of support for each other stand out from other high schools in our area,” said Chornodolsky.  Kalagi believes that Maggie Walker’s emphasis on “individual creativity” also leads to Maggie Walker’s high performance at Model UN conferences in general. “We enjoy taking many underclassmen who can learn and grow from the experience, rather than holding them to strict standards,” said Kalagi.

The Maggie Walker delegation’s experience at VTMUNC was an unforgettable one, serving as an opportunity for all levels of experience to gain and impart knowledge to one another. It was a unique Model UN experience for many and provided the opportunity for a lot of new and fun memories, along with the opportunity to bring home several awards for Maggie Walker. As Short put it, “We dominate.”