The crowd goes silent. The entirety of Academic UIL sits in despair. To many, it seems as though no further awards are attainable, that Cypress Springs has fallen behind. But that’s not the case. At the very last moment, her name is called, instantly lighting the room with cheers. Senior Hershie Carmelaine Soriano, a senior at Cypress Springs High School, rises from her seat and walks to the stage to claim yet another medal—one that reflects not only her academic talent, but also the countless hours of studying, reflecting, organizing, and competing that brought her there.
Despite her success, Soriano’s journey through Academic UIL has been far from easy. In the beginning, she became interested in the organization because two of her friends needed a third teammate in order to compete. Whether by coincidence or fate, seeing the determination of the people around her immediately sparked an interest within her, motivating Soriano to become the best version of herself.
“The way they were working and practicing,” Soriano said. “It made me realize that there’s something bigger than me out there that’s worth fighting for; how far I can go if I don’t let my potential go to waste.”
After joining Academic UIL, Soriano quickly encountered challenges. She originally competed in computer science, working alongside her peers to build knowledge, learn testing strategies, and push toward success. However, despite the effort she put into it, the results were not what she hoped for, which led her to question whether computer science was truly for her.
“Part of the struggle was learning to accept that maybe I shouldn’t compete in computer science,” Soriano said. “I had this idea that because of my ethnicity I had to be good at STEM, but that just wasn’t the case, and I had to come to terms with that. That’s why I feel like Academic UIL created a really strong work ethic within me, and despite everything, I just love it so much.”
Rather than giving up, Soriano rose and adapted. She explored other academic events before ultimately finding the field that would become her breakthrough: Language Arts and Journalism.
“Academic UIL has really pushed me to go above and beyond the classroom,” Soriano said. “Even when I couldn’t find a way to beat Cy Woods, I still wanted to keep going, and journalism ended up being exactly what I needed.”
Following her transition into Language Arts and Journalism, Soriano’s Academic UIL career quickly took off. She trained hard, competed whenever possible, and during her sophomore year, she reached the state competition for the very first time in Feature Writing after winning first place at District then finishing fourth at Regionals.
Now, after not making it her junior year, Soriano is back, preparing to return to state for a second year, this time in headline writing after winning the District title and finishing third at Regionals. She also advanced to Regionals in Newswriting with a third place District finish. Her District medal haul also include fifth place in Features.
“I didn’t feel like I earned going to state the first time,” Soriano said. “My sophomore year, I got in due to someone dropping out, so I promised myself I would genuinely make it to state this time around and buy myself the UIL patch for my letterman, and here I am now.”
As a junior Soriano also excelled in Journalism UIL competition. She claimed 3rd place in Feature Writing at District to advance to Regionals. She also took 5th place at District in Newswriting in 2025.
Soriano’s other UIL accomplishments includes Copy Editing 6th place District, 2024,
Headline Writing 6th place District, 2024 and Computer Science 4th place team, 2024.
Her hard work also paid off in Invitational competitions throughout the last three years earing her the following accoaldes: Headline Writing 3rd place invitational, 2026, Headline Writing 2nd place invitational, 2025, Literary Criticism 3rd place invitational, 2025, News Writing 5th place invitational, 2025, Feature, Writing 8th place invitational, 2025, Ready Writing 3rd place invitational, 2025, Feature Writing 8th place invitational, 2025, Headline Writing 4th place invitational, 2025, Feature Writing 5th place invitational, 2025.
While her accomplishments are undeniably her own, Soriano credits much of her success to the unwavering support of her friends and family. Especially, she recognizes her grandma, her mom, and her mentor, Mr. Chapela, for constantly encouraging her to keep moving forward, even during the moments when life tried its hardest to pull her down.
“Every time I want to give up my mom, my grandma, and Mr. Chapela are always there to remind me that win or lose I’m still their daughter, granddaughter and student,” Soriano said. “They helped me see myself the way they see me, as someone that doesn’t let winning define who they are, but instead how well they can get back up again.”
With graduation right around the corner, and Soriano moving forward with her education, her legacy lives on through the eyes of her underclassmen. She has been a friend, an inspiration, and a leader to them throughout her time in Academic UIL, and they are incredibly grateful for her guidance. With that being said, Soriano wishes for her underclassmen and future UIL members to pursue their dreams, and always push to be better.
“Unfulfilled potential is wasted potential,” Soriano said. “Go chase your dreams and don’t ever let them sink. Don’t take things for granted, work hard to do what your heart wants, what makes you happy, even if others disapprove.”
After graduation, Soriano plans on pursuing a degree in digital forensics at Sam Houston State University, where she can continue the path of her heart and achieve all the success she desires.
“Stars burn to shine,” Soriano said. “That’s how you get good results, you know?”
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