Mock Trial: More Than Just A Verdict

As you may have heard, Galloway made it to the Championship round of Empire Mock Trial this year. You may have heard that I won an attorney award. What you may not have heard is what that really means.

Empire Mock Trial is a highly selective international competition with schools ranging from Georgia to Hong Kong. To be selected to compete at Empire is an accomplishment on its own—I was there to witness the first time Galloway was able to compete, at the end of my freshman year. In only three short years, our team has gone from barely making it in the door, the clear underdogs, to competing at the highest levels against the best of the best.  Winning our Division after receiving the most ballots of any team in the competition. It feels great to finally receive recognition for all of our hard work. 

You may think that is what I am most proud of. As a co-captain of this team for two years and one of the founders of the Empire team at Galloway, it would seem logical that making it to the Championship is my crowning achievement. But it’s not. Years from now, when I’m recounting my high school mock trial experience, hopefully as a coach for my own child's team, I won’t tell them about our win-loss record, I’ll tell them about the group of people I did it with. It may seem corny or a cliche, but this team is my family. I have grown into myself through mock trial. My mentors and closest friends all came from these four years. 

I will never forget my first time walking in the door, scared and confused as to what this activity involved, and being met with open arms by the seniors who were willing to listen to and help an annoying freshman to find his people. Four years later, I hope that my legacy on this team has nothing to do with tournament success, but in helping new people who have joined the team find their people as well. I hope I make my mentors proud. 

Of course success is nice. Of course it feels great to have people congratulate you for your awards and for your team’s success. But none of it compares to the quiet moment before a round starts. When you look your teammates in their eyes and know that each and every one of them has got this. You know that no matter what’s about to happen, they’ll have your back and you’ll have theirs. That’s what it means to be part of this team.

Thank you to everyone who made this year at Empire so great. Thank you to everyone who has been by my side in years past. Thank you to every coach, peer, and mentor who has made me a better competitor and person. And thank you to my teammates. We couldn’t do it without each other.