College of Charleston Provides Model Education

Annie Sylvester ’26 came to the College of Charleston knowing she wanted to major in international studies and to study abroad. What the Kensington, Maryland, native didn’t realize was that she could gain plenty of experience with international diplomacy right here on campus.

At the College, the Honors College student expanded her scope to include a political science minor and Spanish minor. She also realized her dreams of studying abroad. Of Italian descent, Sylvester received the Ambassador Peter F. Secchia Voyage of Discovery award through the National Italian American Foundation and took a two-week heritage trip to Italy. She also spent a semester at Universitat Pompeu Fabra in Barcelona, Spain.

When she returned to campus, Sylvester became a peer advisor for study abroad programs in the Center for International Education.

All the clubs and activities that Sylvester joined at the College had an international slant. The recipient of The Samuel Freeman Trust Scholarship Fund for the School of LCWA and the CIE Abroad Scholarship joined the yearlong Global Ambassadors Program, a professional development program designed for students interested in the foreign service and international careers. And she even co-founded the Foreign Policy Club with Haley Hawkins ’25 so that students could gather to discuss global topics and host speakers on key foreign policy issues.

What really captured her heart, however, was the Model United Nations Club.

Leading to Success

Sylvester was pulled onto the Model U.N. Club leadership team by Hawkins and Caroline Berg ’25, who had revived the club after it died during the pandemic. By her senior year, Sylvester had assumed the mantel of president of the Model U.N. Club and was joined on the board by Caroline Smith, Chloe Moyers, Rhys Baker, Lauren Eells and Lilly Poulton.

Their efforts brought the Model U.N. Club to a new level with expanded membership, increased conference participation and national distinction. The club was not only recognized as the College’s Student Organization of the Year, but it brought home 12 awards at the Southern Regional Model U.N. conference – four at the Atlanta conference in the fall of 2025 and eight at the Charlotte conference this spring.

Sylvester is proud to have taken the club beyond the regional conferences to the National Model United Nations Conference in New York City.

“At the closing ceremony in the U.N. General Assembly Hall, we won outstanding delegation,” beams Sylvester, adding that representing a country really tests a team’s mettle. “It really meant a lot, given how much effort it took for us to get there in terms of planning, meetings, organizing, logistics and fundraising.”

Finding Resolution

Over the years, Sylvester served on teams representing Pakistan, Morocco and Thailand. With different economic, social and political backgrounds, the team members conducted extensive research to be able to represent each country properly.

“Within the U.N., each country has different levels of influence,” says Sylvester. “For example, some countries on the Security Council carry a lot more influence than other countries. There is also diversity of committee size. The small ones require more active participation.”

At each conference, the end goal is to create resolutions, which requires collaboration with delegates from other schools.

“Together with other delegates, we have to figure out what works and what doesn’t,” says Sylvester. “By the end of the conference, we are always on a high when the resolutions we prepared are presented and mostly passed in each committee.”

Empowering Others

Max Kovalov, instructor of international studies and Bennett Director of the Mroz Global Leadership Institute, is the College’s Model U.N. Club faculty advisor. Kovalov serves as a resource for everything from research methods and memo writing to logistics and resource options.  

“Experiential programs such as Model U.N. are essential for helping our students build confidence, develop leadership skills and cultivate interest in diplomacy beyond the classroom,” he says. “These programs empower students by giving them ownership over their conference preparation and performance.

“In recent years, Model U.N. Club members have fundraised, recruited and trained new members, assumed leadership roles with increasing responsibility and organized trips to conferences,” he adds. “Through these experiences, students develop practical skills directly relevant to careers in non-governmental organizations, foreign policy think tanks and government agencies. I am proud of the students’ dedication and personal development through their participation in the club.”

Sylvester concurs. “It is cool to see how all members grow throughout the experience, particularly their public speaking and research skills,” she says. “It is really validating when students step out of their comfort zone. It means a lot that I was able to help make that possible.”

Now that Sylvester is graduating, she is pleased to know that Smith will assume the role of Model U.N. Club president and that Baker took over as president of the Foreign Policy Club. Both Smith and Baker are international studies majors who are studying foreign languages and are interested in global careers.

Sylvester’s post-graduation plans definitely include something on a global scale. She intends to apply for a Fulbright, the Peace Corps and other related international opportunities. In line with her bachelor’s essay, she hopes to do something dealing with immigration and advocacy.