The changes New Mexico State University’s Model United Nations team has undergone since its formation tell the story of a team that has always been led by a group of resolute students.

For two straight years the team has been named “Outstanding Delegation,” the top award category at the National Model United Nations Conference. Only about 2 percent to 5 percent of schools worldwide achieve the honor.

“This particular award is terrific as it signals we are now among the world’s best Model U.N. programs,” says Jason Ackleson, associate professor of government and the team’s faculty adviser since 2002.

The dedication the team has displayed to reach the top can be traced back to when the organization was still a student club.

The team was established in 1993, when Michael Gross, a graduate student in the Department of Government, obtained departmental support to create a Model U.N. club.

In his proposal, Gross said attending the conference would present students with the opportunity of participating in a simulation of a U.N. session.

At that time, the team was entirely run by students who spent countless hours outside of school preparing. Students also had to absorb a lot of the cost to attend competitions.

In 1996, the team attended its first competition and was named “Best First Year Delegation.”

When Ackleson took over the organization in 2002, he began teaching a course that focused on learning about all aspects of the U.N. to better prepare for competition.

In 2008, the team participated in the national competition in New York, where they first won the distinction of “Outstanding Delegation,” and in China, where they placed third.

“The success was not sustainable until Dr. Ackleson came and took the entire project to a new level,” says Yosef Lapid, the team’s first faculty adviser.