Newlyn Hebert – Elementary Education, 1971

Newlyn Hebert

1971 – Elementary Education

                My name is Newlyn Hebert, a 1971 Education major from U.S.L.  In 1967, I lived in Randolph dormitory on the Boulevard and shared a room with three students.  It was an experience to share a bedroom with others and to utilize restroom and shower facilities down the hall.  The U.S.L. Union was just a block away and most classrooms were just a short walk through the quadrangle.  I said “most” because there was “Little Abbeville”, the barracks area, which stood where the art building is presently located.  And, of course, your freshman year classes were scheduled in Little Abbeville and then in Girard Hall directly across campus.  I can certainly remember those long walks, especially in the months of November through February, in the cold and rain.  After one year on campus, I commuted from New Iberia – first, by bus and later with friends by car.  The “Union” became a favorite handout to visit friends while waiting for the ride home.  Three and one-half years later (every summer was spent on campus), I received my degree in Elementary Education.

                After graduation, I returned to U.S.L. to obtain a Second Degree, a Specialist degree in French.  By that time, I had a job teaching at Pesson Elementary.  Then, it was time to work on a Masters Degree in Guidance and Counseling and certification in Administration and Supervision.  I must have been taught by every professor in the Education Department, some even twice.  One professor told me:  “You will never go anywhere in education because you are a constant complainer.”  I guess that was my most important lesson learned in college.  Realizing the truth to those words, I had a change in attitude.  Maybe, that is what has helped me to remain in education for 28 years.  Now, as Supervisor of Curriculum and Instruction, I have the opportunity to work with teachers, preparing them to work with students while keeping a positive professional attitude.