RUSTON, La. – A crowd of over one hundred gathered together Tuesday night in the Davison Athletics Complex on the campus of Louisiana Tech to honor dozens of both scholarship donors and recipients as well as department award winners in the second annual Make a Difference awards banquet hosted by the Department of Curriculum, Instruction & Leadership.
“Tonight gives us an opportunity to recognize our graduating seniors who are going out into the field,” CEHS Interim Department Chair of Curriculum, Leadership and Instruction Dr. Dustin Whitlock said. “And it also gives us an opportunity to recognize the donors to the department who sponsor scholarships each year. We’ve made this into an annual event where really get an opportunity to recognize the donors, students and all the people that make our program happen.”
Following an introduction by CEHS Dean Dr. Henrietta Pichon of the COEHS, Whitlock announced all of the undergraduate and graduate scholarship recipients with Dr. Amy Vessel following to announce award winners.
Near the end of the night, both Carlee France and Caroline Broussard were honored for being named to the Louisiana Board of Regents Future Educator Honor Roll, where earlier in the morning they along with their families attended a celebration at the Old State Capitol in Baton Rouge along with Whitlock.
Finally, the graduating students were given their APEL graduation chords to celebrate moving into their next chapter in life.
The event was sponsored by both Justin and Jeanette Hinckley from the Class of 1978, who both expressed their appreciation for Louisiana Tech’s College of Education and Human Sciences and the great work that is being done for students in preparing them to enter the education profession.
“We believe it’s important to recognize people for their academic success, both in the past and going forward with scholarships,” Justin Hinckley said. “It’s nice to have a banquet where the parents and other family members can come and support them.”
The Department of Curriculum, Instruction & Leadership is part of the College of Education and Human Sciences at Louisiana Tech.
See full list of scholarship recipients and award winners below.
Scholarships for Undergraduate Studies in Teacher Education
- WILBUR L. BERGERON EDUCATION SCHOLARSHIP ENDOWMENT: Ansley Houston
- LYNN AND LOUIS R. BRILL ENDOWED SCHOLARSHIP: Anna Farish
- CALWELL EDUCATION SCHOLARSHIP: Audrey Nelson
- ANNIS CATHON MATHEMATICS EDUCATION SCHOLARSHIP: Grace Boudreaux
- CAUSEY-TANNER ENDOWED SCHOLARSHIP: Emma Jane Reeves, Grace Luevanos, Kaleigh Winterrowd
- JOHN A. CAWTHON ENDOWMENT: Ansley Houston
- PATRICIA BROWN COCHRAN ENDOWMENT: Sara Garcia, Landry Hearron, Rae’Ghan Williams
- EDMONDSON CRUMP ENDOWED SCHOLARSHIP IN EDUCATION:Lauren Wilson and Caden Robison
- DAUZAT ENDOWED SCHOLARSHIP: Kereston Crow
- LANETTE SOUTHALL FISHER ENDOWMENT: Kylee Triche
- LUCILLE PIERCE FOLK SCHOLARSHIP ENDOWMENT: Tyrique LeBlanc
- MARGUERITE WILDER GARRETT AND LINDA GARRETT WALLACE ENDOWED SCHOLARSHIP: Sara Osborne
- GASTON, THOMAS & WATSON, HESSIE GASTON ENDOWED SCHOLARSHIP IN EDUCATION: Marianna Harris, Hailey Malik, Taylor Rotolo, Joselyn Stark
- GULLATT FAMILY ENDOWED SCHOLARSHIP IN EDUCATION: Sofia Zubiate
- MARY ROSS HIGGINBOTHAM ENDOWMENT: Macy Hemphill and Kylie Hickingbottom
- LINDA AND JERRY HUDSON ENDOWED SCHOLARSHIP: Kylee Triche
- CDM MABRY ENDOWMENT IN EDUCATION: Hunter McKoin
- MELTON MEMORIAL ENDOWED SCHOLARSHIP: Abigail Palmer
- BARBARA FALLIN MONZINGO ENDOWED SCHOLARSHIP:Samantha Carrigan
- PATSY HAGOOD PERRITT FIRST-GENERATION ENDOWMENT: Kylie Hickingbottom, Gracie Sinclair
- JAMES AND JANIS PIERCE ENDOWED SCHOLARSHIPIN EDUCATION: McKenzie Brown, Eden Lee, and Melanie Nolen
- CAROLYN STAMM SPILLANE ENDOWED SCHOLARSHIP IN EDUCATION: Kierstyn Manly
- JJ AND PAT STAPLETON ENDOWED SCHOLARSHIP: Emma-Lynn Nagot
- EVELYN SWIHART ENDOWED SCHOLARSHIP: Abigail Martin
- TEMPLETON FAMILY SCHOLARSHIP: Xylon Miles
- LOUISIANA NATIONAL BANK JACKIE WOODARD WHITLOCK MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIP: Sawyer Bufkin
- MARY C. WILSON ENDOWMENT: Anna Farish
Scholarships for Graduate Studies in Teacher Education
- ALEX LANEY ENDOWMENT: Pamela McDonals
- GAGE SCIENCE EDUCATION ENDOWED SCHOLARSHIP: Katie Compton
- ESTELLE HARRIS ENDOWMENT: Mackenzie McCartney
- EMMONS, MORELLE, AND TRISSIELEE ENDOWED SCHOLARSHIP: Emily Carmichael
- WARREN & ENID GLADDEN BUTLER ENDOWMENT: Kelsey Whitlock
- DON & ANN METZ ENDOWED SCHOLARSHIP IN EDUCATION: William Dick and Amanda Magee
Student Awards
Outstanding Elementary Future Educator Award: Leah Grace Waller
Outstanding Secondary Future Educator Award: Caden Robinson
Outstanding Elementary Teaching Program Award: Abigail Martin
Outstanding Secondary Teaching Program Award: Macy Hemphill
Outstanding Graduate Student Award Masters in Curriculum & Instruction: Ana Quirk
Outstanding Graduate Student Award Masters in Educational Leadership: Hannah Dooley
The Louisiana Board of Regents Future Educator Honor Roll is an annual distinction awarded to two clinical residents annually. They are nominated by our own clinical faculty and just returned from this morning’s reception at the Old State Capitol in Baton Rouge.
A native of Lake Charles, Louisiana, Caroline Broussard is a 2024-2025 TEAM Model clinical resident co-teaching 7th graders at Calhoun Middle School in the Ouachita Parish School System. Graduating with academic honors this spring, Caroline plans to pursue a master’s degree in curriculum and instruction while teaching in North Louisiana.Caroline has modeled an impressive college career while serving in multiple leadership roles on campus and in the community. She is extremely self-motivated with a huge heart for making a difference in this world, especially with middle school students. Her outstanding planning, teaching, and dedication to our profession makes her an obvious choice for such a prestigious honor.
Carlee France Hardin is a 2024-2025 TEAM Model clinical resident co-teaching 3rd grade students at Legacy Elementary School. A native of Benton, Louisiana, Carlee is deeply rooted in North Louisiana and hopes to make a difference teaching elementary students in Bossier Parish Schools after graduation. We are thrilled to recognize Carlee’s excellence in the classroom and have no doubt she will continue to be a shining star making a difference in her community. She has been fully committed to completing her teaching degree at Louisiana Tech University while substitute teaching and now co-teaching daily in her hometown. It’s been a joy to see Carlee “Start, Stay, and Soar” in Bossier Parish Schools while demonstrating the stellar qualities of an educator.
