As the school year winds down, two seniors are taking a moment to look back—at the work they’ve done, the people they’ve become and the futures they’re finally ready to step into.

Brian McCormick and Vee Hewett, both deeply involved in UIL Journalism and advanced academic programs, have spent the last four years growing not just as students, but as individuals learning what they want from life after high school.

Their stories show different paths toward a similar finish line: two students discovering confidence, direction and the determination to take their next steps into adulthood with purpose.

“In my brain, the achievements I mark as the highest, or my ‘main,’ would have to be my achievements in UIL,” McCormick said. “Specifically of those UIL achievements, I would have to say that the ones I accomplished this school year, [earning] first place in News Writing, second in Feature Writing and third in Headline Writing at the district level. I am most proud of because of the change in the amount of effort I dedicated.”

For McCormick, UIL wasn’t just a competition—it was proof of the work ethic he developed throughout high school, especially compared to the way he viewed education when he first began.

“Over the four years I have spent in high school, I have grown substantially when it comes to how I act socially and how I perceive my education,” McCormick said. “My freshman year, I was extremely distant when talking to or even interacting with new people, and I viewed school as something more like a chore. I wished I was doing other activities. Now, I have gotten way better at interacting with people and talking to others I have never met, and when it comes to education, I am hyper focused as I truly know that what I do here may help me in the near and distant future.”

Part of that transformation came from the rigorous Associate Degree Program, where McCormick earned two full years of college credit before even receiving his high school diploma.

“The most beneficial path I’ve taken throughout all of high school, whether I truly enjoyed it on the way or not, was the Associates Degree Program. During the program I garnered 60 credit hours worth of college credit,” McCormick said. “That credit can be extremely useful, but the degree I pursue and the university I attend can change how much of that credit is accepted. Thankfully the university I chose, the University of Texas at Arlington, and the major I am going to dedicate myself to, Communications, works with the credits I have earned and all will be accepted. This means I will be removing two years off the time it takes for me to complete my [degree].”

That smooth transition into higher education has shaped McCormick’s outlook on the future, motivating him to continue growing in confidence and skill.

“In the years to come, I hope my college life will be one of growth and genuine happiness,” McCormick said. “I want to evolve and grow my knowledge to allow myself to earn a job that will allow me to continue growing and helping those around me.”

While McCormick’s journey has been defined by academic discipline and steady growth, Hewett’s path took a different shape—one rooted in learning to let go of pressure and reconnect with her own identity.

“For me, my main achievement that I am the most proud of is growing enough to where I think I am ready for college,” Hewett said. “Whether that be academically or emotionally, I’m really glad I got myself to the point where I can go to college and learn to transition into my adulthood.”

That growth didn’t come easily. Hewett credits a turning point during her junior year, when taking a step back from social pressures helped her find clarity.

“I really feel like I grew whenever I started to isolate myself during my junior year,” Hewett said. “As bad as that sounds, not having a lot of toxic energy around me helped me grow immensely. I had room to grow as a person without the pressure of disappointing others or myself. I was able to grow and find out what I really wanted in life rather than staying stuck in a high school state of mind forever.”

UIL Journalism also played a major role in her development, giving her confidence in her work and a community that shaped her high school experience.

“I have done a lot within Academic UIL. Since my sophomore year, I have had a very long and enjoyable run competing in UIL Journalism,” Hewett said. “I got recruited for it and had no idea what to expect going in. To my surprise, I was met with the kindest coaches who genuinely taught me skills that will benefit me and my future. While placing high and earning medals was awesome while I competed, I am extremely lucky to be able to come from that experience feeling like I can use the skills I learned in UIL into my real life.”

Beyond skills, UIL also taught Hewett to value her own creativity, even when the results weren’t perfect.

“I’ve learned to love the work I create. I obviously keep myself in line with this, but being overly harsh with myself when I knew I tried my absolute hardest was very damaging,” Hewett said. “Whether it was a bad test, or something I wrote not placing well in UIL, I tried to view the things I create as sacred to me. I now look at the things I create as a part of my own personal history and a way to witness how I have grown throughout high school. If I were to always be perfect, I would never have any changes to look back upon.”

As graduation approaches, both students are preparing to enter new environments—McCormick. at UT Arlington and Hewett at the University of North Texas.

“After I graduate, I plan on studying Journalism and Psychology at the University of North Texas,” Hewett said. “I plan on starting college the fall after graduation. I am anxious about this very big and new change, so I don’t want to pressure myself into making any hard decisions about what I plan to do once actually there. If all goes well, I’ll be working part time while taking classes and just simply enjoying the first few steps into my adult life.”

Despite their different journeys, both students share the same hope: that college will be a time of growth, community, and discovery.

Hewett and McCormick put it best when imagining what their early adulthoods might look like:

“In five years, I hope I will be managing the transition from being a young adult into navigating whatever the world will look like when I’m 23,” Hewett said. “To me, 23 feels too young to lose all hope and whimsy, but old enough where I can be realistic about my upcoming adult responsibilities. In reality, I hope I’m surrounded by those I love most.”

“In five years after high school, I like to see myself having just graduated with my masters a year or two beforehand and, at the time, having a stable job,” McCormick said. “I see myself growing and learning about the career I am partaking in while improving myself so I can continue to climb the ladder that is the job market.”

For both seniors, that hope—grounded in the lessons they have learned and the resilience they have built—offers a promising start to everything waiting for them beyond graduation.