Rachel Woodroof

      To excel it means to succeed in something, be interested in it and understand it to the best of your ability. I consider myself an average student, I do not get straight As nor do I get Fs. Something I have excelled in this year would be the Classroom Law Project in Language Arts. This was a project where we became attorneys, prosecuting or defense. We were assigned which side to represent, and practiced for a full run through Mock Trial. I was first assigned to be a prosecution attorney and then later on for the final I became a defense attorney. In order to get our cases together (either side) we had to go through a process of analyzing witness testimonies, diagrams and laws to understand the case. Once we began to get a sense of what we were doing it became time to draft up and refine an “opening and closing” statement. This was how we presented our take on the case and the facts. While also convincing the jury weather the verdict should be guilty or not guilty. This project required a lot of critical thinking and hard work. It really pushed me to be persistent and thoughtful. At the end, we had our final Mock Trial. This is when we competed against our opposing counsel in order to win the jury on our side. This was a huge part; it challenged me and pushed me outside of my comfort zone. I have not only excelled in my persistence with my work but also becoming more comfortable presenting. This project made me work hard but at the same it was kind of fun. Overall, I have excelled.