Baylor Model Organization of American States Team Represents Costa Rica in Intercollegiate Competition in Nation’s Capital
The Baylor team competing at the Washington, D.C. MOAS 2025 Summit included (left to right) Skylar Dixon, Emilia Thompson, Nick Hernandez, Aviel Garcia, Sam Joyce, Ariana Latterell, Julia Mendes, Oliver Jamieson, Marissa Ramos, Noah Aune, Alejandra Solano, Alejandro De Leon, Dr. Mark McGraw (sponsor), Roger Spletzer, Samy Araya and Libby Claasen
The Baylor University Model Organization of American States (MOAS) team represented the Republic of Costa Rica at the 2025 Washington, D.C. MOAS Summit, held April 7-11.
After welcoming remarks from Luis Almagro, Secretary General of the Organization of American States (OAS), and briefings from subject matter experts in the OAS, student delegates began debate on resolutions to solve problems threatening the Western Hemisphere. Baylor’s Noah Aune (senior political science major from San Antonio, Texas) served as vice-chair of the Democracy Committee and Sam Joyce (senior international studies major from Chicago, Illinois) served as the Development Committee vice-chair during the summit.
The Baylor team was expertly led by head delegate Julia Mendes (senior international studies major from Hudson, New Hampshire) and co-head delegate Nick Hernandez (senior American studies major from Navasota, Texas). Skylar Dixon (senior political science major from San Antonio, Texas) and Libby Claassen (senior political science and Spanish major from Glenwood Springs, Colorado) presented a resolution on the protection of religious freedom. Alejandro De Leon (sophomore history major from Orangevale, California) and Emilia Thompson (sophomore history and anthropology major from Katy, Texas) defended their resolution on mitigating the effects of rising sea levels.
Marissa Ramos (junior neuroscience major from Houston, Texas) and Roger Spletzer (junior international studies major from Chevy Chase, Maryland) proposed a resolution on educational programs for rural migrant children. Special Committee delegates Aviel Garcia (sophomore finance and political science major from Chicago, Illinois) and Oliver Jamieson (junior corporate communications major from Chicago, Illinois) presented a resolution to use artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance education. Arianna Latterell (freshman international studies and pre-law major from Plymouth, Minnesota), in the true spirit of multilateralism and diplomacy, worked with a student from the University of Pennsylvania to propose a resolution supporting the necessity of a human-in-the-loop feature of AI to ensure its accurate and ethical use in the judicial process.
Marissa Ramos was elected by her peers to serve as vice-chair of the Development Committee for the upcoming Washington MOAS 2026. The week in D.C. was capped off with a meeting with Costa Rica’s ambassador to the OAS, Alejandra Solano Cabalceta.
The Baylor team is advised by Dr. Mark McGraw, lecturer in Spanish.
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