Model UN Earns Awards at UF Conference 

January 28, 2026 /

By Miguel Salinas

Nease’s Model United Nations team attended the GatorMUN XXIII, the largest high school student Model UN conference in the state. This competitive conference spanned overnight from January 23rd-25th and is hosted annually at the University of Florida in Gainseville. This year, over 900 delegates were in attendance. Weeks of researching and prepping paid off when six students from Nease won awards in their respective committees.

Model United Nations is a club for students interested in public speaking, debate, international politics, and roleplay. Students are assigned a country or character, and they must advocate for their stance on real or fictional issues, finding solutions and practicing diplomacy. 

At GatorMUN, some Nease students were in real-world issue committees such as United Nations Environmental Programme, but many were in more roleplay-heavy committees like the Grammys Board of Trustees. The conference even included committees themed around pop culture hits like Dance Moms and Diary of a Wimpy Kid. The delegation won six awards spanning five committees. The awards were as follows: Position Paper Award in the “Social, Humanitarian, and Cultural Committee”; Verbal Commendation in “Florida County Commission on Tourism and Development”; and three Honorable Mentions in other committees. 

One Nease delegate, Manuela Viera-Dantas, was recognized as Best Delegate in her committee. This title is only awarded to the most creative and skilled delegate who best exemplified the ideals of diplomacy, growth, and dedication. 

Nease’s Model United Nations Club has come a long way since its founding. In 2024, Nease was classified as a Small Delegation at GatorMUN, with only six students attending. Last year, the club saw significant growth into a Medium Delegation. This GatorMUN, Nease boasted a Large Delegation of thirty. 

Club officers expressed pride with GatorMUN XXIII results and turnout. “I’m so proud of everybody who came,” said the Executive Vice President, “especially the people who tried something new and put themselves out of their comfort zone.” 

Nease Model United Nations plans to attend more local conferences this year, prepare for next year’s GatorMUN, and maybe even host a conference here at Nease High School.

Sources and Citations 

“GatorMUN,” University of Florida Model United Nations, https://gatormun.org/