Executive Board
Meet the 2026–2027 Executive Board.
Their leadership is centered on helping others succeed. By mentoring hundreds of staff members behind the scenes, training competing delegates on our travel team, and assisting thousands of attending delegates, they have been working tirelessly to ensure a seamless experience for everyone, and they cannot wait to meet you soon.
Madeline Abellera
President
Madeline Abellera is the President of Model UN at UCLA. She's a fourth-year majoring in Political Science with a minor in Russian Studies, and is particularly interested in the intersection between tech policy and geopolitics. This is Madeline's fourth year in Model UN (previously, she was UCLA's GA head delegate), and she loves the MUN community both at UCLA and around the circuit. In the rare moments when she's not competing in a GA, overseeing BruinMUN and LAMUN, attending a MUN social, or doing something else MUN-related, you can usually find Madeline doing work for her AI startup or spending too much money on food. Madeline was born in Chicago but now lives in the Bay Area (shoutout Walnut Creek), and enjoys drinking coffee, travelling the world, hanging out with her friends, and playing golf.
Leia Norton
Secretary-General, BruinMUN
Leia Norton is a fourth-year Computational Biology and Statistics double major (with a Biomedical Research Minor) from the wonderful New Jersey. This is her fourth year in Model UN, joined after a stint in high school Model Congress. Leia has previously served as the Under Secretary General of Crisis at LAMUN. Additionally, she has senior staffed a trifecta of a GA, Specialized, and Crisis committee. Outside of MUN, Leia can be found running a theater company on campus (shout out Out of the Blue), baking a cake, or struggling through imaging analysis for her research project. Following UCLA, Leia hopes to obtain a PhD in bioinformatics, only after a prospective gap year in Antarctica conducting penguin research.
Samantha Lyle
Secretary-General, LAMUN
Samantha is a fourth-year Political Science and Geography and Environmental Studies double major. While she cherishes her time in LA, her favorite city is her hometown, Las Vegas. She joined MUN during her 1st year of college after debating for 7 years on the local and national circuit. During her time with MUN at UCLA, she has chaired General Assembly and Crisis committees at BruinMUN and LAMUN, and has actively participated in conferences as a member of the travel team. Beyond MUN, Sam is a member of UCLA’s rock climbing team, and she loves listening to live music, taking her Labrador Lily on car rides, and going to the beach. After graduating, Sam hopes to be a policy analyst or go into environmental law.
Vaibhav Aggarwal
Director-General
Vaibhav Aggarwal is a fourth-year Anthropology and Asian American Studies major on the pre-law track with hopes to go into criminal law. He's lived in Bakersfield, California in Kern County for most of his life. He took a break from MUN until his second year, but competed in high school. When not doing logistics for a conference, he'll probably be running around LA finding new cafes or galleries to go to and/or at some kind of concert. He loves exploring different parts of LA, side-questing, listening to music, and hanging out with his friends.
Carly Bloom
Director of Travel Team
Carly is a senior Global Studies major and History minor from Calabasas, CA. She joined MUN her freshman year of high school, and loves it more than ever 7 years in. Since joining UCLA MUN, she has been able to attend various travel conferences, and now is ecstatic to serve as this year's Director of Travel. Beyond MUN, Carly loves playing tennis, skiing, listening to music, going to the beach, trying overpriced restaurants and coffeeshops, as well as spending unhealthy amounts of time on her phone. After UCLA, Carly intends on going to law school to practice international law or go into global governance.
Allison Fazis
Director of Training
Madeline Abellera is the President of Model UN at UCLA. She's a fourth-year majoring in Political Science with a minor in Russian Studies, and is particularly interested in the intersection between tech policy and geopolitics. This is Madeline's fourth year in Model UN (previously, she was UCLA's GA head delegate), and she loves the MUN community both at UCLA and around the circuit. In the rare moments when she's not competing in a GA, overseeing BruinMUN and LAMUN, attending a MUN social, or doing something else MUN-related, you can usually find Madeline doing work for her AI startup or spending too much money on food. Madeline was born in Chicago but now lives in the Bay Area (shoutout Walnut Creek), and enjoys drinking coffee, traveling the world, hanging out with her friends, and playing golf.
Ava Tasharrofi
Director of External Relations
Ava Tasharrofi is a second-year Public Health major and Public Affairs and Entrepreneurship minor from Granada Hills, CA. Ava has been involved in Model UN for five years now; she started competing on the SoCal circuit in high school and now also competes on the college circuit, which has only made her love MUN more. Outside of Model UN, Ava is working toward her private pilot certificate and loves spending time flying above Los Angeles. She also dabbles in DJing and loves house music. When she’s not in a conference room, in the air, or behind the decks, she’s probably at the gym lifting weights or heading to CorePower Yoga for an evening workout.
Emma Riedel
Director of Internal Relations
Emma Riedel is a 4th year Anthropology and Political Science double major with an Education Studies minor who hopes to teach and work in Education Policy. She’s originally from Sciuate, Massachusetts but enjoys getting to explore California outside of Westwood while at school. She’s been involved in Model UN since high school and is looking forward to watching the club grow in her last year. Outside of WBA you can find her in a UCLA polo as either a Bruin Ambassador or a New Student Advisor for summer orientation. She loves new music, scrapbooking, watching horrible movies, exploring national parks, and any opportunity to teach or yap.
Josephine Gore
Director of Finance
Josephine Gore is from Long Beach, California, and is a third-year student triple majoring in Global Studies, French, and Political Science. In her seventh year of MUN, she is excited to serve as Director of Finance. Previously, she has staffed BruinMUN and LAMUN in addition to being last year’s Director-General. Josephine interned at the United Nations headquarters in New York last summer and is also a violist in the UCLA Symphony. You can find her in the music rooms practicing piano, playing volleyball and card games, searching for new cafes and study spots, and rushing tickets to musicals at the Pantages. This fall, she is excited to be studying abroad at SciencesPo in Paris. After college, Josephine plans to attend graduate school and pursue a career in diplomacy, with a potential focus on refugees and forced migration.
Paige Kim
Director of Operations
Paige Kim is a fourth-year English major who is proud to be fifth generation Southern Californian. She was born at a young age and is now the oldest she has ever been. She enjoys dying her hair, thrifting, spending too much money on coffee, and going to concerts.
Lily Meskel
Director of Membership
Lily Meskel is a second-year double majoring in Political Science and History. She is from Tustin, California where she first got involved in Model UN her freshman year of high school. While at UCLA, she has both staffed conferences and competed on the travel team, and is now looking forward to being the Director of Membership. Outside of MUN, she is a member of Gamma Phi Beta, a physical media enthusiast, and an avid Letterboxd user. You can typically find her listening to music (ask her for song recs), reading, thrifting, watching A Cook’s Tour, or going down a Wikipedia rabbit hole. Post undergrad, she hopes to attend law school and pursue a career in either entertainment law or international law.
Vincent Nyvene
Director of Technology
Vincent Nyvene is a second-year majoring in Political Science and Public Affairs. Originally from Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam and Philadelphia, PA, he began Model UN in high school under THIMUN before transitioning to North American procedures. After chairing and competing across Southeast Asia’s international school circuit, he has continued on as a staffer for BruinMUN and LAMUN, and as a competitor on the collegiate circuit. Other than MUN at UCLA, Vincent is also a consultant for a political consulting organization, writer and editor for the Bruin Political Review, intern with the US-ASEAN Business Council, and formerly an NGO representative at the United Nations. Outside diplomacy, he enjoys exploring LA’s food scene and traveling around the world.
Valerie Pham
Director of Marketing
Valerie Pham (she/her) is a third-year Economics and Political Science double major from Oakland, California. She originally started Model United Nations in college, where she has both travelled and staffed various conferences. Outside of Model UN, Valerie spends her time painting, sewing, or dying her hair, and occasionally will work towards her career goals in finance. This is Valerie's second year serving as Director of Marketing for MUN @ UCLA and cannot wait for another amazing year of design!
Meet Our Secretariats
