SPC’s Model UN team had the wonderful opportunity on Friday, March 27th to host the annual Pinellas County Schools Model United Nations (PCSMUN) conference at the Clearwater Campus. Together with the Foundation for Leadership (FFL), which is headed by Director Amy Ruggiero, SPC’s Model UN students welcomed and inspired our young students from across Pinellas County to experience a powerful academic simulation focused on international relations, diplomacy and consensus-building. Most importantly, this activity flipped the classroom and empowered students from across Pinellas County to actively improve their writing, public speaking and people skills.

This amazing event began with a powerful speech by Dr. Joseph Smiley, Dean of Social & Behavioral Science and Interim Provost of the Clearwater Campus. Calling on all students to work tirelessly and passionately to implement the desired changes that they wish to see in the world; Dean Smiley riveted the student audience. Not surprisingly, the student audience returned the love with an overwhelming standing ovation for Dean Smiley.

Next, PCS students went to their committee sessions and performed the work of trying to solve complex world problems. Thanks to our SPC MUN Volunteers, each of the eight committees (four high school and four middle school) were high-caliber committees. Indeed, each and every one of our dais members helped PCS students work collaboratively in a positive and nurturing environment, all while PCS students enhanced their skill sets. Consequently, FFL Director Amy Ruggiero and the PCS representatives have sent us strong messages of appreciation for the outstanding work conducted by SPC MUN students.

Finally, it is imperative that we thank the Co-Secretary Generals of this conference, which were James Bain III and Alexa Griffin. These two students took charge and ensured that each SPC MUN volunteer understood their committee’s content and core responsibilities. Additionally, the Co-Secretary Generals also did an outstanding job of recruiting students as they assisted us in enlisting the help of former SPC MUN students who are now students at the University of South Florida.

Additional thanks for helping this year’s conference go off spectacularly go to our SPC Faculty volunteers. This year that included Amy Mormino, Bledar Prifti, Earl Fratus and Gyldas Ofoulhast. Their assistance in committees, serving as Rapporteurs, ensured that SPC MUN student volunteers could focus on their primary duties of managing the flow of committee and scoring the participants. Finally, we are also thankful for the indispensable behind-the-scenes work of Frederic Berthiaume, our SPC staff assistant at Clearwater. He ensured that all the logistics, such as procuring rooms and ensuring meal distributions, all went off without a hitch.

In the end, we are super thankful to be able to take part and engage in this collaborative partnership with PCS and the FFL. Not only is this an amazing community engagement event, but we are also letting PCS students know that SPC is a serious and rigorous academic institution that challenges students and enhances skill sets and job prospects. As such, we hope to continue this partnership.

Below is a list of SPC and USF student Volunteers.

SPC MUN Volunteers

David Romero

Kingston James

Oscar Adderley

Isabella Arnold

Alexandra Cannova

Clark Panugalinog

Jovan Billings

Kassiah Kasper

Maria Stergiopoulou

Matthew Oliver

James Bain

Alexa Griffin

Douglas Rivero- SPC MUN Director & Assistant Dean

Gyldas Ofoulhast- MUN Coach & Political Science Faculty

Earl Fratus- MUN Coach & Political Science Faculty

Amy Mormino- Humanities Faculty

Bledar Prifti- Political Science Faculty

USF Volunteers

Imelda Mucaj-SPC Graduate (and former SPC MUN)

Zoe Fernandez- SPC Graduate (and former SPC MUN)

Jaamon Carson- SPC Graduate (and former SPC MUN)

Carter Smith