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Winners' Biographies
Alabama
Sabiha Runa | Huntsville High School | Huntsville, Alabama
"The Need for Mediators in Environmental Conflicts between Nations"
Coordinator: Mrs. Sanjida Khanam
Sabiha is a senior at Huntsville High School in Huntsville, Alabama. She plays the piano and is an avid chess player. Sabiha has won several USCF (United States Chess Federation) hosted tournaments. She also is a USTA (United States Tennis Association) member and plays for their junior tennis team. At school, she is a member of the National Honor Society, MU Alpha Theta, French Honor Society, and is the treasurer of her school's Anchor Club. She also occasionally helps out with her school's theater productions. Sabiha hopes to go to college and major in Chemical and/or Environmental Engineering.
Alaska
Bryce Y. Jarvis | Eagle River High School | Eagle River, Alaska
"Using the Free Market and International Assistance to Create Lasting Peace in Countries Emerging from Conflict"
Coordinator: Ms. Sonnet Farrell
Bryce Jarvis is a senior at Eagle River High School in Eagle River, Alaska. He is an avid and involved member of the Eagle River High School Model United Nations Club and has represented nations that include the Russian Federation, Japan, Poland, and Zimbabwe. He further served as the Anchorage Model United Nations Assembly Secretary General for its 2007 annual conference. He will be attending the George Washington University this fall where he will be studying international relations at the Elliot School of International Affairs. A lover of history and politics, Bryce is a very active member in the Democratic party and volunteers often at Democratic headquarters. Bryce loves learning about international affairs and about world cultures and world history.
Arizona
Sumana Veeravelli | Desert Vista High School | Phoenix, Arizona
"Multilateral Negotiations, Resource Monitoring and Economic Regeneration: Quelling Natural Resource Conflicts in the DRC and Liberia"
Coordinator: Mr. Laxma Veeravelli
Sumana is a sophomore honors student attending Desert Vista High School and is one of the top students in her graduating class. An active member of her school's championship speech and debate team, she spends much of her time reading, discussing, or speaking on current world events. She also participates in other school activities, ranging from volunteering with the community service organization SAGE (Students for the Advancement of Gifted Education) to competing with her school HOSA (Health Occupations Students of America) team. Upon completion of high school, Sumana plans to continue her education and build a career in medicine.
Arkansas
Kensey M. Berry | Pulaski Academy | Little Rock, Arkansas
"Mine, the Gap: Recovery From and Prevention of Mineral Conflicts"
Coordinators: Mr. Bill Topich,
Ms. Ginger Kidd
Kensey is finishing her junior year at Pulaski Academy. As class president, springboard diver, and Rotary-Interact Club treasurer, Kensey has learned to balance academics with athletics and community outreach. A free spirit at heart, her activities include tutoring at a local elementary school, playing her favorite Regina Spektor songs on the piano, running cross-country, and writing poetry. An avid diver, Kensey placed seventh in the Arkansas state diving meet as a sophomore, earning the title of Most Valuable Player of her school team. With interests in both international affairs and the arts, Kensey plans to study art history and international relations while also pursuing her love for creative writing. This summer Kensey will travel to Costa Rica to study the Spanish language and embrace the Tica culture. She is looking forward to a great senior year and an exciting college search.
California
Jordan L. Harms | Tamalpais High School | Mill Valley, California
"Toward A Blue Revolution: Water Security is National Security"
Coordinator: Ms. Amy Mitchell
Jordan is a senior at Tamalpais High School in Mill Valley, California, a small town minutes from the Golden Gate Bridge. He loves American history and hopes to be the historian for the Library of Congress someday. Jordan believes in public service as a way of giving back to our country which has given us so much. He has pursued his passion for history and civics by working as a volunteer tour guide at historical sites, such as the Presidio U.S. Army Base in San Francisco, the Joshua Chamberlain Civil War Museum in Maine, and the San Francisco Environmental Bay Model where he works today. Jordan has been politically active getting-out-the-vote and writing articles about the issues of the day. He is a Horatio Alger National Scholar and has been accepted to Rhodes College in Memphis where he will major in history/international studies and study Russian.
Connecticut
Hannah L. Pelton | Northwest Catholic High School | West Hartford, Connecticut
"Resolving Natural Resource Conflicts Through Localization"
Coordinator: Mr. William V. Tressler
Hannah, a resident of Enfield, Connecticut, is a senior at Northwest Catholic High School. She will attend the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in the fall, where she plans to study Course 7, Biology. Hannah has participated in Irish Dance for thirteen years, reaching the level of Open Championship and qualifying to compete in the North American Irish Dance Championships this July. This past year, Hannah was the Copy Editor for her school newspaper, Northwest Passages, and was a senator in the Student Council. Hannah is also a National Merit Finalist and a member of the National Honor Society. She enjoys volunteer activities, such as altar serving at parish Saint Bernard, tutoring her peers through student assistance, and working with younger children through groups such as ConnectiKids. Hannah is the co-president of the Teen Advisory Board of her local library, where she also volunteers with the children’s summer reading program.
Delaware
Collace C. Greene, III | Salesianum School | Wilmington, Delaware
"We the People for a Better World"
Coordinator: Ms. Karen Y. Greene
Collace is a senior at Salesianum School in Wilmington, Delaware. He is an AP Scholar and a National Achievement Semi-finalist. At Salesianum, he was Secretary-General of the 20th Delaware High School Model UN Conference, one of the largest Model UN conferences in the Delaware Valley. Collace is currently President of the Salesianum Model UN club, a Senior Officer in the Minority Coalition, and a member of his school’s Key Club and Student Council. He is a math and science tutor for his school and a volunteer tutor for the Nativity Preparatory School in Wilmington. After graduation, Collace will attend the Carroll School of Management at Boston College, pursuing a dual concentration in Finance and Accounting and a minor in International Studies. He hopes to continue serving his community as a tutor and participating in the Model UN while in college.
District of Columbia
Martin S. Krafft | St. Anselm’s Abbey School | District of Columbia
"Conserving Natural Resources Through the Combined Efforts of Media, NGOs, and National Government"
Coordinator: Mr. Michael Hall, OSB
A senior at St. Anselm’s Abbey School, Martin Stuart Krafft aspires to be a writer/Foreign Service officer. He will attend Emory University next fall as an Emory Scholar. Martin plays varsity soccer, wrestling, and track. He occasionally attempts to act in a play. He also serves as founder and president of the Hispanic Club. Outside of school, Martin plays the piano for his Catholic Church and volunteers with the Amigos de las Americas organization. He volunteered for eight weeks in Paraguay last summer, where he learned how to crack a whip. This year, he will serve as a training supervisor, and will also spend time as a volunteer in Mexico. Martin is a national award winner for the National Council of Teachers of English and the Scholastic Arts and Writing competition.
Florida
Ann E. Hentschel | Academy of the Holy Names | Tampa, Florida
"Resolving Natural Resource Conflict Through Internationally Supported Mediation"
Coordinator: Sis. Mary P. Plumb
Ann lives in sunny Brandon, Florida and attends the Academy of the Holy Names. In March, she went on a mission trip to the Dominican Republic and had an eye-opening experience to life in a third world country. This experience reinforced her desire to become a pediatrician so that she might return to the Dominican Republic to help the country's malnourished and impoverished children. Ann is very involved in her church community and helps to lead the children’s Vacation Bible School. Ann is a member of the National Honor Society, Mu Alpha Theta, and the Spanish Honor Society. She is also a student Ambassador. As an officer in the Students Against Drunk Driving club, she promotes drug and alcohol awareness to the student body. Ann participates in crew as a coxswain, and enjoys leading her teammates on and off the water.
Georgia
Susanna J. Bramlett | Pace Academy | Atlanta, Georgia
"Nigeria: A Struggle for Peace"
Coordinator: Ms. Helen I. Smith
Susanna was born and raised in Atlanta, Georgia. She has two sisters and a brother, with whom she is very close. Susanna is the youngest of four children. Her extracurricular activities include soccer, community service projects, yearbook, Model United Nations, and Student Council. In her free time, she enjoys shopping, reading, jogging, and spending lots of time with family and friends. Though she has not decided on a school at this time, she plans to study public policy or political science, and attend law school afterwards.
Hawaii
Brita M. Hofwolt | Le Jardin Academy | Kailua, Hawaii
"Columbus's Legacy: Resource Conflicts in Latin America, Past and Present"
Coordinator: Mrs. Marilyn R. Hofwolt
Brita Hofwolt lives in Kailua, Hawaii, where she graduated from Le Jardin Academy. During high school, she was actively involved in Model United Nations, Amnesty International, Debate, and the International Club. All of these activities coupled with her profound love of languages, fostered an interest in international affairs. She is also a violinist and has played with the Hawaii Youth Symphony for seven years. Brita will be attending the University of Chicago where she hopes to major in Near Eastern Languages and Cultures, specializing in Arabic.
Idaho
Morgan D. Bailey | Bailey Home School | Kuna, Idaho
"Solving Conflicts with the Involvement of the International Community"
Coordinator: Ms. Meg Eichelberger
Morgan is a sophomore and lives in Boise, Idaho. She plays the violin in the orchestra and is a leader in the Idaho Junior Jammers, a local fiddle group. As part of the Idaho Junior Jammers, Morgan performed at the 2002 Salt Lake Olympics, the opening ceremonies of the Special Olympics, and has entertained President H.W. Bush and Secretary of State Colin Powell. She plays and teaches piano, and has received several awards including a superior rating from the National Federation of Music Clubs for eleven consecutive years. This February she attended the National Youth Leaders Forum on National Security, where she served as president of her NSAM. Morgan is a member of the varsity girl’s soccer team, swim team, and the National Honor Society of High School Scholars.
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