by Hanna Singh
Ruston High School has announced the recipients of its 2024 Alumni Awards, naming former teacher Kay White as Retired Educator of the Year.
With over seven years total of teaching at Ruston High School and 16 years of counseling, White has made a lasting impact on both students and staff at the school. Initially enrolling at Louisiana Tech University as an accounting major, she discovered three years into her studies that her true passion was education. Despite her parents both being educators, she hadn’t previously considered following in their footsteps.
In 1988, White earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Education with a minor in English. Then in 1989, she also obtained a Master of Arts in Secondary School Counseling. White was placed at Ruston High School for her student teaching, where she thrived under the guidance of full-time teacher, Ruby Moore.
“She was the head of the business department, the consummate professional, and a phenomenal role model,” White said. “Under her watchful eye, I gained invaluable knowledge and experience. When a job became available at RHS, Mrs. Moore went to bat for me. I got the job, and I will be forever grateful to her.”
White’s initial career at Ruston High School was brief, with her moving to Dallas after only a year of teaching there. After returning to Ruston sometime later, White became the counselor at Ruston Technical College for nine years. Upon returning to Ruston, she served as a counselor at Ruston Technical College for nine years.
Later, she returned to Ruston High, where she taught for six years before spending 16 years as a counselor. White retired in 2023, after nearly 2 and a half decades of service to the school. Principal Dan Gressett reflected on the many years of positive impact he witnessed White bring to Ruston High.
“I worked over 20 years with Kay, and we taught side by side. We became good friends during that time,” Gressett said. “She moved into a counseling role, and I moved into the assistant principal role and eventually the principal role, and we still worked closely together. She has positively impacted hundreds and hundreds of students over the years, and she is so deserving of this award. She is a Bearcat through and through and really, truly loves this school.”
Recalling what she enjoyed most throughout her career, White described the most rewarding part of teaching being the lasting relationships she formed with many students. To White, teaching is about more than just the subject matter. It’s about getting to know each student, supporting their goals and extracurricular activities, and learning to adapt to their individual needs.
She believes that building relationships with students is the key to their success. As a guidance counselor, White recognized the importance of helping each student develop of plan for their life after high school. She described the rewarding experience of watching students grow and move on to the next chapter of their lives.
“Teaching taught me to be patient, understanding, and innovative. Every day was different and brought new challenges, but that was what made the successes that much more rewarding. The challenge is what constantly motivated me,” White said. “As a guidance counselor, it was fun to meet with seniors individually to discuss their goals and formulate a plan to reach those goals.
“Helping students meet graduation requirements and set new post-graduation goals was a constant challenge and oftentimes exhausting. Graduation was perhaps my favorite night of each year. Watching the graduates proudly march across the stage in those red caps and gowns was evidence of their hard work, dedication, and success. Knowing they were ready for the next step in their lives was quite rewarding.”
In accepting her recognition as Retired Educator of the Year, White credited her success to the many colleagues and coworkers she worked alongside over the years. She also thanked the faculty and staff at Ruston High School for their dedication to students, including her own children.
“To be honest, I am completely shocked to receive this award,” White said. “Ruston High School means the world to me, and I will forever be loyal to such an outstanding institution. I can’t thank the RHS Alumni Association enough for the acknowledgement.
“Being recognized for my work in a place that was more like a home than a place of employment is appreciated beyond measure. What an honor. While I am humbled by the recognition, I never accomplished anything at RHS by myself. Fortunately, I was surrounded by the most competent, caring people.”
White’s longstanding contributions to the students, faculty, staff, and community of Ruston over the years have played a large role in shaping the success of Ruston High School. The Lincoln Parish Community will forever be impacted by her decades of dedicated service.
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Tickets for the RHS Alumni Association Homecoming Awards Luncheon which will be held Friday, November 1 at 12 p.m. at the Davison Athletics Complex can be purchased at http://www.BearcatAlum.org.
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