ULL honors outstanding grads
LAFAYETTE — The University of Louisiana at Lafayette Alumni Association will honor eight students as Outstanding Graduates during Saturday’s spring commencement ceremonies.
Deans from each academic college nominate a student for the honor based on leadership, scholarship and service. One of the eight will be selected for an overall Outstanding Graduate award and the winner will be announced Saturday. The eight honorees are:
College of the Arts: Amanda Martin, daughter of Todd and Stephanie Martin, of Jeanerette, is a performing arts major with a concentration in dance and a 3.91 grade point average. She has been a member and officer of Chi Tau Epsilon for three years. She performed in Mishay Petronelli’s “Noah’s Ark” in New York last summer and participated in numerous university dance productions. In June, Martin will move to New York for an internship at Broadway Dance Center.
B.I. Moody III College of Business Administration: Laura Guichard, daughter of Lance and Beth Guichard, of Lafayette, is an accounting major with a 3.9 GPA. Guichard is a member of Beta Alpha Psi, Phi Kappa Phi, Phi Beta Delta, Alpha Lambda Delta and Sigma Alpha Lambda. She is a member of the Accounting Department Student Committee, Ethics Committee and Faculty Hiring Student Committee and is an officer for Beta Alpha Psi, the Order of Omega and Kappa Delta sorority. An active community volunteer, Guichard also works for the Alumni Association as a student annual fund processor. She plans to continue her education at ULL in the MBA program. In the future, she plans to be a tax or corporate lawyer.
College of Education: Maria Dallas, daughter of Robert and Dolores Dallas, of Lafayette, is an exercise science major with a 4.0 GPA. She is a member of the honors program, Alpha Lambda Delta honor society, Phi Beta Delta honor society and Phi Kappa Phi honor society. Dallas has been active in several organizations, including the Kinesiology Professional Association, the Louisiana Association of Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance, Our Lady of Wisdom Catholic Student Organization and Delta Delta Delta sorority. She also is a community volunteer. After graduation, Dallas plans to enroll in the Master of Occupational Therapy program at the University of South Alabama.
College of Engineering: Stephen Davis, son of Kelly and Karen Davis, of Muenster, Texas, is a petroleum engineering major with a 3.9 GPA. He is president of the Student Society of Petroleum Engineering and a member of the American Association of Drilling Engineers, the Louisiana Engineering Society, the Knights of Columbus, the Newman Club and the Petrobowl team. After graduation, Davis will work as a drilling engineer for Chevron in Pittsburgh.
College of General Studies: Chasity Gary, daughter of Kevin Blanchard and Merry Gary, of Broussard, is a general studies major with a 3.686 GPA. Prior to transferring to ULL, Gary attended LSU-Eunice and was an Academic All-American first team in softball in 2010. Gary volunteered with efforts to raise money for the Miles Perret Cancer Center, coaching fast-pitch softball and is an avid member of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes. Upon graduation, Gary plans to get a teaching certificate in health and physical education.
College of Liberal Arts: Quincy Mouton, son of Larry Boudreaux and Patsy Mouton, of Duson, is a political science major with a concentration in pre-law. He has a 4.0 GPA. Mouton is president of the UL Lafayette College Democrats and is public relations co-chairman for Circle K International. He is a member of both the Political Science Club and the Pre-Law Club and was nominated for Who’s Who. He has volunteered with R.E.A.L. Education and Outreach, Bowl for Kids Sake and SMILE. He also has helped construct the special needs area in Girard Park and worked as an intern with state Reps. Nancy Landry and Vincent Pierre. Upon graduation, Mouton plans to attend law school.
College of Nursing and Allied Health Professions: Patrick Berner, son of Craig and Crystal Berner, of Metairie, is a dietetics major with a 3.945 GPA. He is a member of the Phi Kappa Phi honor society. He is a member of the Student Dietetic Association, serving as vice president and editor of its newsletter. He also created the SDA mentoring program and started a coat/toy drive for Faith House. He also belongs to the Louisiana Dietetic Association and the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. He has volunteered with Cox Communications Health Fair and the Acadiana Heart Walk. Berner plans to apply for a dietetics internship and eventually take the exam to become a registered dietitian.
Ray P. Authement College of Sciences: Brooke Richard, daughter of Christopher and Susan Richard, of Lafayette, is a biology major with a minor in chemistry. She has earned a 3.801 GPA. She is a member of the UL Lafayette Honors Program, along with several honor societies including Phi Beta Delta, Sigma Alpha Lambda and Phi Kappa Phi. Richard has volunteered for a number of community organizations. Her honors thesis work was cited in an abstract presented to the American Society of Microbiology. After graduation, Richard will attend medical school in Shreveport. She plans to complete a residency in either emergency medicine or internal medicine.