While most students stuck to their usual schedules at school, a handful of Texas High staff and students lived a much warmer life.
From Jan. 17-19, 2026 Texas High School’s yearbook, photography and TigerVision media programs traveled to Honolulu, Hawaii to attend the fourth annual Shoots Summit media competition. At the competition, these students participated in multiple events and came out with numerous awards. TigerVison won first place for PSA, second place for Social Media Master and third place for Feature Story. As well as that, photography earned first place in Photo Essay and Product Photography and second place in Action Sports Editing. The determination of the yearbook staff won second place in the Double Spreads Layout event. With this opportunity, students learned a variety of new things, not just from the competition but from the locals and experiences.
“We went to Honolulu, Hawaii, and to Mauna Loa High School. There were 902 participants at the event, and we were the only mainland school,” photography adviser Clint Smith said. “Shoots Summit is primarily a broadcast or video contest that’s held in Hawaii, and it’s traditionally for Hawaiian schools, but we got an invite, and we were only [one of two] mainland schools to get an invite for it.”
Though this was yearbook and photography’s first time at Shoots Summit, TigerVision members attended last year. They returned to Hawaii, ready to improve more for future competitions.
“Last year, [TigerVision students] brought home a second and a third place, and this year they really stepped it up, even with the videos that didn’t place. You can see an increase in skill level within the group,” TigerVision adviser Victoria Pearcy said. “All competition trips are beneficial to the students because it really develops their skills and motivates them for the next competition, which for us is Student Television Network (STN).”
Photography students arrived at the competition for the first time, unaware of what to expect, but they left pleased with their results.
“I wasn’t sure what to expect from the schools for the photo [contests]. I had heard that the video contest would be hard, and there was a lot of really good competition for the video contest,” Smith said. “I think our strength, for my kids, is we are a dedicated photo program, and they did a really good job. We won first place in all the photography competitions.”
Yearbook faced multiple challenges throughout the competition, from sickness to adjustments in usual procedures. However, they still overcame these obstacles and learned new things in the process.
“Our program is different. Our yearbook kids don’t take the photos, so the day before and the day of, they got crash courses on how to take photos. Unfortunately, the morning of the competition, Kaylee Potts got sick and couldn’t come, so we ended up moving Lillie Orgeron to the yearbook group,” yearbook adviser Laura Spicher said. “She is the photo editor for the yearbook, so it worked out perfectly because she’s also in photography. She was able to help the other yearbook girls take photos and teach them on-site. In the end, our photos ended up being pretty decent for the first-timers.”
When reflecting on the fruits of their labor, participants felt that all three programs did an amazing job and truly represented the amount of time and effort they put into their work on a daily basis.
“I was very proud of all three programs, not just yearbook. Photography [and] TigerVision did awesome,” Spicher said. “It made it worth the very long travel days and the amount of planning we put into it.”
These multiple events allowed students to learn many valuable lessons that help prepare them for aspects of their future careers.
“I learned how to work under the pressure of a time limit and the stress of wanting to do well,” sophomore Elynn Peek said. “I had to give up a few things I normally wouldn’t just to fit my project into the time frame it had to be in.”
Although the trip started out focused on the competition, the groups still enjoyed fun in the sun during their free time.
“We competed and went to breakout sessions while we were at Shoots Summit, and then in our downtime, we got to explore the island,” Smith said. “We got to see a lot of really cool sites, like the volcanic craters, the beaches and the difference between the north side and the south side of the islands there. It’s almost like two different places.”
Arriving in Hawaii, students remained focused on their events but left with entirely different outlooks that they would not have thought possible without the trip.
“It gave us a completely different perspective on culture, lifestyle, food and just the way other people do things. [They do] the same things we do, but they do them in different ways,” Smith said. “It was very refreshing to see [their] perspective and pace. Their pace is completely different than ours, and that was very refreshing to see.”
Relationships throughout the trip grew stronger, with many shared experiences, views and precious moments.
“My favorite part of the trip was getting to spend time with my friends and mentors,” senior Hayden Henry said. “The scenery was absolutely incredible, and I made lots of good memories.”
While they made many memories, some much sweeter than others, family bonds strengthened through their wins.
“I think the best part of the trip was being able to do it with my daughter, because she’s one of my photographers, and she won,” Smith said. “To be able to see her, take on what is really a national stage and see her win without my help and be able to perform was great.”
On this trip, students gained many once-in-a-lifetime experiences they will cherish as they move forward throughout life.
“Outside of competing, Hawaii taught me so much about connection. I got to go on an amazing adventure with my friends,” senior Zoey Richardson said. “Exploring and learning so much about myself and Hawaii during the trip was so fun.”
