A total of 138 students from the Big Country are competing at the University Interscholastic League's state academic meet in events ranging from feature writing to accounting.

These students have proven they are some of the brightest young competitors in UIL academics ... and now it's time for the ultimate test.

The meet starts Thursday and ends Saturday at the University of Texas in Austin.

Students make it to state by placing at the local, district and regional levels. Once they get to state, they can earn scholarships, letter jackets and glory for their schools.

Who are these students? What are their events? What's it like to prepare and compete? And, what are some things even their parents and friends don't know about them?

Find out the answers here in a special tribute blog to the Big Country's brightest. Each student is spotlighted, and comments are welcome at the end of each entry. The entries begin below, starting alphabetically by school. Or, click in the Categories section to the lower right to see students in specific events and schools.

Note to competitors: If you have Internet access while in Austin, update readers on the action by posting comments at the end of your Q&A blog entry. Got pictures of the excitement? We'll post those too. E-mail them to webmaster@reporternews.com. (Include your name, phone number, names of people in the photo and a brief description.)