The Humans of RV project is a column based on Brandon Stanton’s seminal “Humans of New York” project, which seeks to “catalog the city’s inhabitants” through photography and brief interviews. RV seeks to expand on this project with our own “cataloging” of RV students and an examination into all the unique perspectives here at school.
Note: this transcript has been edited and condensed for publication purposes.
For our first article of Humans of RV this year, the Holly Spirit is highlighting senior Hailey Figueroa. Hailey recently had the opportunity to participate in the 2026 YMCA Model United Nations (MUN) conference as an Officer for the Social, Humanitarian, and Cultural Committee. Before this, she was a delegate for the Rancocas Valley delegation for three years. An outstanding delegate, she was awarded the Best Government Research paper for the African Summit in the 2025 YMCA Model United Nations Conference.
The Model United Nations Conference commences every year in the Hershey Lodge in Hershey Pennsylvania in the earlier weeks of January. Students from Rancocas Valley are able to participate through joining the Model United Nations Club here at RV and preparing for the conference through meetings and a research paper on their assigned country.
Through an interview, Figueroa shares her insights and experiences as both an officer and a delegate and how the experience has developed her skills and abilities.
Did you enjoy MUN? Why or why not?
“I can’t even begin to describe how much I loved participating in MUN. When you arrive at the conference, it doesn’t take long for you to feel like you are a part of one big family. It is such a beautiful thing that within less than three days a year, you make lifelong friends, connections, and memories. Every year I went to the MUN conference, I left with new skills, feeling better about myself and my capabilities. Honestly, it’s an empowering feeling and holds such a special place in my heart.”
Did you feel like it was a good experience for public speaking?
“This club is THE club if you want to improve your public speaking. My very first year at the conference, I was in a room with over 150 people and was terrified of speaking in front of them. I think that year I only spoke two or three times. Every year, I improved, and by my senior year, when I was an officer, I was speaking up on a platform in front of a room of over three thousand kids.”
How did you develop over your four years in regard to MUN?
”Over my years doing MUN, I developed in so many different ways that I couldn’t even list them all. To start, I became so much more sociable. When you get to work with so many kids from other schools, other cultures, and other life backgrounds, you learn such a valuable skill of being able to communicate with them, relate to their struggles, and encourage their achievements, and this is done for you in return. Not only are you hoping for others to reach the best version of themselves, but you are tuning into the best version of yourself at the same time. I have become much more confident in my speaking and actions, reassured in my own knowledge. I’ve personally learned how to better collaborate with others, reach a determined goal, and feel no doubt when it comes to my capabilities. The weekends that you do MUN will be some of the most formative weekends of your entire high school career.”
How did the conference progress for you?
“In my first year, I spoke very little and felt extremely unprepared. I honestly doubted myself because I felt that everyone was so much smarter. In my sophomore and junior years, I got so much better at doing MUN and prepared ahead of time with thorough research and pre-made resolutions. By my sophomore year, I had won the “Best GRP” award, and by my junior year, I was running for an officer position. I think seeing all the work that is put into the preparation of this conference made me want to take on a bigger role. The amazing collaboration of the officers and the acceptance and kindness of my delegates made this year’s conference the best year yet for me.”
Congratulations to Hailey on her four years in the Model United Nations program, but also her courage to undertake an activity that enabled her to grow through public speaking. If students at Rancocas Valley are aiming to grow in similar ways, they should take a look at Rancocas Valley’s Model United Nations program which runs every year until January.
