Discover our Crisis team!

Penelope Gelman

Sofia Bartolini

  • Sofia Bartolini is a second-year student at Sciences Po Paris, Campus of Menton, majoring in politics and government with a minor in International Relations. Born and raised in Italy, she attended a languages-focused high school where she obtained the ESABAC, the French-Italian high school diploma. Thanks to a music project in Lebanon and an exchange year spent in Tunisia, she discovered her interest in political questions, especially in the Mediterranean and the MENA region. Sofia is passionate about negotiation and International Relations and would like to pursue her future career in the diplomatic field. After one year of working in the Crisis staff, she's thrilled to continue this experience as Crisis Co-Director. She looks forward to collaborating in creating exciting and enriching scenarios for the delegates, and she's really excited to work with the new brilliant team for MEDMUN 2024.

  • Penelope (Poppy) Gelman is a second-year student completing the Dual BA program between Sciences Po Paris' Menton campus and Columbia University, where she is majoring in Economics and Political Science. She has been thoroughly involved in Model United Nations for the past five years and was Secretary General of her high school's club. She has participated in and staffed in multiple conferences, such as NUMUN and MUNUC, and even SPMUN 2022 in Menton. Most recently, Penelope was a crisis staffer during MEDMUN 2023. She has developed a passion for the diplomacy of the MENA region and hopes to work in the field in the future. She believes that crisis represents many aspects of diplomacy in the region, and she is excited to enable her delegates, as well as the Crisis Staff, to participate in the most interesting, realistic and fun simulations possible. Poppy is honoured to be your Crisis Co-Director this year and looks forward to delivering an unforgettable twelfth edition of MEDMUN!

Amandine Peuchet

Ryley Barry

  • Amandine Peuchet is a second-year student enrolled in the Dual BA program between Sciences Po Paris and the University of British Columbia, Campus de Menton. She is majoring in Politics and government with a minor in international relations. Born and raised in France, Amandine moved and completed high school in Canada, which allowed her to get involved in different associations and realize her passion for international relations and diplomacy. After being a crisis staffer last year, she is thrilled to continue her MEDMUN journey as a Crisis Head. Crisis committees provide a wonderful opportunity to realize how policy-makers face those emergency scenarios and is an exercise especially relevant in the context of the MENA region that faces so many challenges. She hopes her role as head of crisis will help make this year's MEDMUN unforgettable and create long-lasting memories. She is thrilled to work towards that goal with such a passionate and dedicated team.

  • Ryley Barry (she/her) is a first-year student in the Dual BA program between Sciences Po Paris, Campus de Menton, and the University of California, Berkeley. Born and raised in the United States, while having also studied the Russian language in Kyrgyzstan, she developed an ever-growing passion for international policy. Participating in 14 MUN conferences over the course of four years, she competed at the international level, chaired various committees, and created the MUN curriculum for middle-school students. Through MUN, Ryley developed an interest in diplomacy alongside the MENA region and its socioeconomic impacts globally. As a Crisis Committee Head, Ryley looks forward to fun, stimulating debate, encouraging creative solutions, and furthering awareness of pressing global challenges.

Diane Bertel

Saskia Stock

  • Diane Bertel is a first-year student at the Menton campus of Sciences Po Paris. She was born and raised in Bordeaux, France, but has always had a deep interest and curiosity about the MENA region, which has been further strengthened by discovering some of the countries in the region. Although she doesn't yet have any experience in MUNs, Diane was involved in community life, particularly in the student office at her former high school. During this experience, she forged some unique memories and realized that she enjoys working on ambitious projects as part of a group. She hopes that her contribution as Head of the crisis committee will make this year's event even more memorable. Enthusiastic and smiling, Diane is looking forward to creating the craziest scenarios in the crisis pole and working with the whole MEDMUN team. See you soon for more MENA-zing adventures!

Pedro Meerbaum

Alizee Alptuna

Lara Harmankaya

Alia Ijioui

Sophie Walker

  • Sophie is a first-year student at Sciences Po Menton and is part of the dual degree program with UCL. She has a particular interest in international economics and languages. She is excited to be part of such a multicultural, talented team and to work together to make the best crisis scenarios this year!

  • Alia is French of Moroccan origin. She grew up in the Paris region and is currently a second-year student at SciencesPo Paris on the Menton Campus, majoring in Economy and Society. Growing up in the middle of a French and Moroccan culture allowed her to take an interest in the politics of the Maghreb; hence her desire to join the Menton campus specialized in the Middle East and the Mediterranean. During her previous experiences in MUN, particularly MEDMUN 2023, she discovered a passion for diplomacy, specifically solving problems around the Mediterranean. Her last prize for best delegate in crisis gave her the desire to move to the other side of the scene and help organize the 2024 edition of MEDMUN with the rest of the team. Therefore, this year, she will get involved as a crisis staffer to try to make this conference as unforgettable as the previous ones.

  • Alizee Alptuna is a first-year student at Sciences Po Menton. Originally from Turkey, she had been living in Istanbul before moving to Paris five years ago. She gained interest in the MENA region after reading several history books and following Turkish politics. She is also particularly fascinated by the religious and cultural diversity of the region but mostly its complicated geopolitical outcomes and conflicts. She looks forward to creating an enjoyable and enriching atmosphere for this year's MEDMUN conference. Alizee is delighted to be part of the crisis team and is very happy to welcome you all in Menton!

Leo Gerza

Ayse Su Sevil

  • Ayse Su Sevil is a first year student in the Dual BA program between Sciences Po Paris, campus de Menton and Columbia University. Being raised in Turkey and educated in a French high school, Ayse Su developed an understanding for different perspectives and cultures. She is interested by sociopolitical and geopolitical affairs especially of the MENA region. She is very excited to navigate the challenges of this interesting region as a crisis staffer of MEDMUN 2023/2024.

  • Leo is a second-year student at Sciences Po Paris Campus de Menton enrolled in the dual BA with Columbia University. With Italian and German parents and having been raised in the UK and Spain, he has always had an interest in politics and events which transcend borders and seeks to pursue this interest both through formal education studying in new places, and through exciting projects outside of the lecture hall, which has led him to join the Crisis Team for MEDMUN 2024.

Chaya Kumar

Annabelle Lyons

  • Annabelle Lyons is a first-year student enrolled in the Dual BA program between Columbia University and Sciences Po, Menton campus. She is from the Washington D.C. area but spent nine years living in Switzerland, South Korea, and India. Living abroad and constant exposure to diversity sparked her interest in current affairs, international economics, and global culture. She has previously participated in East Asian MUN conferences during high school, yet is excited to learn more about the MENA region through this year's engaging debates and fruitful diplomacy!

  • Chaya Kumar is a first-year student at the Menton campus of SciencesPo Paris. While being born to a Korean mother and an Indian father, she was raised in Canada, which gave her a unique perspective on international relations. This sparked her interest in the nuances and needs for a cultural approach to global development and the MENA region. After a Model United Nations conference in 2018, she instantly fell in love with the thrill of debate and the satisfaction of passing resolutions. This year, she will serve as a Crisis staffer and can't wait to meet you all soon. She hopes to make this an exciting and unforgettable experience.

  • Lara is a first-year student in the Dual Degree between Sciences Po Paris and Columbia University. Born in Istanbul, Turkey, but having lived in Kuwait for the past eight years, Lara has always had a cultural attachment to the Mediterranean and the Middle East. Her fascination with the region’s complex socioeconomic problems, multiculturalism, and intertwined geopolitical concerns directed her to the Menton campus and its renowned hub of diplomacy, MEDMUN. She has participated in MUN as both a delegate and chair for five years and is eager to try out its organizational dimension for the first time. She sees MEDMUN as an exceptional opportunity for intellectual enlargement among the world’s future diplomats and social scientists. She is thrilled to be joining the Crisis Team, which is reputable for its imaginative, humorous and relevant debates. As the Ad Hoc Committee Director this year, Lara aims to host solution-oriented discussions, unconventional topics, and unexpected simulations that encapsulate the tumultuous depths of world politics. Listening and collective idea-sharing will be on the agenda, as well as a fair share of laughter and excitement that one can expect from a Crisis committee. She looks forward to welcoming participants from all over the world to the picturesque town of Menton for MEDMUN 2024!