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MEET OUR EXECUTIVE BOARD
The 2025-2026 Executive Board of VTMT
Jon Doe
Karthik Rathinasabapathy (he/him/his)
President
Karthik Rathinasabapathy is a sophomore majoring in Industrial and Systems Engineering with a minor in Science, Technology, and Law. After graduating from Virginia Tech, he plans to attend law school and pursue a career in the legal field. In Mock Trial, you can find Karthik confidently delivering powerful closings or scaring the opposing witness during cross examinations. Outside of Mock Trial, Karthik is involved in Phi Alpha Delta, Virginia Tech’s pre-law fraternity. When he is not prepping for trial, he is usually on a court somewhere, trying to decide whether volleyball, pickleball, or basketball is actually his favorite. The verdict is still undecided. His friends consider him the funniest person in the group, and he is known for always bringing the energy both in and out of competition. One quirky habit he has picked up from Mock Trial is taking ten deep breaths and counting them using his toes whenever he gets nervous before a round... Karthik’s favorite part of Mock Trial at Virginia Tech is getting to compete alongside such a passionate team and having fun while doing it.
Shaan Patel
(he/him/his)
Vice President
Shaan Patel is a junior majoring in Industrial and Systems Engineering with a minor in Business. After graduating from Virginia Tech, he plans to either pursue a Master’s degree in systems or jump straight into the workforce. As our Skills Development Chair, Shaan enjoys both witnessing and attorneying in Mock Trial and is committed to helping the team sharpen their courtroom skills. His favorite part of Mock Trial is case analysis. He loves breaking down each case packet, searching for hidden details, and figuring out how all the pieces fit together to build a winning strategy. Outside of Mock Trial, Shaan is involved in IISE and enjoys spending his free time playing basketball and pickleball. He’s known for cracking stupid jokes, being weirdly obsessed with hot tubs, and trying foods from out-of-the-way restaurants just for the experience. When asked what stands out most about his time in Mock Trial, Shaan says it’s the "friends he has made along the way". What a cornball...
Reese Mathison
(she/her/hers)
Secretary
Reese Mathison is a junior majoring in Philosophy, Politics, and Economics, with a minor in Science, Technology, and Law. After graduation, she plans to attend law school. Reese has been both a witness and an attorney in Mock Trial, and while she enjoys both roles, if she had to choose, she would say witness is her favorite. Outside of Mock Trial, Reese is involved in Model UN and enjoys spending time with her friends. One fun and memorable part of her Mock Trial experience was learning how to do a Brooklyn accent, which became a running joke with her teammates. She also looks forward to the team’s post competition Thai food tradition after the first day of a tournament. Her favorite part of Mock Trial is the people. Reese loves the collaborative team environment, the process of bouncing ideas around, and the friendships she has built through the club.
Jane Doe
Carter Bearinger
(he/him/his)
Treasurer
Carter Bearinger is a junior majoring in Civil Engineering. After graduation, he plans to work as an engineer and designer. His favorite part about Mock Trial is traveling with his teammates and getting the chance to see other college campuses during tournaments. Outside of Mock Trial, Carter enjoys hooping in his free time and hanging out with friends. One particularly memorable moment from his Mock Trial experience was spray painting his teammate Josh’s hair grey. It was a hilarious and quirky highlight that still gets laughs from the team. Carter appreciates the balance that Mock Trial brings to his college life and enjoys being part of a creative and close-knit team. For reasons still unknown, Carter also loves hanging around the Public Relations Chair and talking about his mysterious past, which always makes for a good conversation.
James Doe
Josh Hoffman
(he/him/his)
Competition and Logistics
Josh Hoffman is a senior majoring in Industrial and Systems Engineering with a minor in Computer Science. After graduation, his plan is make money (fingers crossed). He’s involved in a wide range of organizations including IISE, NSLS, BGC, LTC, Rhizome, and WoW. In Mock his favorite role was being a defense closer, though he also enjoyed his most recent experience as a witness. What he loves most about Mock Trial is debating how to take on a case, what aspects of it to focus on and how to obfuscate the pieces you don’t like. During a cross-examination, Josh took advantage of a poorly phrased question to answer “no” on a technicality. The opposing attorney, excited by the response, repeated the question and rushed to find the supporting affidavit, only to come up empty-handed as his co-counsel shook her head and they had to move on
Lalit Manmari
(he/him/his)

Public Relations
Lalit Manmari is a junior majoring in Computer Science at Virginia Tech. Outside of Virginia Tech, he's planning on pursuing a career in the computer science field, furthering his academic pursuits at VT. In mock trial, you can catch our Public Relations Chair having the time of his life playing a varying range of witnesses in trial. One of his most favorite parts about being a witness is getting crossed by the other team's attorneys (especially when they try to hold back a laugh when Lalit's cracking jokes on the stand). Besides mock trial, Lalit enjoys spending time with friends, graphic design, playing pickleball, and is a member of the Society of Indian Americans. What he loves the most about Mock Trial at Virginia Tech is the people around him and getting to know the newer members of our organization.
Jane Doe
Anasofia Maya
(she/her/hers)
Activity and Fundraising
Anasofia Maya is a junior majoring in Psychology with a minor in Science, Technology, and Law. After graduation, she plans to attend law school and pursue a career as a lawyer. At Virginia Tech, Anasofia is actively involved in the Undergraduate Student Senate, Phi Alpha Delta, and of course, Mock Trial. Her favorite part of Mock Trial is tearing apart a case and developing a strong case strategy, especially when she gets to do it alongside the close friends she has made through the team. One of her most memorable experiences in Mock Trial was staying up until 3 a.m. the night before a competition and accidentally rewriting the entire case. It was chaotic, funny, and stressful all at once, but it made the team even stronger. Anasofia says she loves VTMT and everything it has brought into her life.
James Doe
Samyuktha Venkatraman
(she/her/hers)
Tournament Development
Samyuktha Venkatraman is a sophmore double majoring in Political Science and Criminology with a minor in Science, Technology, and Law. After graduation, she plans to attend law school and become a litigator, where she hopes to use her voice to advocate for others and make a meaningful impact. At Virginia Tech, Samyuktha is involved in Phi Alpha Delta, VTMUNC, and VT Dhamaal. Her favorite part about Mock Trial is the friendships she has built throughout her time on the team. She values having people around her that she can rely on, both in and out of the courtroom. One of her most memorable Mock Trial moments was singing and slightly dancing to music with her teammates before rounds. It helped ease the nerves and created a fun, supportive energy that carried into competition.
MEET OUR COACH
MEET OUR TEAM
TEAMMATES:
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Josh Hoffman
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Noah Witherell
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Phoebe Kaufman
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Anasofia Maya
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Bella Penaloza
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Carter Bearinger
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Frances Smalera
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Grace McDonald
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Jaden Halter
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James Russell
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Jocelyn Holinka
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Lalit Manmari
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Reese Mathison
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Rochan Sonti
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Shaan Patel
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Abby Caldow
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Karthik Rathinasabapathy
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Samyuktha Venkatraman
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Tyler Swint
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Aashika Agarwal
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Catherina Newman
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Eshaal Mirza
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Olivia Piacenti
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Tessa Carrano
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Tiya Sukhadia
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Varun Eturu
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Wardah Islam