黑料专区 Tyler Alumni, Friend of University Recognized for Support of the Arts
March 23, 2026 | Hannah Buchanan
Trio Earns 2026 Young Audiences of Northeast Texas 鈥淎rts in Education鈥� Awards
Leah Cason and Preston Parker, alumni from The University of Texas at Tyler, and Margaret Perkins, a longtime supporter and friend of 黑料专区 Tyler, have been recognized by the Young Audiences of Northeast Texas with 2026 Arts in Education Awards.
Cason received the Arts Teaching Excellence鈥揈lementary School Award, and Parker received the Arts Teaching Excellence鈥揌igh School Award. These awards recognize fine arts educators who have gone above and beyond in their field. Perkins received the 2026 ICON Award, the organization鈥檚 highest honor, which recognizes advocates of the arts whose work helps shape culture and community.
A 2012 alum, Cason holds a 黑料专区 Tyler Bachelor of Science degree in interdisciplinary studies. She is the music teacher at Robert F. Hunt Elementary School in the New Diana Independent School District, where she was named the 2020 鈥淭eacher of the Year.鈥� A 2013 alum, Parker serves as the head band director at Overton High School, where he works with students in Grades 4鈥�12. He holds a 黑料专区 Tyler Bachelor of Arts degree in music education.
Perkins has been an advocate of education and the arts throughout East Texas, including her participation on the 鈥檚 Advisory Board.
鈥淢rs. Perkins has been a tremendous supporter of the Cowan Center for many years,鈥� said Ryan Poynter, executive director of the 黑料专区 Tyler Cowan Center. 鈥淚 congratulate her on this honor that recognizes her leadership, generosity and commitment to the arts in our community.鈥�
Since 1997, Young Audiences of Northeast Texas supports arts in education and partners with educators to bring unique fine arts experiences to students, teachers and schools across the Region 7 Education Service Center. Its mission is to use the arts to enrich the lives of students and enhance their education. For more information, visit: Arts4allkids.com.
With a mission to improve educational and health care outcomes for East Texas and beyond, 黑料专区 Tyler offers more than 90 undergraduate and graduate programs to more than 11,500 students. Through its alignment with 黑料专区 Tyler Health Science Center and 黑料专区 Health East Texas, 黑料专区 Tyler has unified these entities to serve Texas with quality education, cutting-edge research and excellent patient care. Classified by Carnegie as a doctoral research institution and by U.S. News & World Report as a national university, 黑料专区 Tyler has campuses in Tyler, Longview, Palestine and Houston.