Twice a year, students from Florida Atlantic University’s Leon Charney Diplomacy Program (LCDP) participate in the National Model United Nations (NMUN) conference. 

This fall semester from Nov. 8 to Nov. 10, LCDP students traveled to Washington, D.C., for the conference that simulates the United Nations organization by acting as diplomats to work together and tackle global issues. After they delegate, each school is recognized and given awards based on their performance. 

Led by Jeffrey Morton, an international law and diplomacy professor at FAU, LCDP provides students with the necessary experience in diplomacy. According to the students, the program and conferences have had a significant impact on students’ professional growth, preparing them for their future careers.

One of the students, Tarruck Wheeler, an international affairs major with a data science minor, joined the LCDP three years ago because of his interest in policy and global affairs. 

Wheeler plans for a career in cybersecurity, artificial intelligence and policy creation. He reflected on his NMUN experience, highlighting how he was able to apply what he learned from the conferences to real-life situations.

During the summer, Wheeler got the opportunity to be a part of the Benjamin A. Gilman Scholarship Program. This allowed him to study aboard in Madagascar for the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF), where he performed reach for an organization called Omena that works to break the cycle of emotional abuse.

“I learned about UNICEF through the NMUN program, studying what they do in these development programs,” Wheeler explained. “Now I’m conducting research to write policy recommendations and providing it to a real United Nations agency when only months ago I was learning how to do it in a distant classroom.” 

Alongside his former Model United Nations partner, Ellie Pfahler, he also founded Neurodiverse Educational Testing in April 2024. The company uses AI to assess students with disabilities and create personalized education plans.

“We learned so much about these world issues. I have so much exposure to all these global issues; and then we’re competing with other schools and like-minded students. All these things have influenced my career path and the startup — it’s all connected,” said Wheeler.

Attending NMUN has also allowed Wheeler to connect with professionals in his prospective career field. 

“NMUN provided a platform to network with experts in public policy and cybersecurity, giving me insights into my field and connecting me with professionals who’ve been invaluable in helping me navigate my career goals,” he said.

From refining his research skills to studying abroad, Wheeler thanks his experiences at NMUN for shaping his path in public policy and cybersecurity.

Another student who gives thanks to the program is Ana Alves, who joined LCDP in the fall of 2023 after taking Morton’s class and participated in NMUN conferences as an active participant; she represented countries such as Oman and Egypt. 

Alves was a political science major pursuing her bachelor’s when she first joined the LCDP. She has since graduated and is continuing her master’s in the same field. Alves also works as a teaching assistant at FAU to gain experience in academia, research and international relations while she prepares for a future in teaching.

Participating in the program and observing Morton’s knowledge in the field, she gives credit to his mentorship for inspiring her to continue her education. 

“He’s very passionate about the program and the success of the students,” Alves said. “Any question I had about history or international relations, he knew the answer right away and I wanted to be like that.”

Currently, Alves has also taken on a mentorship role in LCDP where she travels to conferences as a head delegate to support and guide students new to the program. 

“Even though I’m not participating in the conference anymore as a student, I’m assisting and being there for the students who are,” she said, reflecting on how mentoring helps refine her leadership and teaching skills. 

She hopes to bring these skills into her future classrooms as a teacher. 

Another political science student in the program is Mariana Darzi, who was introduced to the program by Alves. She was further inspired by FAU’s victory at a conference in Washington, D.C. last year. 

Darzi recognizes how the NMUN has helped her solidify her future career plans of becoming a paralegal, attending law school and eventually pursuing diplomacy.

“After the conference, I was like ‘I want to do everything I can to become a diplomat for the United States,’” Darzi said, reflecting on how she sought these career plans beforehand, but it was cemented once she was immersed in the NMUN environment. 

Attending NMUN conferences has allowed Darzi to be around people in her field. 

“At the NMUN opening ceremony, you hear from an actual secretary general from the United Nations,” Darzi added. “He speaks to you about the program and you get to learn about the career inside the United Nations.” 

To Darzi, the real-life simulations in NMUN and the in-class exercises from Morton’s class have given her a head start in professional development for a law-focused career. She added that playing the role of a diplomat taught her to communicate effectively with people from diverse backgrounds. 

“To be a paralegal and to go to law school, we have to communicate…not just speaking, but being able to clearly translate your thoughts into words,” she said, recalling the extensive writing and practicing required for NMUN speeches. 

It wasn’t just the NMUN conferences that helped Darzi professionally; Morton’s teaching style played a key role as well. He reworks the way the students speak and think, as Darzi shares that in class, students get comfortable speaking in front of others and adapt to unexpected situations from creative exercises. 

“The way he teaches the class helped me learn to work under pressure — he makes us overstudy and overprepare,” she said. “This program is only a couple of days long. We have to come up with resolutions that usually take several weeks to be drafted in the United Nations.”

Darzi’s NMUN experience, along with Morton’s guidance, has affirmed her passion for diplomacy. She shared that it equipped her with the necessary critical skills and political experience which she believes will benefit her throughout her career. 

Annabelle Caraway is one of the newer members of the program, joining in the fall of 2024 after reaching out to Morton. She is pursuing a double major in political science and journalism, with a minor in political communication. 

At the recent Washington, D.C. conference, Caraway represented Chile, which earned an honorable mention — equivalent to a bronze medal. She joined LCDP to deepen her involvement in political science. She is considering either law school or a graduate degree in political science to pursue a career as a press secretary in Washington D.C.

“We have to become experts in our country, just researching and researching for our specific country,” she said. “I think this will make me better at my job, where you have to read through bills, a lot of legislation and other complex documents. It’ll also definitely help me through the three years of law school.”

Though Caraway’s journey has just begun, she has already focused on building connections with fellow students, recognizing the value of political relationships for her future career. 

“Creating more working relationships with people in the political science field is beneficial,” she said, adding that the program helps build professional relationships, whether it is for law school or for her future as a press secretary.

Kaii Thompson is a contributing writer for the University Press. For information regarding this or other stories, email her at [email protected].