Holcomb Bridge Middle Students Attend Model UN Conference

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Over a dozen eighth-grade students from Holcomb Bridge Middle School recently traveled to New York City to visit the United Nations Headquarters and debate current world issues with 1,600 of their peers across from across the country.

Fifteen students from the Roswell school joined students from 13 states and 11 countries at the 10th annual Global Classroom’s International Middle School Model UN Conference March 26-28.

The students were coached and accompanied to New York by HBMS Assistant Principal Matt Vance and teachers Martin Pracht, Becky Salvatore and Ashley Perry.

The student teams, acting as delegates from Ukraine, worked the entire year to research and practice discussions on infectious diseases, combating racism, sustainable energy and Internet free speech. Student Marianne Lamarche was awarded Outstanding Delegate in the UNICEF Committee and Oscar Lee and Isabelle Du Plessis worked together on the Environmental Committee and received an Honorable Mention.

Holcomb Bridge Middle School was the first middle school in Fulton County to participate in an international Model UN competition and is the only public middle school from Georgia to attend this year’s event.

“Our Model UN team was extremely engaged in this rigorous, immersive experience,” said Assistant Principal Matthew Vance. “It was fantastic to see them collaborate with other student delegates from around the world to generate solutions to international issues.”

Marianne Lamarche called the experience ‘extraordinary.’

“The importance of working together and the benefit of taking risks and putting yourself out there are two of the life lessons I will take away from this program,” she added.

To cover the cost of the trip, students collectively raised over $20,000 using fundraisers throughout the year. Generous community sponsors included the Holcomb Bridge Middle School PTA, Publix, Sawnee Electric, Sky Zone Roswell and Studio Movie Grill.

“I am very proud of these students and our educators who coached and accompanied them as well as grateful to our community sponsors,” said Principal Chris Shearer. “This is the ninth year that our school has participated in the International Model UN competition. As a school of global classrooms, it is a perfect fit for us.”

Holcomb Bridge Middle School — a school of global classrooms — is located at 2700 Holcomb Bridge Road in Roswell.

The school has received numerous distinctions, including the prestigious designation of Georgia National Lighthouse School to Watch for being a high-performing school that is academically excellent, developmentally responsive and socially equitable. Holcomb Bridge is also a Georgia School of Excellence and a Distinguished Title I School.

Photo 1: Back row (left to right): Colin Kahl, Luke Van Dresser, Emmaline Wellborn, Oscar Lee, Diana Drake. Middle Row (left to right): Tahj Willis, Shaun Kim, Geordyn Marks, Amelia Muly, Breanna Nachazel, Aarzu Sardana, Trey Barbuto. Front row (left to right): Isabelle Du Plessis, Erika Rodriguez, Marianne Lamarche.
Photo 2: Back row (left to right): Colin Kahl, Luke Van Dresser, Tahj Willis, Shaun Kim, Emmaline Wellborn, Erika Rodriguez, Geordyn Marks, Amelia Muly, Oscar Lee, Aarzu Sardana, Diana Drake. Front row (left to right): Trey Barbuto, Marianne Lamarche, Isabelle Du Plessis, Breanna Nachazel.
Credits: Holcomb Bridge Middle School