District Highlights

We're 'Better Together' at University Academy!

February 2026 - Congratulations to Mr. Marshall, 6th & 7th grade Science Teacher at UA-Longview!

Mr. Marshall has been named the Upshur/Gregg Soil & Water Conservation District Teacher of the Year—a well-deserved honor!
We are incredibly proud to have such a passionate, dedicated educator teaching our students. His commitment to science education and hands-on learning is exactly what makes our staff—and our school—so special.

February 2026 - Eighteen 2nd and 3rd grade UA-Longview students traveled to Kilgore College for the Robotics Celebration, where they confidently presented their robot, display board, and original creative story to a live audience.
Their hard work paid off with awards for Creative Board Design, Integration of Robot and Story, and Outstanding Presentation! In addition to presenting, students rotated through hands-on coding and robotics stations, stretching their problem-solving skills and teamwork throughout the day. We are so proud of their dedication, creativity, and courage to take the stage.

scholarship winner — February 2026 - Congratulations to UA–Palestine senior Yash!! After a highly competitive application and rigorous interview process, Yash has been awarded the prestigious UT Tyler Honors Scholars Program scholarship! Not only is Yash graduating from UT Tyler University Academy with over 30 college credits — fully funded by UA — but he now has the remainder of his college tuition covered as well. Yash truly embodies the University Academy mission: STEM-focused, driven, and college ready. He is a role model for what hard work, determination, and excellence can achieve.

February 2026 - UA-Tyler High School students participated in Model UN this past Friday and delivered an outstanding performance!
Students earned Outstanding Position Paper honors while representing both Denmark (World Health Organization) and the United Kingdom, and the delegation representing Denmark was also recognized with the Outstanding Delegation Award.
Congratulations to our students on their hard work, collaboration, and strong representation on the Model UN stage—we are proud of you!

January 2026 UA-Palestine proudly hosted their Parent Engagement STEM Showcase in celebration of School of Choice Week!
The energy on campus was incredible, and the positivity was undeniable. This message from their Director to the staff perfectly captured the moment:
“What stood out most was the leadership our students displayed—their confidence, their pride in our school, and their willingness to step up and guide others. This is a direct reflection of the culture you build in your classrooms every single day. Thank you for pouring into them.”

January 2026 - Adam’s science fair project, All Systems Go, is advancing to the State Science Fair!
His project explored how different variables affect water bottle rocket performance—testing water volume, fin shape, and nose cone height to determine what produces optimal results. Way to put scientific thinking into action, Adam! We’re so proud of you and excited to see you represent UA-Longview at the state level!

January 2026 - We’re honored to be recognized as a 2026 Educational Results Partnership HonorRoll district! This distinction highlights our strong academic performance and our mission to provide a rigorous STEM education that prepares students for college and beyond.

January 2026 - Congratulations to our Senior Dessert Team for taking 1st Place at the 4-H Food Competition!
Your hard work, teamwork, and seriously sweet skills paid off big time… they’re headed to STATE!

January 2026 - When a paper airplane soars, the smiles do too! Moments like this happen every day—teachers cheering, classmates celebrating, and students feeling proud of their work. This is what learning looks like behind the scenes at The UT Tyler University Academy!

Students earn letter jackets — December 2025 - Letter Jacket Day! We’re so proud of our students who earned their letters through outstanding achievement and involvement. From making the A Honor Roll to shining in Robotics, PLTW, UIL, STUCO, Class Officers, NHS, Yearbook, and more — these Patriots are putting in the work and it shows!

December 2025- We’re so proud of our UA-Palestine middle school students as they geared up for UIL Academic competition!
This hardworking group has been practicing, studying, and supporting one another—showing exactly what Patriot pride looks like. Congratulations to all our participants!

December 2025 -
UA-Longview World History adventurers brought the Middle Ages to life at this year’s Renaissance Faire!

From jousts and jesters to creative crafts and castle-themed fun, our students put history on display—and absolutely nailed it.

Each campus hosted a "Pack the Pantry" drive to support those in need in their local communities. Each campus reported banner amounts of donations this year!

We are truly grateful for the opportunity to give back to the communities that support our students and our academy. Thank you for making a difference!

October 2025 - UA-Longview celebrates Kindness Week!

When you visit their campus, you'll see that every week is kindness week!

students at the Palestine Pepper Festival parade — October 2025 - University Academy–Palestine loved being part of the Hot Pepper Festival community event! Even our Interim Superintendent, Dr. Aimee Dennis, joined in on the fun—proudly carrying the UA banner! We’re so thankful to be part of such a vibrant and supportive community!

UA-Longview's annual 'Math Isn't So Scary' night is always a big hit!

Families enjoyed food, math games, and a trunk-or-treat.

October 2025 - Celebrating Mr. En-Tze Chong, who was one of only 15 educators nationwide selected as a PLTW Engineering Outstanding Teacher. He holds his undergraduate and master degrees from UT Tyler and is currently working on his doctorate. Mr. Chong has transformed teaching and learning across our region—launching regional engineering and robotics showcases at UT Tyler, and building powerful community partnerships. He also coaches UIL Speech & Debate, Robotics, the GLOBE Program, and guides students in entrepreneurship and ethics competitions. We are proud to recognize Mr. Chong for empowering students to lead, innovate, and connect their learning to real-world opportunities.

October 2025 - Ms. Davis's UA-Palestine 11th grade students complete a Forestry Bingo Card - from aquatic plants to mushrooms and moss, they are checking items off their list.

October 2025 - Big congratulations to Ms. Kayla Washington, UA-Tyler 2nd grade teacher, on being named one of only 16 PLTW Launch Outstanding Teachers in the nation!
She’s transformed STEM learning for her 2nd graders through PLTW Launch, hands-on projects, and creative tech like Google Slides and Scratch. Beyond the classroom, she leads cheer, UIL, chess club, and more—impacting students across campus.
A two time degree earner from UT Tyler (undergraduate and master's), Ms. Washington exemplifies STEM education.
We’re so proud of her innovation, leadership, and dedication.
Congratulations, Ms. Washington!

biology lab students looking at x-rays — September 2025 - UA-Longview Human Body Systems students are diving into radiology! They practiced identifying different types of fractures on x-rays and did an amazing job naming both the fractures and the bones.

September 2025 - Mayor Jordan visited 6th and 7th grade health classes after students wrote him letters with their ideas for Palestine’s future.
From volleyball courts and archery ranges to Raising Cane’s and trampoline parks, our students dreamed big! Mayor Jordan answered questions, shared about his role, and encouraged students to keep thinking like community leaders.

students on sports court — September 2025 - Palestine students enjoy their Hootenanny Celebration on Fridays each month!

forestry class looks at tree circles — August 2025 - UA-Palestine's 11th Grade Forestry class got hands-on with dendrochronology thanks to Forester Leo Gustafson from the Neches River Wildlife Refuge! Students learned how to “read” the growth rings of a tree to uncover its history—counting red oak samples that were between 25 and 29 years old. They also discovered the differences between heartwood and sapwood, spotted fungus beginning to decompose the tree, and even noticed insect holes in the outer rings. Mr. Gustafson shared fascinating insights into forest management, the importance of prescribed burning, and even gave a look at the protective gear he uses while felling trees and managing burns.

August 2025 - UA-Tyler transformed an old space into a brand-new, innovative Art Room and PLTW Center!

Ms. McCullin and Ms. Parker are leading the way with creative, fun, and STEM-centered activities.

August 2025 - Swoop visits UA Tyler to welcome students back to school!

May 2025 - Congratulations to Mr. Norris White, honored as Educator of the Year by the Palestine Chamber of Commerce! We are beyond proud to have him on our University Academy team. The final lines of his biography say it best: “Mr. Norris White is a rare and remarkable educator—a man of letters and of the land, of intellect and integrity. His legacy is etched not only in the academic achievements of his students, but in the seeds he has planted: of curiosity, discipline, and an unexplainably and insanely devoted love of an ice-cold Coke and a bag of Lay’s potato chips.”

May 2025 - University Academy has, once again, received recognition from Project Lead The Way as a 2024-25 Distinguished District which recognizes districts across the U.S. for their efforts to provide broad access to transformative learning experiences for students through PLTW programs.

Fun Facts:

UA is one of only 4 districts in Texas earning the Distinguished designation!
UA has been a distinguished district every year since 2018!
UA is one of only 28 Distinguished districts NATIONWIDE!

May 2025 - Congratulations to four seniors at UA Tyler who were welcomed into the UT Tyler Honors College for the 2025-2026 school year.

Melissa Hilbig, Sofia Garcia, and Hassan Danish each received the Honors Scholars Scholarship valued at $10,000 per year, and Mathew Deptula received the Honors Endowed Scholarship valued at $2,000 per year. Congratulations! We are excited to see where your future takes you!

TASC award winners — May 2025 - Congratulations to three UA-Longview seniors, Mykayla Alvis, Hailey Johnson, and Baylee Mauer for winning the TASC Lone Star award at the state conference! The Texas Association of Student Councils (TASC) chooses 50 young leaders from the entire state based on outstanding community service along with a commitment to TASC and their local student council....and UA-Longview had THREE. We couldn't be prouder of these young women, and the impact they will continue to have on their communities after graduation.

UIL student participants — May 2025 - Big congratulations to our University Academy students! Last weekend, students from across our campuses represented UA at the Academic Regional UIL competitions — and we’re proud to share that 50 of our students competed! We’re especially excited to announce that students qualified for the State UIL Championships coming up in late May in several categories: Lincoln-Douglas Debate & Persuasive Speaking, Persuasive Speaking, Social Studies, Science, Informative Speaking, and Spelling. Way to go, scholars — we’re cheering you on all the way to State!

March 2025 - Deputy McGruff stopped by the Palestine UA campus. Huge thanks to the Anderson County Sheriff's Office Palestine for sharing the pictures and spending time with our scholars!