McClain Crowned Mr. Union

2026 UHS Mr. Union Rylan McClain (front center-right), and royalty finalists, including Union Bands students Claire Mitsdarfer, Emma Foster, Jake Coulter, Alan Renteria, & Parker Nguyen (shown left to right among other candidates).

On Fri Mar 28 our very own Rylan McClain was named Mr. & Miss Union for 2026!   Based on teacher recommendation, academic excellence, school spirit & involvement, faculty feedback, input from the student body, and advancing from a field of 10+ semifinalists and 5 finalists, being named Mr. or Miss Union is considered the highest honor that a Union student can attain. 

We are particularly proud of Rylan and how he has represented the Union Bands in the context of the bigger picture of the Union community, as 2026 marks another year that that a member of the band program has the claimed one of the Mr./Miss Union crowns!  

Among numerous other honors and achievements, Rylan is a National Merit Finalist, Salutatorian, a multi-year member of the Union HS Band, multi-year performer with the highly-regarded Union HS Front Ensemble, and have served on the Renegade Regiment's Student Leadership Team, a small group of highly influential leaders. 

The Union Bands community is overjoyed that Rylan was selected as this year's Mr. Union; we are admittedly biased, but seeing him chosen for this honor was a "no-brainer"!   

Rylan is the son of Jeremy and Chenelle McClain.

Many other Union Bands students were finalists for the 2026 Mr./Miss Union titles, including Claire Mitsdarfer, Emma Foster, Jake Coulter, Alan Renteria, & Parker Nguyen. To have the Union Band represented so well among this distinguished Redhawks makes us very proud!

CONGRATS AGAIN TO RYLAN and his familiy! 

CECILY YOAKAM JOINS UNION BANDS FACULTY

Ms. Cecily Yoakam is excited to come home to Union as an assistant band director.

Ms. Yoakam graduated from the University of North Texas where she studied oboe with James Ryon and completed her student teaching practicum under Mrs. Kathy Johnson in Argyle ISD.

Upon her graduation, Ms. Yoakam taught at Barton Middle School in Buda, TX, teaching primarily beginner woodwinds. She then served as the Advocacy and Educational Resources Coordinator at Music for All, Inc. in Indianapolis. Ms. Yoakam then spent five years as an assistant band director at Liberty High School in Frisco, TX. She is actively involved with Music for All, where you’ll find her greeting marching bands in parking lots across the country, and serving as Coordinator for the SWAG Team at the Bands of America Summer Camp in Muncie, IN.

Ms. Yoakam was a drum major for the Union Renegade Regiment, drum major for the North Texas Green Brigade Marching Band, and conductor for the Blue Stars Drum and Bugle Corps. She is extremely excited to return to the Regiment family!

UHS Bands March 31 Update

Spring has sprung! 

• Applications for the 2025 Union Renegade Regiment Student Leadership Team close for submission tonight (Mon Mar 31) at midnight!  LINK TO APPLICATION: https://www.cognitoforms.com/UnionBands/_202526UHSBandGuardStudentLeadershipApplication

• On Fri Mar 28 our very own Owen Grass and Ellie Thralls were named Mr. & Miss Union for 2025!  See article here 
  
  

• VOLUNTEERS are NEEDED (yes, YOU!) for hosting the 2025 WGPO State Championship event at the Union Freshman Academy on Sat Apr 12!   Find more info and sign up here now: https://www.cognitoforms.com/UnionBands/UBPCVolunteerForm2025WGPOStateChampionship 

PICTURED: (center left) 2025 Miss Union Ellie Thralls and (center right) Mr. Union Owen Grass, joined by Mr. Pisarra (left) and Mr. Dwyer (right)