IRVING, Texas — Irving Independent School District senior Itzamara Cruz advanced to the UIL Academic State Meet after earning first-place finishes in feature writing at both the district and regional levels.
Cruz, a student at Nimitz High School, competed at the state meet in Austin on Monday, May 18, 2026. While she did not place in the top six at state, district officials said she represented Irving ISD and Nimitz well on one of Texas’ largest academic stages.
Cruz said she was overwhelmed when she learned she had qualified for state competition.
“I didn’t think it was possible for me to win,” Cruz said. “I was proud and excited of this achievement, and I remember immediately showing my parents.”
She credited much of her success to the encouragement and mentorship of her journalism teacher, Emily Blue.
“Even if I didn’t believe in myself, she believed in me,” Cruz said. “I decided to give it a try, and I got reminded of why I loved writing so much.”
Blue said Cruz stood out early because of both her talent and her determination to improve.
“She is a highly intelligent young woman, a great thinker and a talented writer, but her determination and openness to grow immediately stood out to me,” Blue said.
Passion for Feature Writing
Cruz said feature writing became a natural fit because it allows writers to emotionally connect with readers while telling meaningful stories.
“What I like about feature writing is that instead of writing a basic news report, I am giving life to a story,” Cruz said. “It’s a creative way to inform, entertain and connect with readers on a deeper level.”
Blue said Cruz’s creativity and storytelling ability helped separate her from other competitors.
“She has a gift for painting the picture of the story and creating an emotional connection with the reader,” Blue said.
During competitions, Cruz follows a detailed writing process that includes annotating prompts, identifying strong quotes, outlining her ideas, and carefully crafting compelling introductions before building the full story.
She admitted that managing pressure during competitions was one of her biggest challenges.
“To overcome it, I took a deep breath, decided to ignore the timer and looked back at my annotations on the prompt to make an outline that worked best for me before writing,” Cruz said.
Blue said Cruz consistently practiced using sample prompts to sharpen her critical-thinking and storytelling skills.
“She consistently used practice prompts to sharpen her critical-thinking skills and strengthen her ability to curate strong feature stories,” Blue said. “She also made sure the journalistic writing formula and structure were fully embedded into her writing process.”
Looking Ahead
Although Cruz does not currently plan to pursue journalism professionally, she said she hopes to continue writing and eventually become a novelist.
For Cruz, representing Irving ISD at the state level carried personal meaning because she has attended Irving ISD schools her entire life.
“I feel proud that I can give something back to the community that has raised me,” Cruz said.
About UIL Journalism
The University Interscholastic League sponsors five journalism competitions:
- News Writing
- Feature Writing
- Editorial Writing
- Headline Writing
- Copy Editing
Students compete first at the district level, with the top three finishers advancing to regionals. The top three regional competitors then advance to the state meet.
District officials noted that participation in UIL journalism contests has continued to grow in recent years, with many former competitors later pursuing careers in journalism and communications.
