AURORA | Next spring, students from University of Colorado, Copenhagen University, the Frankfurt School and others will descend on New York for the annual Model United Nations Conference.

And right alongside students from those marquee global universities will be more than a dozen students from Community College of Aurora

CCA Political Science Professor Bobby Pace said being accepted to participate is an important milestone for the school.

Pace said the Aurora students are the only community college students from Colorado attending the conference, and one of just four community colleges in the entire country.

According to the UN, the 45-year-old program draws about 5,000 students to its conferences every year, which gives students a close-up look at how the UN functions. The Aurora students will be representing Ethiopia during the mock UN proceeding.

CCA, like Aurora, has a diverse population and includes a sizable number of immigrants. Pace said the group attending the conference includes several immigrants and the conference fits with the school’s growing focus on international issues.

“What we really want these students to understand is that they can make a global difference,” he said.

Some of the students have hopes for careers on the international stage, Pace said, including one who hopes to one day launch a charity in his native Democratic Republic of Congo.

Pace said the conference is also a chance for the students to make connections that can be useful later in life.

“I want our students to be able to network with those people,” he said.

While none of the students going hail from Ethiopia, Pace said several are African immigrants, so there is a natural fit there. In all, 17 CCA students are scheduled to attend.

The school has raised enough money for the students to travel to New York and to attend the conference, but Pace said they are still hoping to raise more for the trip. In addition to going to New York, Pace said he wants the students to use the opportunity to learn more about Ethiopian culture as well, with visits to some of the many Ethiopian businesses in Aurora before they head to New York.

Pace said donations can be sent to he or Janel Highfill at CCA, 16000 E. CentreTech Pkwy, with Model United Nations in the memo.