From Feb. 29 to Mar. 1, 8 Texas Association of Future Educators (TAFE) members competitors from Coppell High School competed at 40th Annual Teach Tomorrow Summit at the Kalahari Resort in Round Rock. Out of the 8 competitors, four qualified for the national competition, Educators Rising Conference, which will take place from June 28 to July 1.
The four competitors, senior Adrian Cevallos, sophomore Nathalie Petit, senior Sunya Ajani and sophomore Zachary Brooks qualified for eight of the 12 competitions in total. Cevallos placed first in the Lesson Planning Arts (Elementary Music) competition, earning him a $100 scholarship.
“I was not expecting to be on the top,” Cevallos said. “It felt really amazing. I’m really glad because it reflects what I did. Not just me, but the people around me that helped me, my teachers and the students. If I won something, it is thanks to them.”
Petit qualified in both the Interactive Bulletin Boards Elementary event and the Exploring Support Services event.
“It’s mainly revising what you presented. When you go to the area [competition], you get a rubric,” Petit said. “The notes and rubric are definitely things to look at. For me, Speaking Matter was something that I had a lot of notes on, so I knew I needed to work on it.”
Petit said the competition not only showcases her educational skills, but was also a gateway to network.
“Working with others, you also get to view what they did and see if you want to do the event next year,” Petit said. “It’s a great way to see each other or help each other out.
Audio/Video production I teacher Kendra Carter, who both accompanied Coppell on the trip and served as a judge, remarked on the exceptional feat of the students despite the recent arrival of TAFE in Coppell.
“It’s a huge achievement as they’re competing with people across the state,” Carter said. “It’s amazing how many kids were there since our chapter is relatively new. Our chapter is only about four or five years old. Others are huge with about 40 to 50 kids. For us, with the small group that we have, that’s a huge accomplishment.”
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