Area graduates ponder the next step

Children are sent to school to receive an adequate education and learn life lessons that prepare them for the real world, but how do students view the educational and career opportunities set before them?

Fletcher Technical Community College Chancellor Travis Lavigne believes that in the last 40 years, there have been many socioeconomic changes that have affected higher education. “With all the opportunities available today, students would be remiss not to take advantage of them,” he said.

Several students in the Tri-parish area agree that the sky is the limit. The students are optimistic that opportunities are there; they just have to take advantage of them.

Legion Park School pre-kindergarten student Abigail Fanguy is starting at the beginning. The five-year-old said plainly, “I haven’t been to kindergarten yet, so I don’t know how I feel.”

Abigail is more concerned about the person delivering the lessons.

“I want someone that will teach me everything I need to know because I am teachable,” she said.

In the meantime, Peyton Brown, a fifth grader at Raceland Upper Elementary School, will move to the sixth grade at Raceland Middle School next year. Peyton is looking forward to the extracurricular activities, mainly joining marching band.

The 10-year-old believes that being in the marching band will be a good social start, but is she ready to balance school studies and band practice? “Yes, of course,” she said.

The youngster believes that added course work will make her more responsible.

“I welcome the challenges of sixth grade,” Peyton said.

For Natalie Daigle, an East Thibodaux Middle School student, one of the most stressful years of her middle school education is over. She successfully passed the LEAP exam and, next year, will be a ninth grader at Thibodaux High School.

Natalie is not concerned with the education she will receive, but rather how she will deal with the “drama” of being a high school student.

“I am a little scared about being in ninth grade, not because of the course work, but because I will be around older students who are a lot more mature than I am,” she said. “I hope I am mature enough not to fall into the trap of doing anything to keep friends.”

Amanda Price, a valedictorian at H.L Bourgeois High School, said she is at a place in her life where her options are overflowing. The 17-year-old has decided to attend Louisiana State University to study biological science. Her long-term plan is to attend the university’s premed program.

“Your education is your foundation and without it, you have nothing,” she said. “There are a lot of opportunities out there for people, you just have to have the education to stand behind it.”

“Some college is better than no college,” Amanda added.

Out of high school, Fletcher graduate Cody Pellegrin chose a two-year institution rather than jump right into a four-year college or university because as a young student, he admits he did the bare minimum.

“During my early years, I took school very seriously,” the 20-year-old said. “But when I got to middle school and high school, I started to do just enough work to make my grade. I was more focused on hanging with my friends than trying to get into college.”

Pellegrin admits that when he first started at Fletcher, he still had that same mindset. But, he soon realized that he would have to buckle down if he wanted to reach his ultimate goal – owning his own engineering firm.

“Now that I look back, I would have taken more classes at the beginning instead of waiting until my last year to cram it all in,” he said.

This fall, Pellegrin starts his journey at Nicholls State seeking a bachelor’s degree in manufacturing engineering technology. His expectation for Nicholls is the same as it was at Fletcher: “Get your work done and party later.”

“It’s going to be tough at Nicholls, but I am the type of person that when I start something, I won’t feel accomplishment until I reach my goals,” he said.

Nicholls State graduate Jenny Ledet, 22, understands. She has completed the education cycle. She said once students have gotten through college, the rest is solely up to them.

“If you put your mind to it, you can do it,” Ledet said.

For her, beginning a career is the first step in adulthood.

“We have to do whatever it takes no matter how hard it gets. Sometimes you have to put in more time than others, but the reward is satisfying in the end,” she said.

L.E. Fletcher Technical Community College graduate Cody Pellegrin is now headed to Nicholls State University to finish working on a bachelor’s degree in manufacturing engineering technology. He is among the thousands of students across the Tri-parishes gearing up for the next stage in life. * Photo by SOPHIA RUFFIN