Hollins students earned multiple honors at the annual Appalachia Regional Model Arab League (MAL) conference in November. MAL is the flagship Youth Leadership Development Program of the National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations.
Hollins was named the conference’s Overall Distinguished Delegation, and the university’s participants captured several group and individual awards:

• Distinguished Delegation in the Council on Palestinian Affairs: Ava Kegler ’25 and Sammy Stuhlmiller ’25
• Outstanding Delegation in the Summit of the Arab Heads of State: Kayla Richardson ’24 and Phil Anh
• Outstanding Chair: Harper Dillon ’25
• Distinguished Chair: Sofia Olivares ’25 and Claire Ross ’23

Hollins students also served in key leadership roles at the conference, including Bianca Vallebrignoni ’23, secretary general; Chanmolis Mout ’23, assistant secretary general; and Jenna Johnston ’25, chief justice of the Arab Court of Justice simulation.

John P. Wheeler Professor of Political Science Edward Lynch and Assistant Professor of Political Science and Gender and Women’s Studies Courtney Chenette ’09 jointly organized the 2022 conference, which was held at Hollins.

“This is an important element of the university’s emphasis on experiential learning,” Lynch said.

Eight delegations composed of student representatives from George Mason University, Georgia Southern University, Georgia State University, Hollins, Roanoke College, Virginia Military Institute, and Roanoke’s Community High School participated in the event, now in its eighth year.