Hope College students earn awards at model United Nations conference
HOLLAND — A team of Hope College students stood out at a recent American Model United Nations International Collegiate Conference in Chicago.
Hope’s 16-member student team represented Ghana at the annual conference Nov. 18-21 and earned an award for its performance. The team was recognized for its collective research and writing for papers it prepared on various topics discussed during the conference.
Additionally, a handful of Hope Students earned individual awards at the event.
Senior Alana Policastro from Geneva, Illinois, earned a best delegate award for her role as a justice on the International Court of Justice. Sophomore Jonas Fraley-Burgett of Kalamazoo and junior Drew Johnson of Midland received a best delegate award for jointly representing Ghana on the Economic Commission for Africa.
Other members of Hope’s team were sophomore Ruth Bena Batavia Bakulesh of Kigali, Rwanda; sophomore Lourdes Abril Angel Herrera of San Salvador, El Salvador; sophomore Olivia Krenek of Rochester; senior Natalie Leon of Chicago; junior Marlie McDonald of Saranac; senior Leah Renkema of Grandville; junior Jonah Schaller of Norton Shores; sophomore Kathleen Schnorberger of Toledo, Ohio; senior Hans Siebert of Grand Rapids; junior Christopher Thomas of Caledonia; senior Jacob Van Patten of Petoskey; sophomore Hope Weeda of Grandville; and junior Anna Whittle of Prospect, Kentucky.
The student team was co-advised by associate professor of political science Virginia Beard, who initiated the college’s participation in the event, and Kim Finses, office manager for Hope’s department of political science.
The AMUN engages students in a professionally run simulation of the United Nations. This year, 881 students from 94 colleges and universities throughout the country participated.
This was Hope’s fifth time competing in the competition. The college has sent a team to the competition every year since 2018, with the exception of 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Business students take first at GVSU event
Two teams of Hope students performed well at a recent banking-focused competition at Grand Valley State University on Oct. 28.
The teams finished first and fourth at the eighth annual Commercial Lending Competition, sponsored by the West Michigan Chapter of the Risk Management Association.
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The competition requires students to analyze and make recommendations for a loan committee and borrower. A panel of finance professionals then evaluate and rank teams based on their performance.
A student team of sophomore Austin Belsan of Lemont, Illinois, and juniors Nathan Sligh and Carter Speelman of Holland took first place and a $3,500 cash prize.
A second team of junior Benjamin Bush of Spring Lake; junior Katie Gray of Grand Rapids; and junior Wyatt Schindeldecker of Prior Lake, Minnesota, took fourth place and won a $750 cash prize.
— Contact reporter Mitchell Boatman at mboatman@hollandsentinel.com.
This article originally appeared on The Holland Sentinel: Hope College students earn awards at model United Nations conference
