Moving Forward

The recent presentation by the VISION St. Landry board of a $10,000 check to the LSUE Foundation will fund ten scholarships for St. Landry Parish students for the 2020 school year.

VISION St. Landry, an arm of St. Landry Economic Development, is composed of business and civic leaders and has a primary focus on seeking to pinpoint parish priorities for the next five to twenty years. Improving education at every level is one of the highest of those VISION priorities, “and the role of LSUE and the future leaders that are developed there are certainly an important part of that,” according to St. Landry economic development director Bill Rodier.

LSUE offers a variety of scholarships funded by private donors, businesses, and organizations. The VISION donation was announced at a fundraiser in December that generated more than $40,000 in scholarship revenues for the community college.

At that event, Meg Heidtman, LSUE assistant director for advancement and community engagement, welcomed the donations and urged others to consider helping the Foundation add to its endowment base.

Rodier pointed out that LSUE scholarships for local students are becoming more and more important as the number of jobs requiring at least some training beyond high school increases steadily.

He pointed to a recent study by the Council for a Better Louisiana that found that the state’s economy “relies on a large number of workers who need skills training to get hired, but not necessarily a four-year degree.”         

Another recent study found that LSUE and other regional colleges base much of their curricula on local needs and opportunities. That study, by LSU’s E. J. Courso College of Business on the Baton Rouge campus, found that LSUE “[provides] a high-quality education to meet the needs of local businesses.”

“That’s important,” Rodier said. “The scholarships funded through the VISION St. Landry donation will give St. Landry Parish students the opportunity to stay at home to acquire the skills they need to build a fulfilling and rewarding career with a business located in St. Landry Parish.

“That’s good for students, good for businesses, and good for St, Landry Parish as a whole,” he said

And, aside from providing the education needed for two-year certification, the scholarships can give students who might not otherwise have the opportunity, a boost up a longer academic ladder.

The Eunice campus has been recognized as a national leader in the number of students who go on to get degrees from four-year colleges.

Three things to know about this story:

1. VISION St. Landry, an arm of St. Landry Economic Development, is composed of business and civic leaders and has a primary focus on seeking to pinpoint parish priorities for the next five to twenty years.
2. The scholarships funded through the VISION St. Landry donation will give St. Landry Parish students the opportunity to acquire the skills they need to build a fulfilling and rewarding career with a business located in St. Landry Parish.
3. Aside from providing the education needed for two-year certification, the scholarships can give students who might not otherwise have the opportunity, a boost up a longer academic ladder.