Sayler honored for work with Model UN
New Prague High School Social Studies teacher Jen Sayler doesn't like surprises. She admits that. She'll also admit, however, that she was able to make an exception to that rule when she was given the Hanson-Orlich Award for Distinguished Service to Minnesota YMCA Model United Nations.
Sayler, who is the advisor for the New Prague Model UN organization, was more than surprised when her named was called.
"We were having our banquet at the St. Paul Radisson and they start to talk about this year's winner," Sayler explained. "Pretty soon it began to sound more and more like me and then I noticed my husband (Greg), who is the assistant advisor for Model UN in New Prague, was smiling. When my name was called, I realized that I was expected to make some kind of a speech. I normally don't like surprises, but this was a pretty nice one."
Statewide one advisor a year is given the Hanson-Orlich Award, a fact not lost on this year's winner. "I was able to say a few words (after I won), but I was really speechless," she said. "It's such a great honor to be recognized for something that I truly enjoy doing."
Sayler just completed her sixth year in the Model U.N. program and she has seen how dramatic it has changed.
"I remember that when I started six years ago, we had only two kids in the program," she said. "This year, we had 14 and I think the interest in the program continues to grow."
Statewide, Model U.N. consists of more than 500 students and 50 advisors. Each program picks a country to represent and then studies that country's stance on particular issues. Each school then tries to come up with resolutions for its selected country. The program is run in February and March, with the banquet closing out the year.
"What I've loved most about it is how seriously the kids take it," Sayler said. "Sometimes you wouldn't expect teenagers to have such a deep understanding about what is going on in other countries throughout the world."