One quote shared by Ms. Tracey Amaya really stood out to me: “Greatness is not an individual pursuit; it is the result of everyone around you.” That quote describes exactly what happened this year with our UIL Academic program. Success in a small school takes teamwork. It takes sacrifice. It takes adults who are willing to work together and put kids first every single day.
Throughout the year, our staff worked through changing schedules and added responsibilities so our students could have these opportunities. None of this happens by accident. It happens because people care deeply about the students of Leverett’s Chapel.
I want to thank Ms. Tracey Amaya for her leadership as UIL Academic Coordinator and for the time she invested into our students this year. Thank you to Coach Keith Hughes for his work with Chess. Thank you to Mrs. Katrina Hughes and Coach Jonathan Hughes for the many academic events they helped lead throughout the year. Thank you to Mrs. Haley McClendon, Mrs. Amanda Johnson, and Mrs. Perry for the work they put into preparing students for competition.
Our students earned several outstanding team awards during the meet. The 7th Grade Chess Team earned 1st Place with Brandon Walker finishing 1st individually, Warner Williford finishing 2nd, and Korbin Sheridan finishing 4th. The 6th Grade Dictionary Skills Team earned 1st Place with Aliyah Rodgers finishing 1st individually and Laila Gordon finishing 5th. The 6th Grade Editorial Writing Team earned a sweepstakes championship with Aliyah Rodgers finishing 1st, Ellie Powledge finishing 2nd, and Addison Tidwell finishing 3rd. The 8th Grade Editorial Writing Team earned 1st Place with Avery Cedillo finishing 2nd and Kathia Barrera finishing 3rd. The 7th Grade Listening Skills Team earned 1st Place with Isabella Varner finishing 2nd and Lila Eckert finishing 3rd. The 7th Grade Music Memory Team earned a sweepstakes championship with Brody Moss finishing 1st, Lila Eckert finishing 2nd, and Isabella Varner finishing 3rd.
We also had many outstanding individual performances across the meet. In Calculator Applications, Zahra Ford finished 2nd, Laila Gordon finished 4th, Melitsa Castillo finished 3rd, Raymond Reyes finished 6th, and Avery Cedillo finished 5th. In Chess, Savannah Smith earned 1st Place and Dustyn Cedillo earned 6th Place. In Dictionary Skills, Korbin Sheridan earned 2nd Place, Kamila Orta earned 4th Place, and Avery Cedillo earned 5th Place. In Editorial Writing, Melitsa Castillo earned 2nd Place. In Impromptu Speaking, Kendra Riewer earned 3rd Place, Aliyah Rodgers earned 6th Place, Tucker Jimmerson earned 1st Place, Melitsa Castillo earned 3rd Place, Warner Williford earned 5th Place, Kamila Orta earned 1st Place, and Kathia Barrera earned 3rd Place. In Maps, Graphs, and Charts, Laila Gordon earned 5th Place, CJ Kirk earned 6th Place, Jeronimo DeLeon earned 5th Place, and Dustyn Cedillo earned 6th Place. In Math, Aliyah Rodgers earned 3rd Place and Lila Eckert earned 6th Place. In Number Sense, Brandon Walker earned 2nd Place and Warner Williford earned 3rd Place. In Oral Reading, Tucker Jimmerson earned 5th Place, Warner Williford earned 6th Place, and Kamila Orta earned 5th Place. In Ready Writing, Aliyah Rodgers earned 3rd Place, Savannah Smith earned 4th Place, Melitsa Castillo earned 5th Place, and Kamila Orta earned 4th Place. In Spelling, Brandon Walker earned 3rd Place.
This was a tremendous accomplishment for our students and staff. What excites me most is the momentum this group is building for the future. We have younger students already making an impact, and another strong group is on the way. The future of UIL Academics at LC is very bright.
Small school. Big dreams. Bold futures.
Go Lions!