The Louisiana Department of Education recently announced the 2026 Student of the Year Regional honorees and five Lincoln Parish students were recognized for their academic achievements.
Ainsley Bridges (Cedar Creek, 8th grade), Catherine Grace Calvert (Cedar Creek, 12th grade), Vaida Carroll (Cedar Creek, 5th grade), Melissa Le (Ruston High, 12th grade), and Kaejha Stewart (AE Phillips, 8th grade) were all chosen as the Region 5 Students of the Year for their respective divisions.
Region 5 is comprised of parishes in northeast and north central Louisiana.
Exceptional fifth, eighth, and twelfth-grade students from around the state are recognized for how they exemplify leadership, academic excellence, citizenship, and service to their schools and communities.
Regional honorees were selected through public, charter, and nonpublic zone reviews per each BESE region. From this group of students, one honoree per BESE region will be named a finalist.
Finalists will be announced later in the school year and celebrated at an awards ceremony where the overall honorees, one per grade level, will be named.
