MSC Student Conference On National Affairs

SCONA invites everyone to a trip in D.C. this summer! We would love for everyone to be able to come and meet our members and other universities! We will see you there!

SCONA had an incredible night at the 2026 MSCC Awards, taking home 8 of the 17 awards presented! We are also so proud to see several of our newest members recognized with First Year Involvement Awards! Let’s go SCONAvators!!!

Huge congratulations to our SCONAvators who graduated this past weekend! We are so proud of y’all and can’t wait to see what the future holds for each of you!

13 of our SCONAvators got a lot heavier hands this weekend. Congratulations y’all on your hard earned work to get your Aggie Ring!!!

We were incredibly honored to have welcomed Secretary Robert Gates to speak at SCONA 71! His insights on leadership, security, public service, and telling his story made a lasting impact on everyone in the room. Thank you for sharing your time and experience with us!

Thank you, Kai Skvarla, for speaking at our conference and sharing your insight and experience with us. We are truly grateful for your time and for the valuable perspective you brought to the conversation.

We were honored to hear from the Honorable Ellen McCarthy during our conference. Her thoughtful insights served as a powerful reminder of the meaningful impact of strong leadership and public service.

Thank you, Honorable Ellen McCarthy, for taking the time to join us and share your perspective.

Our SCONA 71 roundtables! Thank you to our dedicated facilitators for guiding meaningful conversations, and elevating discussions.
🏆 Best Presentation
Winner: Aging Arms and Empty Arsenals: The U.S. Military’s Replacement and Procurement Problem
Honorable Mention: Don’t Blink, Five Eyes: Intelligence Movement and the Five Eyes
📄 Best Paper
Winner: Accords over Ammunition: Foreign Service Reform
Honorable Mentions:
Don’t Blink, Five Eyes: Intelligence Movement and the Five Eyes
G.I.ve Me the Money: Streamlining VA System Updates and Modernization of Veteran Support

Wrapping up a truly incredible conference! From bold ideas to actionable solutions, we are grateful for the conversations, the collaboration, and the passion in the room.

We kicked off conference with an amazing start today! From an amazing talk from Secretary Gates, roundtable time, another talk from Major General McQueen, and review with . A big thank you to Parsons Mounted Calvary for bringing the review stand! We cannot wait for tomorrow!