Eagle Pass High School Scholar Edwin Pua, Jr. is State Bound to UIL Academic Meet
By: Ricardo E. Calderon, Eagle Pass Business Journal, Inc., Copyright 2019
Eagle Pass High School scholar Edwin Pua, Jr. is returning for the second consecutive year to the University Interscholastic League (UIL) 6A State Academic Meet during May 2-4, 2019 after sweeping first place in both General Mathematics and Calculator Applications categories in Region IV and in District 29-6A.
Only a junior at Eagle Pass High School, Pua repeated as the District 29-6A Champion in both General Mathematics and Calculator Applications events held at Laredo LBJ High School on March 28, 2019. He defended his Region IV Championships in both events on April 12, 2019 at the University of Texas at San Antonio against the top students from the Rio Grande Valley, Laredo, San Antonio, Corpus Christi, Austin, and other South Texas cities, earning first place again in both events and qualifying for the State UIL Academic Meet for the second consecutive year.
Last year at the UIL 6A State Academic Meet, Pua won second place in Calculator Applications while only being a sophomore, missing first place by only a razor thin margin of two points. In General Mathematics, Pua placed among the top ten in State, earning ninth (9th) place.
“At the State Academic Meet, it is a whole different level than competing at Regionals because I have to compete against the top students from all other state regions coming from the magnet schools in science and engineering from Dallas, Houston, and other areas of the state,” said Pua. “And here I am just from little old Eagle Pass High School,” added Pua. “I would like to win State so that I can make Eagle Pass a landmark community in UIL Academic competitions,” said Pua.
Pua has enjoyed competing in UIL Academic Meets since elementary school at Nellie Mae Glass Elementary where he used to compete in Number Sense and continued at Eagle Pass Junior High competing in Number Sense and Ready Writing. He was not sure if he was going to continue at Eagle Pass High School, but Eagle Pass High School math teacher and UIL Coach Daniel Soto taught him in ninth grade math and encouraged him to continue competing because “he had a lot of potential and one day he would qualify for State.” “I was encouraged by Mr. Soto, but I didn’t believe him when he first told me that,” said Pua. Today, Pua credits Mr. Soto for mentoring and developing him in Calculator Applications and General Mathematics during the past three years as well as teaching him confidence and discipline.
According to Mr. Soto, there has not been a student at Eagle Pass High School that has won a State Championship in either Calculator Applications or General Mathematics to his personal knowledge. Pua missed it last year by only two points in Calculator Applications, placing a highly respectable second place. Both Pua and Mr. Soto hope that this year they can accomplish it in one or both categories, Calculator Applications and General Mathematics. Mr. Soto stated that Edwin Pua, Jr. is a gifted and academically talented student and an extraordinary young man. He is very dedicated, disciplined, confident, and has an outstanding personality.
Asked about his experience at Eagle Pass High School, Pua stated that “it has been a blast and I love it. I wouldn’t trade it for anything in the world. It has the best teachers, students, and friends.” His dream goal is to attend one of the top universities in the United States like Harvard or the Massachusetts Institute of Technology upon graduating from Eagle Pass High School and pursue a career in mathematics or science so that he can harness his talent for the good of humanity.
Edwin Pua, Jr. is the son of Edwin and Haydeelyn Pua of Eagle Pass, Texas.
The Eagle Pass Business Journal congratulates Edwin Pua, Jr. on his 2019 UIL Academic Regional Championships in Calculator Applications and General Mathematics and wishes him the best at the UIL State Academic Meet and his future endeavors. Go Eagles Baby!
