UCSB Mock Trial
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Meet the Team

The UCSB Mock Trial team is an entirely student-run program.
All competitors (including members of the executive board) are undergraduate students, and coaches are recent graduates. 
EXECUTIVE BOARD
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Eli Tannenwald
CLASS OF 2022
President
Years with UCSB MT: 3
Major: Economics
Hometown: Palo Alto, CA
Hobbies: Engaging with campus Jewish organizations and wasting time playing fantasy football
Theme Song: The Boxer, Simon and Garfunkel
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Alexandra Pigeon
CLASS OF 2022

Vice President, A Team Captain
Years with UCSB MT: 3
Majors: Linguistics and Religious Studies
Minor: Russian
Hometown: Riverside, CA
Hobbies: Writing, painting, roller skating, and crocheting
Favorite Bagel Topping: Tomato, Avocado, Everything But the Bagel Seasoning
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Madison Thomas
CLASS OF 2023

Treasurer
Years with UCSB MT: 2
Major: Psychological and Brain Sciences
Minor: Professional Writing
​Hometown: Highland, CA
Hobbies: ​Taking pictures of my dogs, watching Star Wars, collecting candles, and sleeping
Hogwarts House: Hufflepuff
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Palak Jain
CLASS OF 2023

Secretary, B Team Captain
Years with UCSB MT: 2
Majors: Economics, Psychological and Brain Sciences
Minor: Professional Writing
Hometown: Cupertino, CA
Hobbies: Eating garlic bread, texting Raana, skating, painting
Favorite Bagel Topping: Garden Vegetable Cream Cheese
COMPETITORS
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Alia Alshoushi
CLASS OF 2022

​Years with UCSB MT: 1
Major: Political Science
Hometown: Duarte, CA
Hobbies: 
Keeping my dog Bourbon from eating things she shouldn’t, embroidery, reading, and Danny DeVito.
Hogwarts House: Ravenclaw
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Abigail Boaitey
CLASS OF 2022

Years with UCSB MT: 1
Major: Political Science
Hometown: Costa Mesa, CA
Hobbies: Art, baking, gardening
Theme Song: I am Woman, by Helen Reddy
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Daniel Seo
CLASS OF 2022

C Team Captain, Auxiliary Secretary, Tournament Committee
Years with UCSB MT: 1
Major: Philosophy
Hometown: Chino, CA
Hobbies: 
Soccer, watching Office bloopers, being an existential question enthusiast
Hogwarts House: Ravenclaw

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Madelyn Whalen
CLASS OF 2022

A Team Captain
​Years with UCSB MT: 2
Major: Communication
Minor: Professional Writing
Certificate: Technology Management
​Hometown: San Jose, CA
Hobbies: President of Alpha Delta Pi, News Anchor for UCSB TV, crying to Taylor Swift, napping, drinking Gatorade Zero
Favorite Bagel Topping: Cucumbers and Cream Cheese
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Abby Merkel
CLASS OF 2023

Tournament Director
Years with UCSB MT: 2
Major: Political Science
Minor: Philosophy
Hobbies: Watching really bad reality shows, singing in my car to Taylor Swift , & listening to true crime podcasts
Hogwarts House: Ravenclaw
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Raana Naghieh
CLASS OF 2023

​Years with UCSB MT: 2
Majors: History and Sociology
Hometown: Castro Valley, CA
Hobbies: Reading, texting Palak, working out, thinking about Mock Trial, speaking in an Irish accent
Favorite Bagel Topping: Smoked Salmon with Lemon and Pepper
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Caillian Sheehy
CLASS OF 2023

Tournament Director, B Team Captain
​Years with UCSB MT: 2
​Major: Political Science
Hometown: Medfield, MA
Hobbies: Moot Court, reading, camping, going to the beach, watching UCSB soccer games.
Hogwarts House: Gryffindor
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Carissa Stewart
CLASS OF 2023

Years with UCSB MT: 1
​Major: Communication
Hometown: Yorba Linda, CA
Hobbies: Acting, making smoothie bowls, following Pamela Reif’s workout videos, watching old movies
Favorite Bagel Topping: Strawberry Cream Cheese
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Faiz Surani
CLASS OF 2023

​Technology Director
Years with UCSB MT: 2
Major: Computing
Hometown: Thousand Oaks, CA
Hobbies: Buying books and sometimes reading them
Theme Song: Jukebox the Ghost by Fred Astaire

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Sierra Vakili
CLASS OF 2023

​Years with UCSB MT: 2
​Major: Writing and Literature
Hometown: Carlsbad, CA
Hobbies: D
oing the NYT crossword, reading, running, hanging out at the beach, shopping at Trader Joe's, watching Minecraft livestreams, writing satire for UCSB's Daily Nexus
Theme Song: Take it Easy, by Eagles
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Caroline Baldan
CLASS OF 2024

​C Team Captain
Years with UCSB MT: 1
Majors: Philosophy and Applied Math
Hometown: Lincolnshire, IL
Hobbies: Listening to podcasts, ballet, playing bassoon, making bread, 
walking around IKEA, and quoting Jane Austen
Favorite Bagel Topping: Avocado with Olive Oil and Balsamic Vinegar
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Amruta Baradwaj
CLASS OF 2024

Auxiliary Treasurer
​Years with UCSB MT: 1
Major: Political Science
​Hometown: San Ramon, CA
Hobbies: My favorite thing in the world is to watch new movies and write little reviews for them :)
Theme Song: Nothings Gonna Stop us Now, by Starship
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Sean Ignatuk
CLASS OF 2024

Tournament Committee
​Years with UCSB MT: 1
Major: Political Science
Hometown: Tustin, CA
Hobbies: Guitar, piano, reading and writing
Theme Song: Vienna, by Billy Joel
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Natalie Lucille Swetlin
CLASS OF 2024

Tournament Committee
​Years with UCSB MT: 1
Major: Economics and Accounting
Minor: Chinese
Hometown: San Mateo, CA
Hobbies: Baking cakes and taking care of my betta fish, even though he is a grump who doesn’t appreciate all the work I do to keep him alive
Hogwarts House: Ravenclaw

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Hunter Wright
CLASS OF 2024

Years with UCSB MT: 1
Major: History of Public Policy and Law
Hometown: Stockton, CA
Hobbies: Video games, spearfishing, guitar
Theme Song: Way it Goes, Hippocampus
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Kristen Wu
CLASS OF 2024

Years with UCSB MT: 1
Major: Data Science
Hometown: Santa Clara, CA
Hobbies: Writing, gaming, watching slime videos
Theme Song: IPHONE, by Rico Nasty
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Aleyna Young
CLASS OF 2024

​Auxiliary Vice President, Tournament Committee
​Years with UCSB MT: 1
Major: Psychological and Brain Sciences
​Hometown: Bakersfield, CA
Hobbies: P
laying tennis, teaching tennis to adorable little kids, baking chocolate chip cookie pies, hiking in any mountain range, finding homes I won't buy on Realtor.com
Theme Song: You Don't Mess Around With Jim, Jim Croce

Mock Trial at the University of California, Santa Barbara


Email

mt.ucsb@gmail.com
  • Home
  • Join Us
    • Why Mock Trial?
    • COVID-19 FAQ
  • Meet the Team
  • Mocktopia
  • Accolades
    • Season Results
    • Individual Awards