Crockett JH Students Shine in Academic UIL Competition
By Greg Ritchie
Messenger Reporter
CROCKETT – The applause inside the Crockett Independent School District (CISD) board meeting room wasn’t for a buzzer-beater or a playoff run.
It was for dictionary skills, music memory, science labs, essays written under pressure and students who spent early mornings and weekends preparing for academic contests most people never see.
During the district’s January board meeting, trustees recognized Crockett Junior High students for their performance in Academic UIL, a program that quietly has become one of the district’s strongest platforms for student confidence, academic growth and opportunity.
“These kids are our future,” Superintendent Damenion Miller told the students as they stood before the board. “Keep up the good work. We are super proud.”
The recognition followed a December Academic UIL meet against Coldspring and Onalaska, where Crockett Junior High students placed across nearly every event they entered, from sixth through eighth grade, and a One Act Play competition days later that added to the team’s overall success.
But the story of the program goes well beyond medals and placements.
At Crockett Junior High, UIL is open to every student in grades six through eight — not just those with top grades or a history of academic competition.
Eighth-grade science teacher Urvi Bhatt, who also serves as the junior high UIL coordinator, said one of the program’s most important roles is helping students see themselves differently.
“They think UIL is only for the smartest students,” Bhatt said. “I tell them, ‘No — you do not have to be an A-roll student to do UIL.’”
Students practice before and after school under the guidance of volunteer teachers and staff members who coach individual events. Participants must remain academically eligible, meaning UIL does not replace classroom success but reinforces it.
“They work really hard,” Bhatt said. “And they learn how to manage their time and their grades.”
The structure matters, especially at the junior high level, where students are still discovering their strengths.
Bhatt said one of the most powerful outcomes of UIL has little to do with final standings.
“These kids don’t always know that they are smart,” she said. “They don’t know that they can do it.”
She recalled a student she encouraged to enter a science UIL event despite his doubts. The student placed, an experience that changed how he saw himself.
“He didn’t know he could do it,” Bhatt said. “Now his confidence is amazing.”
She shared another example involving a student who competed in an additional event at the last minute and earned a placement.
“Even if they don’t place, it builds their confidence,” she said. “But when they do place, it stays with them.”
Bhatt said UIL often becomes a home for students who may not be drawn to athletics or band, giving them a space to compete, belong and succeed.
“There are students who don’t fall into those categories,” she said. “They will work for UIL.”
Academic UIL events are far from rote testing. Students write persuasive essays, analyze editorial scenarios, memorize classical music and artwork, interpret maps and charts, solve math problems without calculators and compete in science and social studies.
In music memory, students identify composers and musical selections by ear. In art smart, they study works from museums across the country. In editorial writing, they take on the role of newspaper editors, crafting arguments based on given information.
“They don’t realize it at first,” Bhatt said, “but they’re building memory skills, critical thinking and confidence.”
During the Jan. 20 meeting, junior high staff members described the scope of student participation and the challenges of a first-time host site, including multiple score revisions before final tallies were settled.
Despite the logistical confusion, Crockett students consistently placed across events, and combined results — including points earned through One Act Play — reflected a strong showing by the junior high program.
Board members and administrators emphasized the results were a reflection of student effort and teacher commitment.
“Our kids juggle a lot,” one sponsor told the board. “Band, athletics, FFA — and they still show up and do this.”
Miller echoed that sentiment later in the meeting, noting that academic UIL is part of a broader upward trend in student achievement across the district.
“UIL is on the upswing,” he said, pointing to individual student accomplishments and the growing culture of academic participation.
For Bhatt, the long days and extra hours are worth it.
“This is about showing students what they can do,” she said. “Once they see it, it changes how they approach everything else.”
Academic achievement, at any level, matters. And for dozens of Crockett Junior High students, UIL has become the place where they first learned to believe it.
Greg Ritchie can be reached at [email protected]
