Alumni Spotlight: Tiffany Blackwood, TCHS '98

Helping students clear hurdles comes naturally for Lewisville ISD alum Tiffany Blackwood.

Blackwood walked across the stage at The Colony High School in 1998, diploma in hand and a scholarship waiting. She went on to run track at Oklahoma State University before transferring to the University of Oklahoma, where she earned a Bachelor's degree in Psychology and a Master of Education in School Counseling.

Finding herself in that lane wasn't accidental for Blackwood. It was shaped, in large part, by one person — her high school counselor, Mr. Jim Carlisle.

"He was always in my corner," Tiffany reflects. "He pushed me to challenge myself, played a pivotal role in my recruiting process, and truly knew what I needed as a student athlete." Their shared love of track and field turned a professional relationship into a lasting bond — one that continued well into Tiffany's adult years, crossing paths at college update events and track meets, long after she'd become the kind of counselor he inspired her to be.

Twenty years later, Tiffany is still showing up for students — now as the 2026 Secondary School Counselor of the Year and newly promoted Coordinator of Guidance and Counseling, PK-8, right here at home in Lewisville ISD.

"I not only have firsthand experience, but I see it day in and day out," she says of the difference LISD educators make. "Mr. Carlisle is no longer with us, but I am so grateful to have known him."

Tiffany's story is proof that the right person at the right time can change everything. And that sometimes, the best way to honor them is to continue that legacy for future generations