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Kristy Santana ’19, who has been a member of the University of New Haven’s Model United Nations (MUN) team for the last four years, wishes she didn’t have to wait until college to get involved with the organization.

That’s why she was so passionate about directing and organizing a MUN conference at the University’s campus in Tuscany that brought together 60 American and Italian high school students this spring to discuss issues such as migration into Europe and the protection of world heritage sites.

"I knew that ItalyMUN would enable students to gain important skills and learn about a different culture," said Santana, a national security major who studied abroad at the University’s Tuscany campus three years ago.

"Helping to coordinate this whole conference and watching it come to life was very exciting, because we built it from the ground up."Aneesha Kumar ’19

A recent recipient of the prestigious Boren Scholarship, Santana worked with a dedicated team of volunteers, which included her classmates and University of New Haven staff, as well as students from West Haven and students and teachers from Cicognini High School in Prato, Italy.

As part of the experience, students examined important global issues and shared their cultures, enjoying group meals and cultural trips to Florence, Lucca, and Pisa.

"I know the skills the students gained will be important in their futures," says Santana.

Kaelan Coates ’19 served as a facilitator for the conference.

"The best part was seeing how much the students grew during the trip," said Coates, a national security major. "I enjoyed teaching students the skills that we, as college students, have developed in our college courses. I also learned a lot about Italian culture."

"This was the first time that I visited Italy, so immersing myself in the culture was, by far, my favorite part of the experience," added Aneesha Kumar ’19, a forensic science major. "Helping to coordinate this whole conference and watching it come to life was very exciting, because we built it from the ground up."

The organizers of ItalyMUN would like to recognize Carolyn Brehm '96 MBA, the founder and CEO of Brehm Global Ventures, a firm that provides counsel on government relations and public policy strategies, and Richard Boucher, who served as the United States ambassador to Cyprus from 1996 to 1999, for funding the program, as well as the University's Prato campus director Kevin Murphy and the staff of the Prato campus for their support.