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MEET OUR EXECUTIVE BOARD
The 2026-2027 Executive Board of VTMT
Jon Doe
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Carter Bearinger
(he/him/his)
President
Carter Bearinger is a senior majoring in Civil Engineering. After graduation, he plans to work as an engineer and designer. His favorite part of Mock Trial is traveling with his teammates and having the opportunity to visit other college campuses during tournaments. One of his favorite memories from Mock Trial was being surprised by his teammates on his birthday, the same day he was elected president.
Karthik Rathinasabapathy
(he/him/his)
Vice President
Karthik Rathinasabapathy is a junior 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. His favorite part of Mock Trial is competing alongside such a passionate team while challenging himself as an advocate. Outside of Mock Trial, he enjoys playing volleyball, pickleball, and basketball. His teammates know him for bringing energy and humor to every competition, and his favorite pre-round tradition is taking ten deep breaths before each trial to settle his nerves.
Reese Mathison
(she/her/hers)
Secretary
Reese Mathison is a senior majoring in Philosophy, Politics, and Economics with a minor in Science, Technology, and Law. Her favorite part of Mock Trial is the team's competition weekend Thai food tradition, where everyone gets to relax, laugh about the day's rounds, and unwind together. Outside of Mock Trial, Reese enjoys reading, spending time outdoors, and rewatching Game of Thrones. One of her favorite Mock Trial memories was traveling to ORCS and seeing the team's hard work come together.
Jane Doe
Grace McDonald
(she/her/hers)
Treasurer
Grace McDonald is a senior double majoring in Psychology and Philosophy. Originally from Maryland, she recently made Virginia her home. Her favorite part of Mock Trial is traveling to competitions and spending time with her teammates, especially the conversations during long car rides. Outside of Mock Trial, Grace enjoys sewing, working, and spending time with friends. She especially appreciates the friendships and memories the team has given her throughout her college experience.
James Doe
Aashika Agarwal
(she/her/hers)
Competition & Logistics
Aashika Agarwal is a sophomore majoring in Business Information Technology with a focus in Cybersecurity Management Analytics. After graduation, she plans to pursue a career in computer science. In her free time, Aashika enjoys painting, listening to music, and spending time with friends. Her favorite part of Mock Trial is the strong sense of community and the opportunity to travel with her teammates. One of her favorite memories is spending hours on the drive home from tournaments debating niche hypothetical questions with the team.
Lalit Manmari
(he/him/his)
Olivia Piacenti
(she/her/hers)
Skills & Development
Olivia Piacenti is a sophomore from Chester, New Jersey, majoring in Public Health with a minor in History. After graduation, she hopes to pursue a career in law. Her favorite part of Mock Trial is helping her teammates develop characters, strengthen their performances, and grow as advocates. Outside of Mock Trial, Olivia enjoys reading and watching movies. This year, she is excited to help strengthen the team's skills and contribute to VT Mock Trial's continued growth and development.
Jane Doe
Wardah Islam
(she/her/hers)
Public Relations
Wardah Islam is a junior majoring in Political Science and Psychology with a minor in Philosophy, Politics, and Economics (PPE). After graduation, she plans to pursue a career in law. Her favorite part of Mock Trial is developing case strategies and crafting memorable themes and one-liners. Outside of Mock Trial, she enjoys singing, spending time with friends, and working out. Her favorite Mock Trial memory is continuing the team's tradition of getting Thai food together during competitions.
James Doe
Samyuktha Venkatraman
(she/her/hers)
Anasofia Maya
(she/her/hers)
Activity & Fundraising
Anasofia is a senior majoring in Psychology with a minor in Science, Technology, and Law. Her favorite part of Mock Trial is combining her passion for law with the meaningful friendships she has built through the team, many of whom she now considers family. Outside of Mock Trial, she enjoys spending time with friends, going on spontaneous adventures, and working out. One of her favorite Mock Trial memories was staying with some of her closest teammates during ORCS and waking everyone up on competition morning by blasting Right My Wrongs.
MEET OUR COACHES
Natalie Murray
(she/her/hers)
Natalie Murray is a third-year DVM candidate at the Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine. She completed her undergraduate education at UMBC, where she competed on the mock trial team for four years, earned three All-American Witness Awards, and captained the 2021 National Championship team. In addition to coaching VTMT, she also provides distance coaching for her alma mater while balancing veterinary school and work as a veterinary assistant. Natalie especially enjoys helping students develop authentic, compelling performances for both witnesses and attorneys, and she is always happy to talk through the rules of evidence. Just be sure to set aside plenty of time — she proudly embraces being both a talker and a self-proclaimed crazy cat lady.
Shriya Chemudupati
(she/her/hers)
Shriya Chemudupati is a law student at Drexel Kline School of Law with an interest in intellectual property litigation. A former competitor of Virginia Tech Mock Trial, she is passionate about helping students build on their individual strengths and become confident advocates. While at Virginia Tech, she earned a degree in Cognitive and Behavioral Neuroscience with minors in Science, Technology, and Law and Adaptive Brain & Behavior. At Drexel, she serves in leadership roles within the Sports & Entertainment Law Society and the Intellectual Property Law Society and is a member of one of the nation's top trial advocacy teams. Outside of law school, Shriya enjoys singing, dancing, and is excited to continue mentoring VTMT and helping students grow both inside and outside the courtroom.
Camden Johnson
(he/him/his)
Camden graduated from Virginia Tech in 2025 with a degree in Computer Science and competed on Virginia Tech Mock Trial for three years. During his time on the team, he served as B Team Captain, A Team Captain, and Vice President. He now serves as an engineer in the United States Air Force. As a coach, Camden enjoys helping students develop their advocacy skills while sharing the lessons and experiences that shaped his time on the team. He is excited to continue supporting VTMT and giving back to the program that played such an important role in his college experience.
MEET OUR TEAM
Karthik Rathinasabapathy | Tyler Swint | Carter Bearinger | Varun Eturu | Jaden Halter | Josh Hoffman | Samyuktha Venkatraman | Tessa Carrano | Reese Mathison | Anasofia Maya | Grace McDonald | Catherina Newman | Tiya Sukhadia | Wardah Islam | Olivia Piacenti | Aashika Agarwal | Frances Smalera