48 Compete • 32 Advance • Countless Futures Shaped
This past week was a big one for the future of teaching in Wylie ISD.
Forty-eight students from Amber Jansa’s Education & Training program stepped into the Texas Association of Future Educators (TAFE) Area Competition — a milestone that represents months of preparation, early mornings, and hands-on learning with mentor teachers across the district.
If you’ve met Amber Jansa, you know exactly why her students shine the way they do. She teaches Instructional Practices and Education & Training with a mix of heart, high expectations, and a steady belief that her students are capable of leading classrooms someday. And she doesn’t just teach them about education — she immerses them in it. Her students spend the year working in real Wylie classrooms, learning what it means to guide, encourage, and support young learners.
And this week, all that work came to life.
Out of 48 competitors, 32 Wylie students advanced to the TAFE State Competition. That kind of success reflects preparation, grit, and the kind of mentorship that shapes futures long after high school.
As results were announced, smiles spread fast, encouragement flowed freely, and the joy felt in the room was unmistakably Bulldog.
Here are the students advancing to State, along with their events:
2025 Area TAFE State Qualifiers
(32 Students Advancing)
Elizabeth Alvarez – Project Visualize
Hannah Bailey – Interactive Bulletin Board
Grace Chavez – Public Speaking, Professional Development
Karlee Cutbirth – Portfolio
Djanica Daniel – Interactive Bulletin Board
Illiana Davis – Impromptu Speaking, Public Speaking
Julianne Feightner – Ethical Dilemma
Kaylee Flemming – Interactive Bulletin Board
Kaylee Hardwick – Impromptu Lesson
Taelyn Hays – Professional Development
Kaylee Heinz – Impromptu Lesson, Interactive Bulletin Board
Alexia Holmes – Interactive Bulletin Board
Hayden Hood – Interactive Bulletin Board
Stefani Janezich – Inside Our Schools; Educational Leadership Fundamentals
Alexa Jones – Professional Development
Bethany Kirk – Interactive Bulletin Board
Izabella Martinez – Public Speaking
Courtney Muncy – Public Service Announcement
Ryleigh Ortega – Professional Development
Emma Pace – Interactive Bulletin Board
Hope Rogers – Ethical Dilemma
Reagan Rollins – Inside Our Schools; Educational Leadership Fundamentals; Differentiated Lesson Plan
Sophie Ruscher – Children’s Literature
Gray Shilz – Exploring Non-Core Subject Teaching Careers
Isabella Smith – Differentiated Lesson Plan
Chaynee South – Educational Leadership Fundamentals
Jenna Stricklin – Interactive Bulletin Board
Jenna Thompson – Children’s Literature; Educator’s Rising Leadership Award
Brylee Underwood – Interactive Bulletin Board
Emily Varela – Public Service Announcement
Mackenzie Willberg – Portfolio
Isaac Yetro – Impromptu Speaking
