Loren Arcel Villaruel
Loren Villaruel (she/her) is a sophomore studying Business Law with a minor in Psychology at Arizona State University, hoping to eventually become an attorney. Outside of SDMT, she enjoys reading, working with students, and gaining experience through her internships. This year, she’s especially excited to compete and bring all her hard work to the competition. She loves Modern Family, Dead Poets Society, and Oh, the Places You’ll Go! Her favorite foods include sinigang and pretty much anything with potatoes. Her drinks of choice are an iced chai latte with sweet cream cold foam, a London fog, or Thai tea. Loren is motivated by purpose and making an impact, and if she could have any superpower, she’d choose the ability to read minds!
Quote: “Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It’s not.”
Avangeline Bailey
Avangeline Bailey (she/her) is a sophomore from Phoenix (Arcadia) studying Philosophy (Morality, Politics and Law). She’s a McCord Scholar and member of ΦΑΔ (Phi Alpha Delta) Pre-Law, and she’s here for the friends, the reps, and the thrill of trial. Bailey plans to pursue a career in law while keeping an open mind about which area to specialize in. Movie night? The Perks of Being a Wallflower. Book? Walden. TV? Supernatural. She will happily defend tapioca pudding as an elite dessert and insists ASU overalls are, frankly, chopped. A Sagittarius and ENTP (Enneagram 8), she can chat in niche languages like ASL, Ancient Greek, and Latin. Her go-to drink is AJ’s iced tea; her guilty pleasure is Taylor Swift; and her dream superpower is breathing underwater.
Quote: “To define is to limit.” — Oscar Wilde
Year in SDMT: 2nd
Nishka Bhoite
Nishka Bhoite (she/her) is a sophomore from Chandler studying Political Science. She plans to join the South Asian Society and RISE and is still exploring which area of law she wants to pursue. This semester, Nishka is excited to meet new people, scrimmage, and learn this year’s case. She loves sushi and Sinners, and she identifies as an INTJ who believes pineapple definitely belongs on pizza. Something surprising? She used to work as a Starbucks barista. These days her go-to order is an iced white mocha with vanilla sweet cream cold foam and extra caramel drizzle. Her guilty pleasure is watching ASMR to fall asleep, and if she could have a superpower, it would be mind reading.
Quote: “Happiness can be found even in the darkest of times, if one only remembers to turn on the light.” — Albus Dumbledore
Year in SDMT: 2nd
Peter Cipra
Peter Cipra (he/him) is a sophomore from Scottsdale majoring in Business (Law). Outside of SDMT, he plays rugby, lifts weights, and works part-time at Wieneke Law Group. Peter hopes to practice transactional law, preferably on the East Coast in New York or Boston. This semester, he’s excited to connect with teammates and get comfortable with the mock trial process. A French speaker and ESTJ, he loves sushi, Good Will Hunting, The Iliad, and Better Call Saul. His unpopular opinion? Persistently rainy or cloudy weather beats persistently sunny. Once a big high school band kid, he now fuels up with black coffee (two sugars) and a seasonal haul from Trader Joe’s. If he could have a superpower, it would be teleportation.
Quote: “That’s my dream; that’s my nightmare. Crawling, slithering, along the edge of a straight razor… and surviving.” — Colonel Kurtz, Apocalypse Now
Year in SDMT: 2nd
Amy Fleming
Amy Fleming (she/her) is a sophomore from Scottsdale, Arizona, majoring in Forensic Psychology. She hopes to one day pursue a career in law, though she’s still figuring out the exact path. Outside of class, Amy loves crocheting and making gifts for her friends. She’s thrilled to be meeting so many new people this semester. Amy loves pasta, is a big fan of K-dramas when she’s in the mood, and she practiced Taekwondo for nine years!! Her coffee order usually leans toward matcha, and her guilty pleasure is binge-watching Dance Moms. Amy insists bag charms are worth buying in every style. If she had a superpower, it would be super speed.
Quote: “It’s not the years in your life that count, it’s the life in your years.” – Abraham Lincoln
Year in SDMT: 2nd
Cindy Huang
Cindy Huang (she/her) is a sophomore from Flagstaff studying Political Science with a minor in Chinese. Outside of class, you’ll find her in the pool with ASU’s Swim Club or at karaoke—she loves to sing and never misses a chance for a good session. Cindy is considering a future in law but is keeping her options open as she explores political research and international diplomacy. This semester, she’s excited to meet new people and experience her first season with SDMT. A fan of Marie Lu’s Legend, soup dumplings, and dark chocolate, Cindy also stands by her belief that Ivy Leagues are overrated. She runs on fun specialty lattes and would love the power of time travel if she could choose any superpower.
Quote: (She’s still deciding!)
Year in SDMT: 2nd
Krithika Janne
Krithika Janne (she/her) is a sophomore from Mesa majoring in Business (Global Politics). She loves reading, painting, and watching Top Gear and Criminal Minds. Krithika hopes to attend law school and eventually work as an international lawyer or diplomat. This semester, she’s eager to make friends and compete at her first tournaments. A Gemini and INFP who speaks Telugu, she collects bells from her travels and loves lemon tiramisu. Her guilty pleasure is scrolling through one-star Goodreads reviews for entertainment, and she insists morning showers beat night ones. She runs on strawberry lemonade and dreams of teleportation as her superpower.
Quote: “Whatever you can do, or dream you can, begin it. Boldness has genius, power, and magic in it.” — Goethe
Year in SDMT: 2nd
Ben Kayne
Ben Kayne (he/him) is a sophomore from Los Angeles majoring in Communications and Political Science. When he’s not writing, lifting, or reading, he’s watching sports—baseball, basketball, and football—and yes, he’s the friend who lives for NFL RedZone Sundays. Ben hopes to become a criminal defense attorney, specifically a public defender. This semester, he’s excited to sharpen his skills and deepen his understanding of law and trial work. He’s into hamburgers, The Greatest Showman, the Alex Cross series, and Suits or Brooklyn 99. He’ll die on the hill that sushi isn’t good and has already run three marathons. Apple juice is his “coffee” order, and if he could choose a superpower, he’d pick super speed.
Quote: “Do the right thing even if it is the hard thing.” — Bryan Stevenson
Year in SDMT: 2nd
Danit Knishinsky
Danit Knishinsky (she/her) is a sophomore from Scottsdale studying Business Law. She’s a lifelong figure skater—and yes, she can still pull off some of the hardest moves on the ice. Danit hopes to become a corporate or international lawyer and is excited this semester to watch trials and learn from the experienced members on the team. She’s a fan of Desperate Housewives, loves pasta, and always orders a caramel macchiato when it’s coffee time. Her unpopular opinion? She can’t stand pastries or breakfast foods. Her guilty pleasure is watching movies while doing homework, and something people might not guess about her is how serious her skating background is. If she could have a superpower, she’d pick mind reading.
Quote: “Living is like tearing through a museum. Not until later do you really start absorbing what you saw.” – Audrey Hepburn
Year in SDMT: 2nd
Miryam Nielson (she/her) is a sophomore from Colorado City studying Political Science and earning a certificate in Political History and Leadership. She loves rewatching The Office, grooming her family’s dogs, and going to clubs on campus. Miryam hopes to become an attorney and build a strong professional network during her time at ASU. An Aquarius who loves anything with raspberries, she counts The Book Thief and The Office (or Better Call Saul when she’s serious) among her favorites. Her unpopular opinion? Conversations with people you disagree with can be more fun than with people who agree with you. She’s a retired Xbox player who used to beat her older brother at Call of Duty. With a vanilla latte in hand, she’s ready for the semester. If she could choose a superpower, it would be the ability to retain everything she learns.
Miryam Nielson
Quote: “Get busy living or get busy dying.” — The Shawshank Redemption (1994)
Year in SDMT: 2nd
Elias Ramirez
Elias Ramirez (he/him) is a sophomore from Ripon, California, double majoring in Political Science and Psychology while pursuing a Cross-Sector Leadership certificate. Outside of class, he’s usually hanging out with friends, listening to music, or playing the piano. Elias hopes to attend Harvard Law after graduating in 2029, become a white-collar defense attorney, and one day serve as a U.S. Senator. This semester, he’s excited to dive into the academic and competitive atmosphere of SDMT. His favorites include sushi, Mid 90s, Nineteen Minutes, and Breaking Bad. A Virgo and ESTJ, he admits his guilty pleasure is watching mukbangs, and something you might not guess is his piano talent. He fuels up with caramel apple spice drinks from Starbucks—“like an apple pie in a cup”—and would love the superpower of being naturally good at everything.
Quote: “Burn the ships.”
Year in SDMT: 2nd
Maya Shenhav
Bailey Simpson
Bailey Simpson (she/her) is a sophomore from Spokane, Washington, majoring in Business Law and Asian Languages. Bailey is a part of the Barrett Fellowship program and serves as a Piper Servant Leader, with hopes of going to law school to become an immigration lawyer. This year she’s really excited to meet new people and build a strong team dynamic! Outside of school, she enjoys drawing, painting, spending time with family and friends, and reading, currently enjoying the book “Day of Fallen Night”. She enjoys a good gyros, vanilla oat milk lattes, and ASMR. Bailey firmly believes that sharks are actually not dangerous creatures, and JAWS did irreparable damage to their reputation.
Quote: “Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts.” — Winston Churchill
Chris Tharalson
Chris Tharalson (he/him) is a sophomore from Scottsdale studying Business (Law). Music is his daily routine—he’s practicing guitar, hitting the gym, and heading out with the Outdoors Club when he can. Chris hopes to earn an MBA, then a JD, and ultimately pursue a joint JD-MBA. He’s pumped to compete and especially excited for crosses—new challenge, new rush. He’ll recommend Harry Potter, Leaders Eat Last, and Breaking Bad, order his coffee black, and argue that microwaving leftover pizza is totally fine. He says he has a knack for sales; his guilty pleasure is bingeing TV shows; and he’d choose super-intelligence as a superpower.
Quote: “Compare yourself to who you were yesterday, not to who someone else is today.” — Jordan Peterson
Year in SDMT: 2nd
Year in SDMT: 1st
Audra Ward
Audra Ward (she/her) is a sophomore from Tempe studying Finance and Civic and Economic Thought and Leadership in Barrett, The Honors College. When she’s not in class, you’ll find her working as a hostess or at FMA meetings, and she’s already soaking up everything SDMT has to offer. Audra is working toward law school with hopes of one day practicing in Washington, D.C. She’s excited to meet new people and learn from this experience throughout the season. A Sagittarius (and ENTP) who swears by sushi and Good Will Hunting or Percy Jackson on a cozy night in, she’ll also admit she doesn’t like soda—or most flavored drinks. Fun fact: she loves making pottery pieces in her free time. Fueled by chai lattes and a guilty love of anything peanut butter, Audra brings a warm, curious energy to the team. If she could pick a superpower, she’d go for telekinesis—or flight.
Quote: “Everything happens for a reason.”
Year in SDMT: 2nd
