What is YMUN Latin America, anyway?

YMUN Latam is a three-day international Model UN conference designed for high school students, set to take place in Mexico City. Delegates from around the world will convene to engage in a dynamic exchange of ideas, utilizing debate and diplomacy to address some of the most intricate global challenges of our time. At YMUN Latin America, delegates will step into the roles of UN representatives, policymakers, and influential figures, immersing themselves in the inner workings of global politics and collaborative problem-solving. Throughout the conference, they will explore a wide array of topics spanning international and national security, political and economic development, human rights, sustainability, and more. This immersive experience will empower delegates to navigate the complexities of international negotiation, embrace fresh perspectives, and collaboratively craft comprehensive solutions to pressing global issues.

YMUN Latin America aspires to provide delegates from around the world with an exceptional opportunity to partake in a dynamic, educational, and enriching experience that hones and showcases their abilities. It is this unwavering dedication, commitment, and attention to detail that establish YMUN as one of the foremost Model UN conferences on a global scale, and we eagerly anticipate your participation in this inaugural event in Mexico City.

Here’s What to Expect:

An unparalleled conference experience,

YMUN Latam is poised to become your most cherished Model UN experience, and we guarantee that our committee topics and dynamic debate format will be truly unparalleled.

a supportive group of Yale students,

Our Secretariat, which is comprised entirely of Yale students of all majors and class years, is stoked to help you unlock your potential over the three days of the conference. We will try our best to challenge you to think critically and deeply about the world’s most pressing issues.

and an unforgettable weekend!

We know that you are high school students, and that this experience, while educational at its core, is meant to be one that you treasure and deeply enjoy. We will be offering you plenty of opportunities to mingle with other delegates and meet students from all around the world!

Meet the Team

Kate Foglesong

  • Kate Foglesong (she/her) is a sophomore in Branford college from Atlanta, Georgia. She plans to double-major in Ethics, Politics, & Economics and Spanish. Kate was the USG of Committees of last year’s YMUN Latam in São Paulo and has also been on the Secretariat of YMUN conferences hosted at Yale and in South Korea. Kate’s interest in Model UN began in high school, where she participated in Model UN conferences in both English and Spanish. On campus, Kate is also involved in the Yale Undergraduate Consulting Group. In her free time, she loves reading, trying new restaurants, and going on walks/runs. Kate is extremely excited and honored to serve as the Secretary-General for the second-ever YMUN Latin America and to work with everyone throughout this conference! You can reach her at secgen@ymunlatam.org with any questions. 

Samantha Moon

  • Samantha (she/her) is a junior in Pauli Murray College from Los Angeles, California. She is a History and Economics double major. Samantha has served on two secretariats for the New Haven YMUN conference, and she is thrilled to be hosting a conference in Latin America! Outside of YMUN, Samantha edits for the Yale Historical Review and is the Editor-in-Chief of The Yale Politic. In her free time, Samantha can typically be found at a cafe drinking a large black coffee. She is so excited for this year’s conference and cannot wait to meet all of the delegates. Samantha can be reached at dg.committees@ymunlatam.org. 

Elba Heddesheimer

  • Elba Heddesheimer (she/her) is a sophomore in Davenport College from Cleveland, Ohio, majoring in Global Affairs with certificates in Spanish and German. Before serving as the Director-General of Operations for YMUN LATAM, Elba was the Under-Secretary-General of Logistics for YMUN India. Passionate about human rights, she is currently interning part-time with Human Rights First through Dwight Hall’s Community Response Fellowship and leading a project with Elena’s Light, a local nonprofit dedicated to uplifting refugee women. On campus, Elba is actively involved in Yale Votes and works at the Yale Law Library. In her free time, she enjoys running (she’s currently training for a half-marathon!), traveling, and cafe-hopping. She is thrilled to serve as Director-General of Operations and looks forward to meeting delegates soon! Feel free to contact her with any questions at: dg.operations@ymunlatam.org. 

Sophia Brentlinger

  • Sophia Brentlinger (she/her) is a sophomore in Benjamin Franklin College. She is majoring in Political Science with certificates in French and Spanish. Sophia grew up in a Mexican-American household on a farm in Oklahoma. Her passion for public speaking and debate sparked in high school through an agricultural student organization. On campus, you will find her working on Yale Foreign Policy Initiative projects, spending time with her Christian community, and skiing on the weekend with the Yale Club Ski Team. When she is not in marathon training, you can typically find her relaxing at coffee shops with a mug of matcha. Sophia is pumped to serve as the USG of Delegates and meet every delegate coming to YMUN Latin America. Reach out if you have any questions at sophia.brentlinger@yale.edu.

Deewa Rahim

  • Deewa Rahim (she/her) is a sophomore in Timothy Dwight studying Political Science and pursuing a certificate in Persian and Iranian Studies. Deewa has previously been involved in YMUN 50, YMUN LI, and YMUN Dubai, and she is thrilled to be joining you all for YMUN LATAM in Mexico City this May! On campus, Deewa is involved in the Middle Eastern North African Cultural Center as well as the Migration Alliance at Yale. In her free time, Deewa likes to go on walks and try new matcha places. She looks forward to seeing you all soon and working with everyone! Feel free to reach out to her with any questions you might have at international.delegations@ymunlatam.org. 

Annie Gu

  • Annie Gu (she/her) is a sophomore in Pauli Murray College majoring in Applied Mathematics. She currently serves as the Under-Secretary-General of YMUN Singapore and is a Chair for YMUN. On campus, she can be found volunteering for CodeHaven, cooking up a feast, or watching Brooklyn Nine-Nine with her suite. Her Model United Nations experience spans six years as a delegate and chair, and she could not be more excited to meet everyone at YMUN LATAM! She is honored to serve as the Under Secretary General of GAs and ECOSOCs and is excited for the debates to come in May. Please feel free to reach out with any questions or concerns to annie.gu@yale.edu.

Savan Parikh

  • Savan Parikh (he/him) is a first-year from Guilford, Connecticut in Ezra Stiles college, hoping to major in Physics and Philosophy with a certificate in Spanish. He competed in MUN and parli debate throughout high school and most recently served as ASG of Regional Bodies at YMUN’s 51st New Haven conference. Savan is also involved on campus with the Yale Political Union, the New Haven Urban Debate League, and Club Soccer. In his free time, he loves to hike and trail run, and spent last year on a 10-month backpacking trip in South America. Savan is super excited to meet all the delegates and serve as YMUN Latam II’s USG of Specialized/Crisis Committees! Don’t hesitate to reach out with any questions at savan.parikh@yale.edu.

Sophia Li

  • Sophia Li (she/her) is a sophomore in Grace Hopper College from Birmingham, Alabama. She plans to major in Economics and get a certificate in Chinese. Sophia was a Vice Chair in the YMUN New Haven conference. On campus, she is the president of the Chinese American Student Association, peer liaison of the Asian American Cultural Center, senior consultant of the Global Strategies Consulting Group, and the coach of the Urban Debate League. In her free time, Sophia enjoys crafting, reading, eating food, and going on walks with friends. Sophia is thrilled to serve as Director General of Branding for YMUN Latin America and looks forward to seeing committee topics come alive in New Mexico. If you have any questions or comments, please do not hesitate to reach out to her at sophia.f.li@yale.edu. 

Metztli Lopez

  • Metztli Lopez (she/her) is a first-year in Pierson College double majoring in Anthropology and History of Art with a certificate in Spanish. Metztli is from Long Beach California but her family is originally from Mexico and she can’t wait to be back for this conference! She is further involved on campus, through her work as a Gallery Guide at the Yale University Art Gallery and as part of the Yale Undergraduate Prison Project. Metztli is incredibly excited and honored to serve as Under-Secretary-General of Conference and to chair a committee! She is dedicated to helping make this conference as successful as possible so feel free to reach out to her at metztli.lopez@yale.edu.

Lizzie Steeves

  • Elizabeth Steeves (she/her) is a sophomore in Grace Hopper College majoring in history. She has served as a USG of Delegations for YMUN, YMUN Korea, and YMUN Singapore and has chaired for multiple conferences. On campus, she is the captain of the brief Writing team of the undergraduate moot court, a campus tour guide, and a student technician. She loves all things MUN and is thrilled to be a part of YMUN Latin America! You can reach Elizabeth at elizabeth.steeves@yale.edu. 

Zitlali Garcia-Mondragon

  • Zitlali Garcia-Mondragon (she/her) is a first-year in Timothy Dwight College from San Antonio, Texas. She is currently pursuing the joint major Economics & Mathematics and the Food, Agriculture, and Climate Change certificate. On campus, she is a vice-chair for the CELAC committee of YMUN LI, first-year house staff at the Native American Cultural Center, social media manager for the Good Life Center, and part of Baile Folklorico Mexicano de Yale. In her free time, Zitlali likes to volunteer at the YCK (Yale Community Kitchen), get sweet treats (especially boba), and walk. She is super excited to be the Co-Under-Secretary General for Branding of YMUN LATAM and to direct a committee as well! Feel free to contact her with any questions at: zitlali.garcia-mondragon@yale.edu.

Matheus Nucci Mascarenhas

  • Matheus Nucci Mascarenhas (or Matt) is super excited to be a Director at the second YMUN LATAM! Born and raised in a countryside city near São Paulo, Brazil, Matheus is a first-year student at Saybrook College and intends to major in Ethics, Politics, and Economics. Outside YMUN LATAM, Matheus is a member of the Global Strategy Consulting Group, the Co-President of the Brazil Club, and a member of the Badminton Club. In his free time, he loves reading Brazilian literature and hanging out with his dear friends. Bringing a warm, friendly, and hardworking spirit, Matheus is excited to serve as Director of the Crisis Committee: Mexican Drug War. He is devoted to ensuring delegates have the best MUN experience possible in May! Matheus is always happy and available to answer any questions at matheus.mascarenhas@yale.edu.

Suren Clark

  • Suren Clark (he/him) is a first-year in Pauli Murray College. Suren is originally from Lancaster, Pennsylvania, the home of the Amish, and plans to major in economics and applied mathematics. In addition to serving as the Director of the UNICEF Committee, Suren is involved with local math tutoring, The Politic (Yale’s undergraduate political publication), Yale Democrats, the Salus Populi Foundation, the Murray College Council, club cycling and skiing, and was an Assistant Secretary-General for Yale's on-campus MUN. In his free time, Suren loves to hike, bike, run, play tennis, or do anything outdoors. He also plays the piano and, not very successfully, the violin. Suren looks forward to meeting all of the amazing delegates in Mexico City this May! He is always eager to answer any questions at suren.clark@yale.edu. See you all soon!

Yoselin Colin

  • Yoselin Colin (she/her) is a second-year student in Berkeley College from San Francisco, California. She is double-majoring in Political Science and Ethnicity, Race, and Migration and hopes to pursue a certificate in Human Rights. She was previously the Chair of the UNODC Committee for the YMUN Li 52 Conference in January 2025, and as a Mexican-American, she is excited to join YMUN LATAM in Mexico City! Outside of YMUN, she is involved in Yale College Democrats, Yale College Council, Yale Undergraduate Prison Project, and Yale Undergraduate Hispanic Pre-Law Association. In her free time, she enjoys reading a book in the sun, watching films in her cozy blanket, and attending her friend's performances. If you have any questions, feel free to reach out to her at yoselin.colin@yale.edu. 

Ayden Lee

  • Ayden Lee (he/him) is a sophomore in Ezra Stiles College majoring in Economics and Global Affairs with a certificate in Spanish. He has served as a chair for YMUN and has experience with public speaking and formal presentations. On campus, Ayden is a member of the club ultimate frisbee team, helping as the team’s alumni coordinator and the Undergraduate Catholic Council. In his free time, he loves to listen to music while walking, exercise, and nap. He is ecstatic to be a part of this year’s YMUN Latin America! Feel free to reach out to Ayden at ayden.lee@yale.edu. 

Gabby Tejada

  • Gabriella (she/her) is a first-year at Ezra Stiles from Long Island, New York. She aspires to major in Political Science and Latin American Studies. Outside of YMUN LATAM, Gabriella serves as a first-year liaison for Yale’s Women of Color Advancing Peace and Security (WCAPS) chapter, dances for Yale’s Baile Folklórico group, and served as an Assistant-Secretary General of General Assemblies for YMUN LI. In her free time, she loves baking sweet treats, watching rom-coms, and dancing bachata with friends. Gabriella is thrilled to serve as a director for the second iteration of YMUN LATAM and can’t wait to meet all the delegates! Feel free to reach out to her at gabriella.tejada@yale.edu.