UA Tyler News

October 2026 - Our UA-Tyler 9th graders wrapped up an amazing, cross-curricular PBL inspired by Greek mythology and The Odyssey! Blending ELA, Social Studies, Biology, Computer Science, and Art, students created interactive apps, historical postcards, maps, ancient recipes, and intricate 3D deity tablescapes before presenting their work to parents. We are so proud of our 9th graders and grateful for our incredible teaching team for making learning hands-on and fun!

Dr. Odell's Outdoor Garden — Happy Retirement to Dr. Odell! August 31 marks the official retirement of Dr. Odell - co-founder of University Academy and a true champion for education in East Texas and beyond. For many years, Dr. Odell’s guidance, mentorship, and vision have inspired generations of teachers, students, and leaders. To show our deep gratitude for his tireless service, we gathered last Friday, August 28, to dedicate a special outdoor learning space in his honor: the Odell Outdoor Learning Lab! Thank you, Dr. Odell, for your wisdom, passion, and lasting legacy at University Academy. We wish you all the happiness and relaxation in your well-deserved retirement!

Tyler Cheer Club — May 2026 - Did you know UA students stay active after the school day too? While we don’t sponsor UIL competition sports, we offer a HUGE variety of clubs and activities across all campuses — there’s something for everyone! Check out our Tyler campus Spirit Squad showing off their moves with a choreographed performance at the end-of-year Talent Show.

May 2026 - Check out these UA–Tyler Campus high school students who competed in the Junior Citizen Bee—a competition that tests knowledge of American history, the Constitution, and civic understanding. We’re especially proud to celebrate one of our UA–Tyler students who took 1st place at regionals and is headed to the state competition!

Tyler students at UIL debate — May 2026 - The UA‑Tyler campus had four students participate in the UIL Cross Examination (CX) State Championships this spring. These students did a fantastic job representing our school and showed incredible resilience in this challenging debate format. While two students did not advance to finals, they shared that they are eager to apply what they learned to improve their performance next year. Of the other two students, one was awarded the Bronze Gavel in Speaker Awards, and both earned third place overall in our VERY FIRST year competing in this event! Congratulations as well to UA‑Tyler teacher Mr. Chong for leading, challenging, and encouraging our students every step of the way.

April 2026 - UA-Tyler’s Kindergarten scholars showcased their growing literacy skills during our Fairy Tale, Fable, and Folklore Festival PBL! Students confidently explained distinctions between literary genres, identified key story elements, discussed themes, and presented the original fairy tales they independently planned and authored. A wonderful celebration of early learning and imagination.

Feb. 2025 - Congratulations to Melissa Hilbig, Sophia Garcia, Hassan Danish, and Mathew Deptula - UA Tyler seniors - who were recognized this month with Honors Scholarships to UT Tyler! Dr. Philley, UT Tyler President, Dr. Streufert, Honors College Dean, and several others from UT Tyler came to UA on February 12th to announce the awards and share information about UT Tyler and the Honors College with our high school students. Each of these students was surprised today with a scholarship to attend UT Tyler and acceptance into the Honors College. We are so proud of their hard work and commitment to academic excellence!

Feb. 2025 - The UA 11th and 12th grade Engineering class in collaboration with the UT Tyler Chemical Engineering Department put on a great Water Bottle and CO2 Rocket demonstration for our 8th and 9th grade science classes at the Discovery Science Place last Friday. They learned about rocket trajectories, how to calculate maximum height using geometry, and got to design and launch their own water bottle and CO2 rockets. Thank you to the DSP for hosting a great E-Week event and providing this fun STEM learning experience!

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Dec. 2024 - The UA-Tyler cheerleaders performed alongside the UT Tyler Spirit Squad during Future Patriot Night at the UT Tyler Men's Basketball game. Swoop Swoop!

Dec. 10, 2024 - Swoop made a surprise visit to the UA Tyler campus to recognize Gavin Green, the first UA-Tyler class of 2025 senior to commit to UT Tyler this fall. Gavin has been a UA student since his third grade year. He will major in Electrical Engineering. When asked why UT Tyler, Gavin said he chose them because UT Tyler's Engineering program is currently ranked 74th in the nation by U.S. News and World Report, and third-best in the state for undergraduate programs not offering doctoral degrees.