Bellville Students Compete in UIL Congress State Championship

January 16, 2025

Tuesday, Jan. 7, three Bellville High School students competed in the 2025 UIL Congress State Championship. Topics ranging from Internet privacy laws to restrictions on stock trading for government officials, competitors debated for a chance to advance to state finals.

UIL Congress consists of two, three-hour sessions of debate and covers a variety of proposed legislation written by other high school students. It dives into the legislative process of the American government.

Bellville High School are seasoned veterans for the UIL Congress event. Led by coach Andrew Jennings since 2017, BHS has appeared in the UIL Congress championship seven times.

This year, Ilsa Grave (junior), Lillian Polk (junior), and Celeste Pawelek (senior) competed in the 2025 competition. It was Ilsa Grave’s second time competing in the state championship.

They did not advance to the state final, but they proudly represented Bellville High School and BISD at the state championship.

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About the Contributor

Celeste Pawelek, Editor/Reporter

Inspired by a wide range of media, Celeste Pawelek co-founded The Bellville Herd with the help of four girls in 2023, and now she serves as the editor and a reporter for the paper. When not planning her next article, you can find Celeste working hard in the auditorium for the next, big theater production or binge-watching all three seasons of The Bear.