If I Don't Want to Go to Law School, Is Miami Mock Trial for Me?
By Kayla Groneck, Class of 2021
This week, as we’re entering our recruitment season, we’re addressing one of the popular misconceptions about collegiate mock trial that prospective members ask us year after year: “What if I don’t want to go to law school? Is Miami Mock Trial really for me?”
Emphatically, and as any one of our teammates, coaches, and alumni – all the members of The Legacy – would tell you, yes!
MMT alumni have certainly gone on to attend law schools across the nation after graduation, but they have also attended medical school, pursued master’s degrees in business and finance, participated in Teach for America, and pursued many more opportunities to further their diverse careers. MMT alumni aren’t just lawyers and judges. They have gone on to occupy every level of leadership within their fields, from hedge fund management to fashion design to corporate, non-profit and government consulting. Despite their varied career paths, what rings true for every member of The Legacy is how the skills they learned as a member of our program helped them excel within their respective fields.
What we’re saying is MMT is an investment that pays big dividends regardless of your Major or career aspiration. And to drive our point home, we sent Senior Kayla Groneck to interview Katie Milders, class of 2019. Milders agrees that MMT was the most important part of her time at Miami.
Milders, left, with her mother, who is also a teacher!
Currently, Katie is a special education teacher working in the Hamilton City School District. Her four year mock trial career culminated in 2019 where Milders led Miami’s ‘A’ Team to capture the first bid out of the Cincinnati Regional, the second bid out the Hamilton Opening Round Championship Series, and the second place trophy in their bracket at the National Championship, finishing third in the nation. Milders routinely performed as an attorney at the highest levels of competition. After graduation, Milders chose not to attend law school. However, she had a lot to say about how the skills that made her a powerful advocate in Midlands translate to help her as an educator.
The confident, articulate, and professional public speaking abilities as well as the active listening skills which members of MMT acquire readily translate to advantages in any field. Milders explained that she finds them particularly useful in education.
“As a special education teacher, presenting myself in a professional manner is extremely important,” she stressed. “Not only do I interact with administration and coworkers, but I also meet with parents and community members to advocate for and serve my students. MMT gave me the confidence, poise, and grace under pressure I use to advocate for the education and resources my students need and deserve.”
Milders also explained that these skills are useful inside her classroom. “Learning how to put together a concise and cohesive argument has translated into my lesson planning and delivery. Students with disabilities—the students I teach every day—often struggle in education because of what might be considered the ‘fluff’ of general education lessons. Learning how to speak directly and to the point in my lessons helps my students grasp concepts they otherwise don’t understand.”
We’re proud to claim Milders as part of The Legacy. She, like many in our alumni network, makes an effort to keep in touch with our current members, lending her experience by judging MMT scrimmages and lending her support by attending our tournaments when she’s able. Should you join MMT, you might just meet her at a scrimmage night or tournament and can ask her yourself about how her experiences and skills with our program helped make her the professional she is today.
If you want to hone the skills that Milders honed with MMT, check out our auditions process here. For more information, visit our FAQ page.