��㴫ý

As an international student from Thessaloniki, Greece, Kleopatra Moditsi ’18 packed a great deal into her bachelor’s degree in Political Science and International Studies.

She served as a campus tour guide and resident assistant. She was a member of the Global Monarch Club who attended as many Office of Intercultural Relations events as she could. She led an Alternative Spring Break trip to volunteer at a refugee camp in Greece. In her final semester, she was recognized with the Kaufman Award, the most prestigious student award presented by ��㴫ý.

But Model United Nations, the long-time student organization run from the International Studies program in the College of Arts and Letters, is where she really found her home away from home.

“Model UN transformed my interest in international affairs to a potential career path,” Moditsi said. “We would debate about important topics such as world poverty or child soldiers and guess what positions each country would take. These conversations prepared me for a professional career.”

Seven years after leaving ��㴫ý, and with a 2020 master’s degree in International Peace and Conflict Resolution from American University, Moditsi works in Copenhagen, Denmark for the Supply Division of UNICEF, the United Nations Children’s Fund, as a statistics and monitoring associate.

“I had been applying to various agencies and positions in the UN system for years before I got a reply,” Moditsi said. “I got no response for positions I thought I was the perfect fit and ended up landing a job that is slightly outside of my field of expertise.”

Without a background in statistical analysis of supply chains, Moditsi said she’s been able to pick it up quickly with the support of her colleagues. She loves feeling like their team is making a difference.

“I love my job because I get to contribute my tiny part to the huge effort to deliver lifesaving supplies for children across the world. It’s truly a dream come true,” Moditsi said.

Dr. Aaron Karp, senior lecturer of political science and long-time faculty adviser of Model UN at ��㴫ý, remembers Moditsi’s inspired contribution to the organization. He isn’t surprised that UN-connected career success has followed.

“Kleo was symbolic of our very best, using the Model UN, and exploiting its opportunities, by giving incredible energy,” Karp said. “It was breathtaking to watch her with a new and difficult task. It was done swiftly, almost suddenly, always brilliantly. She made our program better and emerged more accomplished and competent than anybody could have expected.”

Moditsi credits her time in the College of Arts and Letters with helping her establish a foundation for success. “Two things were key for my career: being involved on campus and asking advice from my professors,” she said. “The more you get involved in student clubs and societies, the more you learn to stay curious beyond the classroom and explore potential professional interests, both of which I still do as a professional.”

That especially includes mentors like Dr. Karp, Moditsi said.

“Once you have a mentor, it is easier to ask them for introductions with practitioners in the field or get recommendation letters. Professor Karp has been one of my role models and mentors and it has immensely helped with my career.”