Germantown mock trial leader keeps team united

Teenagers can do amazing things when they set their minds on fulfilling a mission.

As proof, we point to Germantown High School senior Pauline Mireles, who, working as a player-coach, literally held the school’s mock trial team together for three years.

She managed that while engaged in a host of extracurricular activities, and while being such a high academic achiever that she is asking college admissions officers whether their schools allow triple majors.

There are other teens accomplishing tremendous things, some while dealing with serious life obstacles. Still, Mireles’ accomplishment is a nice reminder that our future is in good hands as her generation comes of age.

Mireles’ efforts to hold her school’s mock trial team together was detailed in a story Sunday The Commercial Appeal’s education writer, Jennifer Pignolet.

After her team was eliminated from last month’s Shelby County mock trial competition, the Germantown High students approached Brian Bourne, a Millington lawyer and the event’s volunteer judge, to thank him.

Then Mireles popped this question: Any chance Bourne would coach them next year?

An astonished Bourne asked about their current coach. They did not have one, and they have not had one in three years, Mireles said.

Mireles served as a player-coach for her team of about 12 students, building off her experience from her freshman year — the last year a lawyer advised the team full time.

“It put an entire new perspective on their performance,” Bourne told Pignolet, noting the team did well but were outperformed.

While seeking a lawyer-coach and preparing for college in the fall, Mireles also is focused on spending the first few weeks of August helping the next team succeed.

Mireles positioned junior Telesa Ward to take over for her next year. Ward will have some heavy recruiting to do in the fall because more than half the team graduates in the spring.

Holding the team together and a preparing for the stiff competition represents quite an accomplishment by the Germantown High team.

The mock trial season begins in early fall. Team members are tasked with learning legal terminology, courtroom etiquette and rules of evidence.

In November the Tennessee Bar Association distributes the case files for that year’s competition. Students have until the tournament in mid-February to examine affidavits, along with witness and evidence lists to make their case. Team members perform as both lawyers and witnesses for the competition held in courtrooms Downtown.

They must learn all this while keeping up with their studies and participating in other extracurricular school activities.

Bourne sadly declined Mireles’ request, explaining his job will not allow him to dedicate the hours needed to help. It’s an intense program, one that makes finding a coach hard.

Maybe Pignolet’s story will help the team’s search for a coach.

Mireles’ accomplishment in holding the team together for three years, and the team members’ dedication and support, are an impressive feat.

We hope they are back in next year’s competition — with a coach.