Congratulations to the 2025 M. Gordon Widenhouse/Rebecca J. Britton Scholarship & Award for Inspirational Team Leadership recipient: REILLY ROUSSEAU of AC REYNOLDS HIGH SCHOOL
Reilly Rousseau and Rich Manger, NCMTP
From Reilly’s essay
“In my senior year, I was given the captain position of my team. I was an attorney on both sides of the case, and I delivered the closing statement for both sides. Shortly after the case was released, my community was devastated by Hurricane Helene. I could not reach any of my teammates to see if they were okay. My entire community went without water and electricity for weeks, and many people were left without employment. Months went by, and we were all trying to get our lives back to normal, and many are still without essentials today. When we returned to school, we had no idea how we would raise money for the competition in Hendersonville. All the businesses we would ask for help from were destroyed. Many members of our team and their families had no means of contributing to our team. We were at a loss, yet we still found a way to ask our crumbling and devastated community to help, and we found a way to compete….I was the go between for our coach and my team, and I also organized all of the meetings and practices to fit everyone’s busy schedules. I found a way to bring my team together even though we were at a disadvantage…This year, despite the hurricane, I made sure that everyone on my team was okay, and we did team bonding experiences such as going to Sweet Frog and spending the entire night talking about our lives, not just mock trials but our personal lives. We all became best friends; even family, and I could never have met these amazing people without the mock trial and the great opportunity of being team captain this year. …I have a second family I can ask for anything anytime and vice versa.”
From her coach – Jennifer Turner
“This is my third year coaching the AC Reynolds Mock Trial Team, and because of Ms. Reilly Rousseau’s initiative, teamwork, and drive, I was able to have two teams represent our school in the 2025 Regional Competition… By her own initiative, she has allowed others to compete, which is an invaluable experience for high school students… Ms. Rousseau has a reputation in the school community for being dependable, supportive, and someone who truly embodies school spirit. From Student Council to FCCLA, Special Olympics, and assisting in athletics in managerial roles, I see the characteristics displayed in Mock Trial shown in all areas of her life here at AC Reynolds… Ms. Rousseau welcomes constructive feedback and has a consistent drive to better herself. Everything that she does, every conversation she has, and every act of kindness she offers is done with thoroughness, thoughtfulness, and spirit. That sheer joy motivates me as an instructor, and I am so grateful… After all the changes we have experienced in our community (Hurricane Helene), the students on my teams needed this competition, the social benefits of the club, and the general sense of well-being to be able to move on. Ms. Rousseau brought us all together before classes resumed, giving us all a chance to hug, take a deep breath, and realize that we are all going to be ok.”
The M. Gordon Widenhouse Jr./Rebecca J. Britton Scholarship & Award for Inspirational Team Leadership honors the energy and commitment of the High School Mock Trial Competition’s first program chairperson, M. Gordon Widenhouse, Jr., and longtime Director and Board President, Rebecca J. Britton.
The Widenhouse/Britton Award’s recipient will not necessarily be a star witness or attorney, but he or she will be the person who held the team together throughout practices and competitions.
The Widenhouse/Britton Award recipient shall receive an unattached $1,000.00 scholarship.
