Mock trial has been a journey for me, marking both my experiences and my growth, as well as helping me choose a path for myself. Becoming an accomplished public speaker allows me to feel confident in my ability to succeed, and in my ability to advocate for myself. Mock trial allowed me to push my boundaries and to strive for something that required significant effort, for the first time letting me experience both success and failure in a higher stakes environment outside of academics. I joined mock trial in my sophomore year. The first year created a sense of community and family, and also helped me become more extroverted. With a small team of eleven people, we became close, working towards a common goal of preparing the case. I helped contribute