TCHS, KHS TAFE Students Shine at State Summit, 21 Advance to Nationals

Students from the Timber Creek High School and Keller High School Texas Association of Future Educators (TAFE) chapters delivered an outstanding performance at the recent TAFE Teach Tomorrow State Summit in Dallas, earning top honors and sending 21 students to compete at the national level this June in Portland, Oregon.

The Timber Creek High School chapter also achieved a major milestone by advancing in the Outstanding Chapter competition. This is a significant accomplishment that highlights the group’s dedication, leadership, and impact throughout the year.

Several students qualified in multiple events, giving them the exciting challenge of choosing just one to represent their campus at nationals – a testament to their talent and preparation.

TAFE is a statewide co-curricular Career and Technical Student Organization (CTSO) that provides young people the opportunity to explore the teaching profession. The three-day conference brought together more than 3,700 students from across Texas who are interested in pursuing careers in education, allowing attendees to connect with peers who share similar goals, gain insight into becoming successful college students, and develop the foundational skills needed to become effective future educators.

Congratulations to this year's national qualifiers:

From Timber Creek High School

JV Division

• Blythe Blandford – Exploring Administration Careers
• Hayden Matteson & Lexi Fullner – Interactive Bulletin Board (Elementary)

Varsity Division

• Robin Gonzalez – Exploring Support Services
• Sydney Powell – Exploring Support Services
• Isabela Mendoza – Exploring Administration Careers
• Natalia Estrada – Children’s Literature Pre-K (Spanish)
• Sydney Powell, Saylor Hutchinson, Corinne Olson & Madison Trujillo – Ethical Dilemma
• Chloe Ory, Robin Gonzalez, Sydney Powell, Saylor Hutchinson, Abigail Wood, Kelsie Karpp, Natalia Estrada & Isabela Mendoza – Outstanding Chapter
• Ella Donell & Emma Edwards – Lesson Plan and Delivery: Professional Development
• Abigail Wood, Kelsie Karpp, Addison Pfaff & Olivia Tobkin – Researching Learning Challenges

TCHS Sponsor: Emily Boehringer

From Keller High School

Two Keller High students also had impressive showings that earned spots at nationals:

• Hannah Hagar – Exploring Support Service Careers (Varsity)
• Julia Toler – Creative Lecture (Varsity)

KHS Sponsor: Shelly Waggoner

In addition to their national qualifications, Timber Creek High School TAFE students earned top honors in several state-level competitions. While these events do not advance to nationals, the students distinguished themselves with standout performances.

State Gold Awards

• Sydney Powell – Portfolio
• Kaylea Puckett – Portfolio
• Lauren Christiana & Kaitlyn French – Project Visualize: Appreciation
• Juliet White, Desiree Linsley & Lily Srncik – Breakout Session

State Silver Awards

• Chloe Ory & Morgan Hise – Interactive Bulletin Board (MS/HS)
• Katelyn Dixson & Hallie Vansau – Public Service Announcement: Teacher Recruitment
• Alex Florres – Public Speaking
• Robin Gonzalez & Chloe Ory – Teacher Created Materials (MS/HS)

State Bronze Awards

• Sydney Wilson & Chloe Rice – Interactive Bulletin Board (Elementary)
• Hailey Taylor – Lesson Plan and Delivery: CTE
• Allison Bond & Micah Clark – Teacher Created Materials (Elementary)

Congratulations to all students for their dedication, hard work, and outstanding achievements at the state level. Keller ISD looks forward to supporting them as they advance to the national competition this June, where they will represent both Timber Creek High School and Keller High School with distinction on a national stage.