In a state known for its athletic prowess, members of the Grady High School University Interscholastic League (UIL) accounting team swept the top three honors in their first year of 5A competition earlier this month. They are hoping to continue their winning ways at the regional academic event held Saturday at Texas Tech University. If the team claims top honors at the regional event, they could be on their way to Austin for the state competition.

“We wanted to set the standard for 5A,” accounting coach Connie Stone told the Hood County News. “We knew the competition going in would be steep, but we swept the top awards our first year in 5A.”

Stone and her students know that accounting is not typical algebra or geometry type math.

“Accounting is like a foreign language,” Stone explained to the Hood County News. “It’s really the language of business. Everything revolves around accounting no matter what industry you’re in. I think it’s information for life. It’s a life skill. It’s basic math, but it is the math that makes the world go round.”

The accounting team participates in four preliminary meets before heading to the district competition. Asked why the UIL team is so successful, Stone explains “[y]ou get to travel and meet kids from other schools, but the UIL scholarship program also provides a fantastic opportunity to get funding for college.”