Most of you know Aasha Shaik as one of Odyssey's most talented writers and EICs. My teammates and me in the Rutgers University Mock Trial Association, however, know Aasha as our captain. Mock Trial is where a group of the most nerdy, talented, and incredible human beings decide to pretend to be attorneys and witnesses, and put on a fake trial.
We are a family. A very dysfunctional family. Yet, we would not be the team — the family — that we are were it not for our captain. This year, we were a team of mostly newbies, with little experience and a lot to learn. But we had Aasha (who, by the way, is also the first All-American from Rutgers, ever...which she won at Nationals as a freshman) — and I think I can say on behalf of my whole team, that we could not have had a better season thanks to her. So here is a small token of our appreciation and love for her.
"Aasha Shaik? Strong, hardworking, passionate, independent, caring, loving, beautiful, supportive. An amazing woman, an incredible Mock Trial captain, and a great friend. I can't even begin to put into detail how thankful I am to have met her. She pushes me to be better and has shown me that I can achieve anything if I set my mind to it. Even when she had such a busy schedule she was able to help me practice for Mock Trial one-on-one and I am forever thankful. I have never met a more dedicated and inspirational person! I'm writing this because I want to let her know how much appreciation I have for her. I'm so lucky to know the incredible superhero who is Aasha Shaik and can't wait to see her change the world." - Christine T.
"I love how Aasha is so loving and caring and is truly an inspiration to us all, and her immense involvement and leadership all across campus stuns me. My favorite moment was the first time I saw Aasha play the victim in this year's Mock Trial case, Kerry Bell-Leon. It was so real and authentic; I immediately knew that Aasha was meant to be our Captain."- Ryan
"Aasha is a beautiful soul not just because she is one of the most inspirational role models of all time and the epitome of strength and courage, but because, even without all of her accomplishments and goals, she is genuinely one of the most caring people I have ever met in my life. She is understanding because she empathizes and takes time out of her busy schedule to listen to all of our worries and issues. Aasha is selfless as a captain and as a human being; the world does not deserve her. Hopefully, we can do our best to give back to her even a little bit of what she has given us."- Zoe
"Aasha was always there to support us in our times of both victory and loss. She was always there for us, whether we needed somebody to just listen, encourage, or challenge us." - Mike L.
"When talking about Aasha Shaik...one word is very hard to describe a person who does so much. To a freshman like me, newly joining Mock Trial, she was first officially my captain, but quickly became much more than that. Aasha over this past year has been extremely reliable, fun, and encouraging. She helped lead our practices in a way that prompted me to have a voice in decisions and problems and she was always there when I had a question or concern. Besides being a strong leader she's been a great friend who we have shared many fun memories with — my favorites being the Saturday night of Regionals when we were all working together to "prepare" our changes for Sunday, and then watching her perform the most entertaining cross-examination I have ever seen on Sunday. I'm so glad to have met Aasha and have her not only as an amazing Captain, but a friend." - Zach
"Aasha is the most caring and selfless person I know. She always puts herself last and focuses on everyone around her. That being said, she also knew how to lead a team of almost completely freshmen all the way to Regionals. She is such an inspirational woman and never fails to amaze me with her accomplishments both inside and outside of Mock Trial. She is one of a kind and I know the whole team will miss her dearly when she studies abroad next year." - Katie
"Aasha has been the best captain. At first, I was a little bit scared of her because in my try out my original partner did not show up so Aasha had to take their place. I had already seen her during the informational session and she was phenomenal; she was crying and using that British accent and it was just amazing. So when I had to go up against her in my try out, I was terrified. But, since joining the team, she has transformed in my eyes from that terrifying, yet amazing, Mocker, to someone who is still an amazing Mocker but one who I'm not afraid to make fun of because she doesn't eat anything but bananas. This team wouldn't have been able to accomplish what we have without her and for that, I am eternally grateful. I am going to miss her so much next year because she is deciding to leave us to study abroad. But what I'm really trying to say is thank you Aasha for such a wonderful year. You are one of the best parts of this organization. Thank you for being my Captain." - Ajoke
Aasha, we love you and wish you the best no matter where you end up. Come back to us soon!
