MEET THE SECRETARIAT

Saanvi Thakur

Secretary-General

Class of 2026 | she/her

Born in Bangalore, India, and having grown up in the Bay Area, California, Saanvi is a sophomore studying International Relations, with minors in Political Science and Public Relations. Despite being new to the world of Model UN at the start of her freshman year, Saanvi quickly immersed herself into the MUN community after staffing BarMUN XV two years ago. Saanvi has also competed as a member of the MUN@BU Travel team, been a chair for BU’s high school conference, BosMUN, and previously been a member of the BarMUN XVI secretariat as the Director of Public Relations. When Saanvi’s not busy with Model UN, she also serves on the e-board for BU’s South Asian Student Association and is a peer mentor for the Kilachand Honors College. In her free time, Saanvi loves to try new recipes, rewatch New Girl for the millionth time, and travel to new cities. Saanvi is indescribably eager for BarMUN XVII and is excited to work with her brilliant secretariat to make BarMUN’s seventeenth iteration the best one yet!

Siddhaarth Chakravarthy

Director General of External Affairs

Class of 2026 | he/him

Sid is a sophomore majoring in Economics and Mathematics and minoring in Data Science and Public Policy Analysis. Born and raised in Dubai, he's traveled a long way to be a part of this wonderful conference. He has staffed previous editions of both BarMUN and BosMUN (our high school conference) and occasionally competes as a part of the MUN@BU travel team. Beyond Model UN, Sid has been a member of UAE’s National Debate team and acts as the Secretary of the BU Debate Society. He is also the Director of Financial Consulting at BU’s TAMID Chapter and an Investment Associate at BU’s Finance and Investment Club. In his free time, Sid can be found passionately listening to Coldplay music, binge-watching cringe sitcoms, or aggressively ranting about recent cricket matches and F1 races. With a wide variety of interests ranging from finance to film, he enjoys learning new things and catching up with the news. Sid is excited to serve as Director-General of External Affairs and can’t wait to make BarMUN an amazing experience this year!

Jamie Simpson

Under-Secretary-General

Class of 2027 | she/her

Jamie moved to Boston in the fall of 2023 for her first year at Boston University to major in Environmental Analysis and Policy with a minor in French - she had no idea that attending her first BUIAA meeting would lead to her active involvement in BarMUN. Having staffed BarMUN XVI, she knew she wanted to be behind the scenes for BarMUN XVII, and now serves as Under-Secretary-General. She recalls her experience in organizational roles in Model UN in high school, having planned and executed three international conferences, trained over 350 delegates in parliamentary procedure, and just once performed on cowbell for a conference’s opening ceremony in 2021. Jamie much prefers to be working the spreadsheets and Google Forms as opposed to being a delegate herself, however, she was an avid debater in high school and is looking to pick it back up in her future semesters at BU. Academics aside, Jamie is passionate about music (both listening and making it) and has playlists for every mood and situation - she’s even working on one for when committee is running. Jamie can’t wait for BarMUN XVII and looks forward to serving as one of this year’s Under-Secretary-General!

Luke Gialanella

Under-Secretary-General

Class of 2027 | he/him

A Los Angeles native, Luke is often asked why he chose to study in Boston. Hint: it definitely wasn’t the weather. As an avid learner of world history and politics, Luke is pursuing a major in International Relations with a minor in Jewish Studies. Having been Captain of his high school Speech & Debate team, and having participated in MUN on middle school, he has always been interested in global governance. Currently, Luke is an active member of the MUN@BU travel team, an Online Writer for the Europe Section of the International Relations Review, and served as Assistant Crisis Director for the Ad-Hoc committee at BU’s high school conference, BosMUN. Luke has worked over the summer as a debate instructor for elementary school students, and has also taught civics classes across the Los Angeles area for young learners. When Luke has free time, he enjoys listening to jazz, reading sci-fi novels, and watching old episodes of “Game of Thrones”. Luke is thrilled to serve as your Under-Secretary-General for BarMUN XVII!

Briannya Evans

Under-Secretary-General

Class of 2027 | she/her

In Miami, Florida, born and raised, by the beach is where Briannya spent most of her days. Chillin' out, maxin', relaxin' all cool, Briannya didn't join MUN until she came to school. In high school, Briannya served as Student Government and Speech and Debate Club President. With a major in International Relations, and a passion for learning more about global affairs, Briannya was interested in joining the MUN@BU travel team, of which she is now an active member. Moreover, Briannya served as an Assistant Crisis Director for BarMUN's sister conference, BosMUN, and is currently a member of the Sisters United club. Volunteering under her local School Board Member and as a tutor for a local elementary school, Briannya enjoys collaborating and meeting new people. During her free time, Briannya enjoys watching YouTube, playing instruments, and, most importantly, spending the day in bed. Briannya is honored and ecstatic to serve as your Under-Secretary-General for BarMUN XVII!

Kaitlynn Cherry

Under-Secretary-General

Class of 2027 | she/her

As a Vermonter, Kaitlynn is once again asking where are all the cows?? Though Kaitlynn isn’t farming and harvesting in Boston, she is pursuing a major in International Relations with a minor in Chinese. Having been head delegate of her high school Model UN team and a student editor for VTDigger, her various interests in local and global government have weaved themselves together. Currently, Kaitlynn is an active member of the MUN@BU travel team and served as a chair for the JCC Taiping Rebellion committee at BosMUN, BU’s high school conference. Over the summer, Kaitlynn made her first professional acting debut in What the Constitution Means to Me at the Weston Playhouse and continued to coach students in Model UN. In her free time, she enjoys tinkering with her instruments, playing video games and Ultimate Frisbee. Kaitlynn is absolutely delighted to serve as your Under-Secretary-General for BarMUN XVII!!

Abigail Lee

Director of Delegate Affairs

Class of 2027 | she/her

Having done three years of MUN in high school, Abby thought she was done after her senior year. However, after staffing her first BarMUN in October, she had such a great time that she joined MUN@BU—Boston University’s competitive travel team—the following month, and has loved it ever since. Since she first got involved with the Boston University International Affairs Association (BUIAA) in the fall, Abby has since served as Vice Chair for BosMUN, BU’s high school conference, and looks forward to staffing again next year. Outside of her involvement in BUIAA, Abby is an analyst with the Boston University Consulting Group, a Dean’s Host for the College of Arts and Sciences, and a member of the Kilachand Honors College. Before arriving in Boston, Abby conducted research in her hometown of Providence as part of the Rhode Island Civic Learning Coalition and served as a Youth Fellow with the Alliance of Rhode Island Southeast Asians for Education, informing policy within Rhode Island public schools. While she has not yet declared a major at BU, Abby is working towards a Spanish minor, and will likely pursue a dual degree in Data Science and Comparative Literature with a focus in Hispanic texts. In her free time, Abby loves to lift, run (she is training for a half marathon right now!), and eat Indian food. As your Director of Delegate Affairs, Abby can’t wait to meet you all at BarMUN XVII!

Akshay Chandrasekar

Director of Operations

Class of 2026 | he/him

Originally from Muscat, Oman, Akshay is in his second year at Boston University double majoring in Economics and Mathematics. Being a part of the student council throughout his middle and high school years while organizing and conducting various academic and cultural events, Akshay has developed a knack for people and event management. Outside of these experiences, Akshay also loves building and customizing things and took part in science model-making competitions. In his leisure time, Akshay does rock climbing; plays table tennis; is obsessed with singing way too much; and loves going on adventures like hiking and camping. He is excited for another adventure, joining you as your Director of Operations for BarMUN XVII!

Lila Baltaxe

Director of Public Relations

Class of 2025 | she/her

Lila is in her third year at BU. It took her a while, but after coming in undecided and trying a series of different majors (including International Relations), she landed on a double major in Comparative Literature and Spanish and a minor in Visual Arts. During her time as an International Relations major, Lila joined the Students for the UN branch of the International Affairs Association and has enjoyed being a volunteer coordinator, connecting BU students with volunteer opportunities in and around their community in Boston. Outside of BUIAA, Lila is involved as a graphic artist for the Daily Free Press, BU’s independent student newspaper. She is also a tutor for elementary school students, a frequent volunteer at Fresh Truck, a local Boston nonprofit that brings fresh produce to underserved communities, and a traveler. She is currently studying abroad in Quito, Ecuador, and having a blast. Lila is so, so excited to be the director of PR for BarMUN XVII!!