Williams wins UIL award

• COURTESY PHOTO

A few weeks ago, the University Interscholastic League released the 2023 UIL Sponsor Excellence Award winners. One of the winners selected was Chapel Hill High School’s very own UIL Academic Coordinator, P. Anthony Williams. The purpose of the award is to highlight the contributions of sponsors of UIL scholastic competition. It was created to identify and recognize outstanding sponsors who assist students in developing and refining their extracurricular talents to the highest degree possible within the educational system while helping them to keep their personal worth separate from their success or failure in competition.

Williams background spans more than 24 years in academic coaching. He has dedicated the last 18 years to serving as the UIL academic coordinator at Mount Pleasant Chapel Hill High School. During this time, he has coached 10 State Championships, with the Computer Applications team securing seven state titles, and the Computer Science team achieving three state titles (2-team, 1-individual). Although not UIL, also coached a National Champion in FBLA.

Throughout his career, Williams has guided 36 individuals to compete in the UIL Academic State Meet, with 20 of them making multiple appearances at the state level. Beyond his school achievements, he has served on the UIL Computer Science Advisory Committee, the UIL Computer Applications Leadership Panel and has hosted numerous spring academic meets. Williams has also helped with the Student Activities Conference for Computer Applications at Tyler Junior College.

Williams has also served as the head tennis coach claiming multiple district championships and regional qualifiers as well as being the head boys’ basketball coach taking his team to a 30-win season and Regional Semi-Final berth in 2017.

“I want to thank the administration for the nominating me for this prestigious award, but most importantly, I know this award would not be possible without the hard- work, dedication, and sacrifice that so many of my students have exhibited throughout the years. I think creating a culture of competition is one of most important things that you can give a student. In life, everyone will face adversity,” said Williams. “It’s not if, but when and teaching that young person to not only bet on themselves but also knowing that someone has faith and confidence in them.” says Williams.

The winners were selected by a panel of judges in the areas of academics, athletics and music from nominations submitted by school principals and superintendents across the state and will each winner will receive a $1,000 cash award and an appropriate symbolic memento.