Steele Early College High School teacher earns 2025 UIL Sponsor Excellence Award

Steele Early College High School teacher Amberley Tanner has been named a recipient of the 2025 UIL Sponsor Excellence Award by the University Interscholastic League, recognizing her extraordinary commitment to student achievement and extracurricular excellence.
 

Selected by a panel of judges representing academics, athletics and music, Ms. Tanner is one of 15 high school sponsors statewide who earned the UIL Sponsor Excellence Award. The award was created to recognize sponsors who empower students to develop and refine their talents to the highest degree possible within the education system.

“The passion, sacrifice and unwavering dedication of our sponsors, coaches and directors 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.”

Ms. Tanner has coached UIL prose, poetry, debate, extemporaneous speaking and congress since 2001, while also leading students in current issues, journalism, accounting and social studies. She has directed and adjudicated one-act play for many years and has served more than nine years as a UIL academic coordinator. Throughout her career, Ms. Tanner has hosted numerous contests and supported UIL programs in Title I and developing schools.

Under her leadership, teams have earned multiple overall district championships and top speech team awards, claimed a state championship in chemistry, achieved a third-place state finish in poetry and secured numerous state finalist finishes in interpretation and congress. Students have also qualified for state in debate and captured district championships across a wide range of academic and speech events.

“On my campus, I have wanted to cultivate a culture of teamwork and the notion that we are so much stronger together,” Ms. Tanner said. “UIL offers a broad range of events that allow all students to participate in competitions that not only provide opportunities to learn and excel but also allow them to explore a subject area they are passionate about in a new and exciting way.”

Each UIL Sponsor Excellence Award recipient will receive $1,000 and a symbolic memento in recognition of their pursuit of educational excellence through interscholastic competition.