James Monroe High School (JHMS) Junior Cole Thomas earned a “best delegate” award
representing Japan at the Youth Leadership Association (YLA) Model United Nations (MUN)
conference at the University of Charleston on 10 March 2023. This session included over 100
delegates from across the state of West Virginia.
Mr. Thomas was in the Legal Committee and his topic was cyberwarfare and cybercrime.
In the course of the conference he successfully built a coalition of countries and authored a
resolution to address the problem that was subsequently approved by the committee and adopted
by the entire General Assembly. He has previously participated in MUN conferences in Atlanta
and Boston.
Through Model United Nations students gain valuable academic experience in research,
critical thinking, logic, written and verbal communication, and empathy by participating in it.
The JMHS Model UN Debate Team is active in conferences and was instrumental in aligning the
YLA MUN event with others around the country.
