Posted inSchool Pride, Education

From Novice to Champion in a Day

by Ivan Silva

From Novice to Champion in a Day

Junior Carolina Amador placed second in the 32-4A Lincoln Douglas Debate meet held on March 28, competing against other schools, including McAllen Achieve ECHS. The tension was palpable as the meet director announced the results of the semi-final matches, and Amador’s name was shockingly announced, securing her a spot in the Regional conference.

Amador had been interested in debate since her freshman year, but she only got the opportunity to join in her sophomore year. Despite not having had the chance to compete until this year, she had meticulously prepared for the district meet, memorizing her cases and repeatedly reviewing the topic.

“I was just so grateful to have even made it to the finals round,” Amador recalls. “I’ve always wanted to join because it seems so fun. I was excited to try LD Debate as I could see that the debaters were getting amped up when it was their turn to do a rebuttal.”

Amador did not know she would compete until the day before the district meet. However, she decided to take on the challenge to debate as she saw no harm in trying. She plans to prepare for the Regional conference by refining her cases and incorporating the feedback she received from the judges during the competition.

“I’m hoping to make it past two rounds at least, as it will help me better prepare for next year as I’ll know what to expect,” Amador said, looking ahead to future debates.

Posted inEducation, UIL

Jimmy Carter Early College High School U.I.L. Team Wins Grand Champion Title in District 32-4A Competition

by Ivan Silva

The Jimmy Carter Early College High School U.I.L. team has emerged as the grand champion in the veteran 32-4A competition on March 25th and 26th. Over ten schools and 200 students participated in various events, including computer science, ready writing, copy editing, current issues and events, editorial writing, feature writing, accounting, calculators, headline writing, mathematics, news writing, number sense, prose interpretation, science, spelling, and journalism.
The Jimmy Carter Early College High School team excelled in the competition, winning first place in editorial, news, and journalism and second place in current issues and events, LD debate and headline writing. The team also secured several other top-five placements across different categories. The first through third place advanced to the regional competition, while the first place team went directly to the regional competition.
Principal Claudia Gomez-Perez said, “Winning the grand champion title is a testament to our students and coaches’ hard work and dedication. Their commitment to excellence and teamwork is truly commendable. We are proud of our U.I.L. team and look forward to their future success.”
In the novice U.I.L. District 32-4A competition, held simultaneously, Jimmy Carter Early College High School students also performed admirably, securing top placements in copy editing, feature writing, news writing, headline writing, editorial writing, and number sense 9th.
“We congratulate our novice U.I.L. team on their outstanding performance in the competition,” said Campus UIL Coordinator Iván Silva. “We are confident that with continued hard work and dedication, they will go on to achieve great success in future competitions.”
The school’s U.I.L. team’s achievement in the competition is a matter of pride for the school community. The school administration hopes that it will inspire other students to excel in their academic pursuits.