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For Yasmin Saroufim, Malden Catholic Class of 2026, leadership has been built one opening statement, one practice session, and one act of encouragement at a time.

A Harrison Scholarship recipient and graduate of Malden Catholic, Yasmin will attend Trinity College this fall. She leaves MC with a remarkable legacy of excellence, dedication, and leadership, especially through Malden Catholic’s Mock Trial program, where she became one of the most accomplished and beloved members in the program’s history.

Yasmin’s four-year Mock Trial career was defined by preparation, persistence, and a determined approach to achieving success. She made an immediate impact as a freshman starter, a rare opportunity in the program. In her first year, she became the first freshman in Malden Catholic Mock Trial history to earn a perfect score on an opening statement in a state quarterfinal at the Moakley Federal Courthouse in Boston.

From that moment on, Yasmin continued to grow as a competitor and as a leader. No trial moment was too big for her. In fact, her coaches noted that she often brought her best work to the highest-stakes moments, challenging herself and her teammates to elevate their performance every day.

By senior year, Yasmin had earned the role of captain. Across preliminary and playoff trials, she delivered a team-record 11 opening statements that scored a perfect “10” — a feat her coaches described as one not likely to be seen again.

At the Senior Girls Awards Ceremony, Yasmin received the Brother Tim Hoey Leadership Award, named in honor of Malden Catholic’s beloved Mock Trial coach and program founder. The award is presented annually to the Mock Trial member who makes the greatest contribution to the leadership of the organization, demonstrating superior trial performance, total commitment to team activities, and natural leadership in strengthening team morale and camaraderie.

For Yasmin, that description was a perfect fit. Her coaches praised not only her outstanding trial performance, but also the way she helped preserve what they described as the most important reputation associated with MC Mock Trial: family.

“Preparation, persistence, and a dogged approach to achieving success have defined Yasmin’s four-year career in mock trial,” shared Robert Gregory, one of Yasmin’s mentors at Malden Catholic. “Even more than her stunning performances, however, I was impressed by the kind of teammate Yasmin became for her peers.”

That balance of excellence and care is what made Yasmin’s leadership so meaningful. She was respected for her talent, discipline, and competitive drive, but loved for the way she brought people together. Through long practices, high-pressure competitions, and countless trial prep sessions, Yasmin helped create a team culture rooted in friendship, trust, humor, and joy.

“She found the moments of humor and silliness, and bonded with her teammates over countless trial prep sessions at Starbucks,” Gregory shared. “Her teammates had always respected her, but it is clear now looking back that they truly loved her.”

Yasmin’s success in Mock Trial reflects the qualities that have shaped her entire high school experience: commitment, courage, preparation, and a willingness to give her full heart to the communities she is part of. As a senior captain, she led not only by example, but by helping others believe in what they could accomplish.

Her leadership was recognized with tremendous pride and admiration by the Mock Trial coaches and attorneys, who described her as “a senior captain who will never be forgotten in the history of MC Mock Trial.”

As a Harrison Scholarship recipient, Yasmin’s story reflects the power of opportunity and the lasting impact of Catholic education. At Malden Catholic, she found a community where her gifts could grow and where she could use those gifts to strengthen others.

This fall, Yasmin will bring that same drive, confidence, and sense of purpose to Trinity College. She leaves Malden Catholic with an extraordinary record of achievement, but even more importantly, with a legacy of leadership that will continue to inspire the teammates, classmates, and teachers who watched her grow.

Yasmin’s head was always fully in the game. By the end of her Malden Catholic journey, it was clear that her heart was, too.