By Maxwell Johnson ’25, Charlie Lanning ’25, and Shivum Kalyanam ’25
With a faculty perspective by Rishi Raghunathan P '27 '30, head of upper school
Wellington has always supported its students' passions and consistently encouraged us to pursue our interests with enthusiasm and dedication. The passion that drove us to found Model UN (United Nations) was our collective love for history—a passion reinforced by years of excellent teachers who constantly challenged us to grow as historians. For us, Model UN, which combines history, politics, and diplomacy, became an instant check on our high school bucket list. Although Wellington had previously offered a Model UN club, COVID-19 restrictions during our ninth and tenth-grade years prevented us from realizing that goal. Consequently, as we stepped into our roles as upperclassmen, we recognized that if we wanted a thriving Model UN club at Wellington, it would be up to us to create it.
“The initiative these students took to restart Model UN was inspiring,” said Rishi Raghunathan P '27 '30, head of upper school. “They weren’t just participants; they were the architects of something new at Wellington.”
Once our club was formally established, our focus immediately shifted to recruitment. We initially feared that only a few might sign up, perhaps as few as three. But, to our surprise, 13 people were interested in going. We were shocked and excited, and Mr. Raghunathan even had to ask for more spots! Excited by the interest in the program, we started our research on the Model UN conference. The more we learned, the more we realized that Model UN involved many complexities, particularly when crafting position papers. Every participant has to write a position paper about their country's opinion on a designated topic. Position papers have a very specific format and style of writing. So, we had to read and search for as many examples as possible. Despite our extensive preparation, we encountered some challenges with our initial instructions; however, every club member stepped up and revised their drafts before the deadline.
In addition to improving our writing, we also discovered that the process of building the club was a powerful lesson in leadership. The skills Wellington taught us—collaboration, proactivity, and negotiation—directly led to our success at the conference. When planning for the next year, we estimated that we would have four new people. This estimate was wrong. Mr. Raghunathan sat us in the office and had a giant grin on his face as he told us we had doubled our numbers: 32 people were going to Model UN. Seeing this dramatic growth, and having to accommodate such a vast increase in participation, was immensely gratifying and exciting. We got to watch a program we established evolve into something beyond our wildest imaginations.
“Watching the club grow from an idea into something that attracts more than 30 students is a testament to their leadership,” said Mr. Raghunathan. “They took full ownership of the process, and that’s what makes it so special.”
Building on that momentum, we saw Model UN as an outlet for Wellington students who are passionate about history and geopolitics and eager to explore niche interests like economics, law, and health. This evolution underscored our vision for the club’s legacy: an environment where students can immerse themselves in their interests and refine their social skills in professional settings. It also encourages the notion that success in such settings is achieved through real effort.
Reflecting on our journey, we remember the first day of our junior year when we marched into Mr. Ragunathan’s office, determined to express our intent to finally see a functioning Model UN club at Wellington. We were scared of the possibility of being turned down, our dream crumbling before our eyes. However, as we sat down and nervously told Mr. Raghunathan our plans to get the club going, he responded simply, “Great, let's do it.” From that moment on, the path to achieving our goal became clear, and all we had to do to get there was lead and put in the work in organizing such a large operation.
As a community, Wellington embraces a philosophy of saying “yes” to students' interests and opening doors for them to pursue them. Whether through independent student research, new clubs, policy initiatives, or even classes, Wellington values student input and does its best to grow the passions of its students. We cannot be more thankful for the opportunities a short conversation with Mr. Raghunathan has given us, and we cannot wait to see how Model UN grows after we are gone.
Editor's note: The text below was adapted from a LinkedIn post by Mr. Raghunathan. To read Mr. Raghunathan's post, click here.
