For many students, the experience was energizing and transformative.
Ella Pepper carried an undeniable excitement throughout the entire day. After one of the afternoon hearings, she walked out beaming and remarked, “We crushed it. I knew exactly what I was saying and wish we had more time.” Her enthusiasm reflected the confidence and preparation the entire team brought to the competition.
While waiting for the awards ceremony, Noah Perez shared that the class had influenced a major shift in his future plans. “This class helped push me over the edge into making the decision to pursue law in college instead of medicine,” he said. “For years I have been in the PLTW program, but I realized I want to help people by giving them good legal counsel instead.”
Celia Perez echoed a similar sense of discovery. “Moving from LA to Liberty was hard, but it opened my eyes that I can be an honors student,” she said. “I never thought I could do a class like this, and it made me realize that I like studying law.”
For others, the program expanded their entire worldview. Student Robert Clegg reflected, “It has completely transformed my understanding of the United States and politics. The baseline education it has given me has allowed me to see the world in a more comprehensive way, and I am grateful I had this opportunity.”
Their success also held a special meaning for their teacher and coach, Brooke Richter. She reminisced about sitting on the other side of the table as a student competitor just ten years ago, experiencing the same nerves, excitement, and sense of purpose her students now feel. For her, coming full circle and offering this same opportunity to a new generation is deeply meaningful. Miss Richter leads Liberty’s campus and much of the county in civic engagement efforts, a passion that began when she was a We the People student herself. Seeing her students step into their own civic identities is, in her words, one of the most rewarding parts of her work.
With their strong finish and remarkable afternoon hearings, Liberty is now hoping to earn an at large bid to the state competition. No matter what comes next, this team has already demonstrated the power of civic education and the impact of students who are eager to understand their country and their role in it.