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The Lafourche Education Foundation hosted its annual Celebration of Excellence ceremony, honoring 60 Lafourche teachers for their dedication, commitment and passion for educating the youth. The ceremony was held on Thursday, Sept. 22, at Central Lafourche High School. The organization awards educators with a plaque and a $100 prize.
This year’s celebration marked the return of the ceremony for the first time since 2019, with teachers from various elementary, middle and high schools receiving the 2022 Teacher of the Year Award. Deanna Lafont, Executive Director of the Lafourche Education Foundation shared the significance of the ceremony and the importance of showing appreciation to educators. “This year we honored 60 Teachers of the Year. It was actually two years worth of celebrations, as we did not have one last year due to Hurricane Ida. The ability to take the time and honor outstanding teachers especially given the trials and tribulations we’ve had over the last two years with Ida and Covid. The teachers are nominated by peers. Teachers don’t always get a lot of credit; educating our youth is extremely important and it’s important for us to take the time out to show appreciation to our educators,” said Lafont.
In addition to distributing 60 Teacher of the Year Awards, the foundation honored NFL referee and Thibodaux High School graduate, Carl Johnson. Johnson is a native of Thibodaux and graduate of Nicholls State University. Locally known as “the Coca Cola man,” Johnson spent 30 years at the company holding various positions until his departure in 2009. Johnson is most recognized for his position with the NFL as a line judge. The Thibodaux native also served as a high school football official for 12 years, working two High School State Championship games. The Lafourche Education Foundation honored Johnson with the Outstanding Outstanding Public School Graduate award at this year’s ceremony.
In addition to receiving a plaque, each honoree received a $100 prize from the James and Joyce Leonard Endowed Fund at the Lafourche Education Foundation, with the overall winner receiving a $500 prize. Lafont said the organization looks forward to hosting the annual ceremony each year to honor and show appreciation to those who dedicate their time to educating the youth. “It takes a really special person to teach and It’s always a pleasure to take the time out and really recognize each teacher for what they do for our community and our students,” Lafont added.
The Lafourche Education Foundation’s mission is to raise and invest funds for charitable purposes that supports public education in Lafourche Parish. For more information on the foundation, visit LEF on Facebook.
