The Grinch hard at work in Houma
December 12, 2015
William Gautreaux
December 16, 2015
More than 650 students crossed the stage and earned their degrees during Nicholls State University’s commencement ceremonies on Saturday.
The commencement was split into three ceremonies in Stopher Gymnasium across the day to grant graduates and their families enough space. The 9 a.m. event featured the College of Arts and Sciences, the colleges of Business Administration and Nursing and Allied Health followed at noon and the 3 p.m. event closed the festivities with the College of Education.
Entergy CEO Charles L. Rice Jr. delivered the keynote address at all three ceremonies. The U.S. Army veteran offered a four-point template for success to the students. He asked those earning degrees to be nice, nurture relationships, set benchmarks for and be true to oneself.
In regards to nurturing relationships, Rice alerted students that treating people well today could come back in kind later in life. He also asked the students to get to know people from backgrounds different from their own, as they offer the graduates the chance to learn about things from a new perspective.
Nicholls noted a few students who stood out among the graduating class, such as Logan Parker. Parker, from Farmerville, earned a degree in culinary arts. He represented the university at Institut Paul Bocuse in Lyon, France, and has hosted cooking classes for middle and high school students in the Bayou Region.
Also of note is Brandie Allen, who first enrolled at Nicholls in 2006 to pursue her nursing degree. After transferring to Fletcher Technical Community College, Allen returned in 2012 to finish her nursing degree. She is a member of Sigma Theta Tau, a nursing honor society, and her hard work has earned her a nursing job at Terrebonne General Medical Center.
Nicholls also recognized Lucas Remisz, earning his MBA from the College of Business Administration. The Paris, France, native is an exchange student in the College of Business as part of a program with the ESCE International Business School in Paris.
Houma native Alicia Boudreaux earned a degree in education from the university, and will bring her on-campus leadership with her to a local elementary school. She teaches at Mulberry Elementary. •
