By Toni Garrard Clay/AISD Communications Coordinator
Yuvia Leon describes herself as “a STEM sort of person.” For those of you not in the know, that’s education shorthand for science, technology, engineering and math. And this Athens High School junior absolutely rocks it.
She co-leads the science club she helped start a year ago with friend and fellow STEM standout Ale Pedroza, a sophomore. “I joined because I thought it would be fun to do experiments,” said Yuvia. “Now Ale and I come up with the experiments. We’ve gone from participating to teaching, and in the teaching, I find I’m learning more.”
Yuvia is also a member of the math team, which just recently advanced to the State UIL Academic Meet to be held in May. Math, she said, is “fun, fun, fun.”
“I love learning new tricks and how to solve problems. Being around other people who also enjoy it — that’s really good,” she said. “I feel like this year we’ve got this drive that urges us to keep doing better, and it’s contagious.”
“I met Yuvia last year when she came by my classroom, introduced herself and asked if she could join the math team,” said Ken Walker, who teaches French and math at AHS. At that meeting, Yuvia was far behind other students her age on the team, having never participated previously in any UIL math events. But Walker was loath to turn anyone away, especially someone with as much determination as Yuvia displayed.
“She quickly became an integral part of the team,” said Walker. “By the end of the year, Yuvia had already advanced enough to be promoted to the varsity group. … This year she has become a team leader showing mastery beyond her experience level.”
It’s not all about math and science. Yuvia was chosen again this year to play her flute with the ATSSB All-State Band (Association of Texas Small School Bands). More than 9,000 high school students in 22 regions across Texas auditioned for a place in their respective all-region bands. The top chairs in each region advanced to one of the five area auditions held in January, and only 280 of those 2,288 students were selected for all-state honors. Yuvia was one of those 280 — for the third time in her three years at Athens High School.
“We are very proud,” said Band Director Stephen Morman. “Being a three-time All-State flute player means Yuvia is one of the very best flute players in the entire state of Texas.”
Her entry into the world of music is another example of this smiling, kind teenager’s true grit. Yuvia was born and has lived in Athens all but a brief period of time when her family relocated to North Dakota. She spent the first part of her sixth-grade year there, which is when students are typically asked to choose an instrument if they want to join the band.
“I was just overwhelmed by all the instruments,” she said. “They asked me what I’d like to try, and I looked around with big eyes and said, ‘I’ll try … the flute.’ I just picked it randomly, and I thought, ‘If I’m good at other things, I can be good at this.’ I worked really hard at it. I was determined.”
Yuvia said she loves band and hopes to continue to be part of one at the college level, though she has no plans to study music there. She is drawn instead to a career in science, perhaps related to medical research. Whatever she ultimately decides to pursue, it’s a safe bet she’ll be successful.
Yuvia is the daughter of Juan and Angelica Leon of Athens.