As Co-founder and CEO, Paul heads teacher training and development at Rose Institute.
Paul is a two-time national debate champion. He holds national accolades in competitive Drama, Impromptu, and Platform Speaking.
In his free time, Paul enjoys singing, baseball, and classic cars.
Charles Boles is the Director of Development and an experienced instructor at Rose Institute, where he has taught hundreds of students in the Bay Area, Boston, and online for the past four years. His confident and charismatic personality makes him a perfect fit for teaching public speaking. Charles developed and utilized his public speaking skills in high school as a finalist in Poetry Out Loud, student government and leadership roles, and master of ceremonies at school events. He was also an avid thespian (Shakespeare) and musical theatre enthusiast, performing in several leading roles.
In his spare time, Charles likes to play basketball, follow Los Angeles sports teams, and play with his nieces and nephews.
Trenton began his teaching career working at a learning center in high school. While completing his English Literature degree at UCLA, he taught at the university’s Undergraduate Writing Center and coached high school students in speech and debate. He also competed on UCLA’s collegiate debate and mock trial teams and taught at the prestigious UCLA Mock Trial Institute. After graduating, he taught history, science, and language arts full-time to 3rd through 6th grade students at Live Oak Academy, a private school in the San Francisco Bay Area.
Trenton continued teaching speech and debate and wrote a curriculum for public speaking courses offered to middle school and high school students throughout California. He coordinated and ran speech and debate tournaments and summer camps in addition to training other public speaking teachers. He co-founded MC Speech to continue this public speaking instruction in Southern California. In 2023, he joined Rose Institute as Director of Recruiting and Personnel to develop future educators, as well as cultivating his passion for teaching in his role as Master Instructor.
Sami Feteiha is an undergraduate student at Tufts University studying sociology and political science with plans to go to law school. He did mock trial for four years in high school, serving as the president for two years. He now is now a competitor and executive board member at Tufts Mock Trial. In his spare time, Sami enjoys skiing, cooking, and flying general aviation aircraft.
Callie is an undergraduate at Boston College, majoring in Political Science and Philosophy. As a dedicated member of the Boston College Mock Trial team, she competes at local and regional levels. Recently, she won an award for her performance as an attorney, and alongside her team, she's previously earned a bid to the opening round of national competition. In her free time, Callie enjoys exploring the city with her friends, taking advantage of Boston College intramural sports, and reading.
Yash Shetty, an undergraduate student at Boston University, debated for four years in high school. In his senior year, he finished as a California State Finalist and became the first Public Forum entry in his school to earn a bid to the Tournament of Champions. Yash earned a total of five TOC bids, setting the record for his school, and he and his partner were the first team from his school to champion a national tournament. In his spare time, Yash enjoys playing the guitar, tennis, and spending time outdoors.
Vayana Stoyanova studies History and Political Science at Stanford University. Mentored throughout high school by former NCFL president, Catherine Luhr, Vayana revitalized her Speech and Debate Club, expanding it from just two students into a successful and diverse team! As an instructor, Vayana leads with a heart for servant leadership, empowering her students to develop confidence, communication, and leadership skills as they learn. Her background spans childhood education, religious studies, community service, and the field of justice and law. Outside the classroom, Vayana enjoys social dance, reading historical fiction, and sending handwritten, wax-sealed letters.
Emily Lodenquai is a college freshman who was homeschooled for most of her life. She did competitive speech for 4 years and especially enjoyed the art of interpretive speaking. Emily qualified for NITOC (a national speech and debate tournament) for 3 years in a row and has won 2 national speech awards. She loves teaching others and encouraging them to develop their public speaking skills!
Viviana Martinez is an undergraduate computer science student at Stanford University. Throughout middle school and high school, Viviana competed in Impromptu Speaking and Interpretive Speaking in Texas' University Interscholastic League (UIL). Over the years, she placed 1st-6th across several invitational competitions and state competitions. Currently, Viviana continues to excel on the Stanford Mock Trial Team and loves the challenge of teaching at Rose Debate. In her free time, Viviana enjoys reading, pickleball, and going on walks.
Ramy Salama is dedicated to public speaking and youth education. He's currently pursuing a Bachelor's degree in Political Science at San José State University, and has been volunteering and teaching for over five years. In addition to teaching and tutoring, he has developed strong communication and mentorship skills through leading Sunday school classes at his church and coaching basketball.
Brian Pham is an Economics major with minors in Business and Political Science at San Jose State University. As a two-year leader in SJSU's Vietnamese Student Association, he has developed strong communication and leadership skills while fostering an inclusive community. Brian has also honed his public speaking abilities through coursework and acting, building confidence and stage presence. His dynamic approach to speech and debate reflects his diverse interests and disciplined mindset. Outside of academics, Brian enjoys playing chess and piano, dancing, investing, and weightlifting. He brings energy, empathy, and experience to help students grow as confident communicators and critical thinkers.
Sophie Cheung, an undergraduate business student at Santa Clara University, excelled in speech and debate throughout middle and high school. As head captain of her school’s team, she competed in over 7 events in 5 years, showcasing particular talent in limited preparation events. Sophie ranked among California’s top 5 impromptu speakers, after having double-qualified for the state competition in impromptu and extemporaneous speaking. In addition, she serves as president of her school’s investment fund, where she teaches members how to pitch stocks for real investment opportunities. Sophie’s hobbies include rollerblading, art collecting, and playing with her pets.
Mercedes Tamayo is a graduate of San Jose State University with degrees in Political Science and Philosophy as well as experience in her school’s bioethics debate team. Mercedes’ background in cheerleading has taught her the importance of confidence and presence in front of a crowd. Mercedes’ students have won several accolades at Rose Debate tournaments, including 1st place in Impromptu and 1st place team in Panel Debate at the Spring 2023 tournament. In her spare time Mercedes enjoys reading, movies, and learning music.
Maia Bowman is pursuing a degree in Cognitive Science at UCLA, where she competes with one of the top Mock Trial programs in the country. While in high school, she served as president of the mock trial club, performed in musical theater productions, and honed her speaking skills at an intensive courtroom-simulation program hosted by Stanford Law School. Outside of academics, Maia enjoys camping, playing the piano, and watching Miyazaki movies.
Sophia is a student at UCLA with a background in mock trial. She is entering her seventh year of mock trial, and is currently competing with the #2 ranked mock trial program in the country. Since college, she has received four individual awards. She has experience everywhere in the courtroom, from competing to coaching to judging. Sophia also spent a summer coaching at debate summer camps. is currently completing a BA in Political Science and a BA in Spanish. Sophia loves cooking, hiking, and art.
