Coach Kioceaia Stenson-Holiday is the Faculty Advisor and Co-Head Coach of Panther Mock Trial. She joined PMT’s coaching staff in 2018. “Coach Kio” (as she is referred to by her students) received her Bachelor’s degree in Political Science from Spelman College in 2011. She later went on to obtain her Juris Doctorate from Emory University School of Law in 2014. Immediately after graduation, Coach Stenson-Holiday joined the Miami-Dade County State Attorney's Office, where she is currently employed.​

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As an Assistant State Attorney, Coach Stenson-Holiday currently serves as the Assistant Chief of the Career Criminal and Robbery Unit- a unit that specializes in the prosecution of recidivist, violent offenders. In addition to serving as an Assistant State Attorney, Coach Stenson-Holiday is also an adjunct faculty member at FIU Honors College where she teaches a course entitled “Thriving in the Law.”

Eddie L. Holiday III serves as Head Coach of the Panther Mock Trial program. He began coaching the team in 2018 alongside his wife, Kioceaia Stenson-Holiday. Since joining the program, Mr. Holiday has devoted himself to developing students into skilled advocates, confident public speakers, thoughtful leaders, and principled professionals. Drawing upon his extensive courtroom experience, he teaches every stage of trial advocacy—including case analysis, theme and theory development, opening statements, direct and cross-examinations, evidentiary foundations, objections, witness preparation, and closing arguments. His coaching philosophy emphasizes meticulous preparation, intellectual discipline, teamwork, professionalism, resilience, and the ability to advocate with both confidence and authenticity.

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Mr. Holiday is a Partner in the Miami office of Quintairos, Prieto, Wood & Boyer, P.A., where he represents businesses, financial institutions, employers, governmental entities, and other sophisticated clients in complex litigation before state and federal courts. His practice includes complex commercial disputes, consumer-protection and class-action litigation, business torts, employment litigation, product-liability and warranty matters, real-estate disputes, municipal defense, and other high-exposure civil matters. He regularly develops litigation strategy; drafts dispositive motions and appellate briefs; takes and defends depositions; prepares corporate representatives, experts, and fact witnesses; argues contested motions; participates in mediations and settlement negotiations; and prepares significant matters for trial.

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Before joining Quintairos, Prieto, Wood & Boyer, Mr. Holiday was an attorney at a boutique law firm that specialized in real estate and representing ultra-high net worth individuals.  He also served as Manager & Counsel of Litigation at American Express, where he managed nationwide banking, consumer-protection, regulatory, employment, and commercial litigation. In that role, he advised business leaders regarding litigation risk, supervised outside counsel, developed dispositive-motion and settlement strategy, prepared corporate representatives, and helped manage complex disputes involving federal and state consumer-protection laws. 

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Mr. Holiday began his legal career as an Assistant State Attorney with the Miami-Dade State Attorney’s Office, where he served in the Career Criminal and Robbery Unit. During his prosecutorial career, he tried more than fifty jury trials and twenty bench trials to verdict and handled countless contested motions, evidentiary hearings, depositions, witness examinations, and complex investigations. That experience remains central to his work as a coach: he does not merely teach students what to say in a courtroom—he teaches them how accomplished trial lawyers analyze evidence, develop witnesses, make strategic decisions under pressure, adapt in real time, and earn credibility with judges and juries.

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Mr. Holiday earned his Bachelor of Arts in Communication and Culture, with a minor in Entrepreneurship, from Howard University. He was Captain and President of the Howard University Mock Trial Team; and earned many awards, including Most Outstanding Advocate Award at the 2009 Harvard Crimson Classic with a perfect 20-ranks on the prosecution and 19 ranks on the defense. He continued his education at the Howard University School of Law, where he graduated in the top ten percent of his class, earned the CALI Award in Criminal Procedure, and received the Best Oral Advocate Award in the Bryant Moore Intramural Moot Court Competition. His own experiences as a student advocate continue to inform his commitment to mentorship and his belief that mock trial can transform a student’s confidence, discipline, analytical ability, and professional trajectory.

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A frequent author and speaker, Mr. Holiday has presented continuing legal education programs concerning trial advocacy, the effective use of social media in litigation, corporate text-messaging policies under the Telephone Consumer Protection Act, and discrimination in jury selection. His professional honors include recognition by the Miami-Dade Bar as a Top 40 Under 40 attorney, selection to Super Lawyers’ Rising Stars list for Civil Litigation, recognition by the Daily Business Review as a Rising Star, and Top 40 Under 40 honors from the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation and the National Black Lawyers. In 2017, the Legal Services of Greater Miami named him the “Best Closer in South Florida.”

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Above all, Mr. Holiday considers coaching the Panther Mock Trial program one of the most meaningful parts of his professional life. He is committed not only to preparing students to compete at the highest level, but also to helping them become persuasive communicators, dependable teammates, ethical advocates, and future leaders. His goal is for every Panther Mock Trial student to leave the program better prepared for law school, professional life, and any challenge that requires courage, preparation, judgment, and a powerful voice

We are excited to welcome Coach Hailey back for another season after being our assistant coach last season.

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Coach Hailey Dennis is a litigation attorney at Holland & Knight's Miami office, where she focuses on complex commercial, maritime, and regulatory disputes. She represents public and private companies in high-stakes litigation, managing cases from early strategy through trial, including motion practice, discovery, depositions, and mediation.

 

Her experience spans both federal and state courts, with a focus on cross-border and regulatory matters. Before joining Holland & Knight, Hailey gained extensive experience in the maritime industry, working both in-house for a multinational cruise company and with the U.S. Coast Guard on maritime regulation and international law. 

Coach Carolina Sanchez is an Assistant Coach for Panther Mock Trial. Coach Caro received her Bachelor's Degree in English Literature from FIU in 2017. “Coach Caro” (as she is referred to by her students) continued at FIU Law, where she received her Juris Doctorate in 2020.

 

Carolina currently works as an Assistant State Attorney with the Miami-Dade County State Attorney’s Office. Carolina currently prosecutes cases in the Repeat Offender Court for the Eleventh Judicial Circuit, which prosecutes violent cases committed by career criminals. 

Assistant Coach Nia Virgo joined the Panther Mock Trial coaching staff in 2026. She graduated summa cum laude from Florida International University with a Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice and Global Studies and currently serves as a Legal Intake Coordinator at Lydecker LLP.

 

As an aspiring prosecutor, Coach Nia is passionate about trial advocacy, public speaking, and mentoring future advocates. Coach Nia competed with Panther Mock Trial from 2022 to 2026, serving the program as Logistics Chair, President, and Team Captain throughout her collegiate career.

 

During her time as a competitor, she earned 13 Outstanding Attorney awards and founded Panther Mock Trial's annual Camp Mock summer program to introduce students to competitive mock trial and trial advocacy.

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As an Alumni Coach, Jordan is excited to give back to the program that played such an important role in her own development. She finds it especially rewarding to watch Panther Mock Trial students grow as competitors, advocates, and leaders.

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During her time at Florida International University, Jordan graduated summa cum laude in 2024 and competed in Panther Mock Trial for four years, serving in leadership positions each year, including as President. Throughout her competitive career, she earned both Outstanding Attorney and Outstanding Witness Awards. Jordan also founded the Golden Panther Invitational and the PMTree Mentorship Program, creating opportunities for competitors to develop their advocacy skills and support one another.

 

Jordan Collins currently attends the University of North Carolina School of Law, where she competes on the Broun National Trial Team. Following graduation, she plans to return to Miami and continue her career in the legal field.

Jose R. Muhina Garcia currently attends the University of Iowa College of Law, where he aims to foster collegiality amongst future advocates by engaging as a research assistant, writing tutor and event co-ordinator for the Sports Law Society.

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Professionally, Jose's studies and interests have led him to work for Jones Walker as a clerk in the Maritime/Admiralty Department, delving into cross border disputes, federal litigation, and international contract disputes.

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During his time at Florida International University, Jose was a Panther Mock Trial Executive Board and Competitive member, where he was awarded 11 Outstanding Attorney Awards and 1 Outstanding Witness Award.
 

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