Texas’s University Interscholastic League recognized 15 sponsors across the state on Tuesday for their roles in leading extracurricular organizations on campus.
Amberley Tanner, a speech and professional communications teacher at Northwest ISD’s Steele Early College High School, was one of the 15 honored with the UIL Sponsor Excellence Award for her work with her campus’s extracurricular organizations.
She will receive $1,000 and a symbolic memento from UIL to recognize her achievement.
“The passion, sacrifice, and unwavering dedication of our sponsors, coaches and directors are what transform interscholastic competition into life‑changing opportunities for students,” said UIL Executive Director Dr. Jamey Harrison. “Their leadership lights the path for young people to discover their potential, and the UIL is honored to celebrate these remarkable individuals with this prestigious award.”
The press release from UIL said Tanner has served as a coach for UIL prose, poetry, debate, extemporaneous speaking and congress since 2001.
She has also led UIL current issues, journalism, accounting, social studies and directing and adjudicating one-act play for many years.
“On my campus, I have wanted to cultivate a culture of teamwork and the notion that we are so much stronger together,” said Tanner. “UIL offers a broad range of events that allows all students to participate in a competition that not only provides opportunities to learn and excel but an opportunity to explore a subject area that they are passionate about in a new exciting way.”
Other titles Tanner holds include UIL academic coordinator, contest host and program developer.
Under her leadership, Tanner’s students have earned a long list of achievements.
They include multiple overall district championships, top speech team awards, a state championship in chemistry and a third-place state finish in poetry.
Others include numerous state finalist finishes in interpretation and congress, qualified for state in debate and district championships across many academic and speech events.
It is the 35th year UIL has honored extraordinary sponsors like Tanner.
“The award was created to identify and recognize outstanding sponsors who enable students to develop and refine their extracurricular talents to the highest degree possible within the education system,” said UIL in a press release.
Tanner was chosen among other educators across the state that coach athletic, academic, musical and other extracurricular clubs and organizations.
She was also recognized as Northwest ISD’s Secondary Teacher of the Year in 2023.
