Gervis J. Duhon – Elementary Education, 1968

Gervis J. Duhon’s  USL MEMORIES

                USL was a great institution to attend. I had excellent professors, such as Dr. Robert Ducharme and Mrs. Gladys Robinette. One of the people who most influenced my life at USL was actually a supervising teacher at Hamilton Elementary, Mr. Paul Sellers. He was also the supervising teacher for a young lady from Opelousas, Eugenie P. Sudduth. Mr. Sellers introduced me to Genie in January of 1968; she said “Yes” in December of the same year. So a very special thank you to Mr. Sellers.

                In 1968, immediately after completing my B.A. degree at USL,  I received that infamous note from Uncle Sam saying how desperately he needed me. After a brief stay at Fort Polk and being married for only four months, I was Vietnam bound. Thanks to my USL degree, I was placed in hospital personnel rather than out in the trenches. Through the grace of God, I returned home safely and started my teaching career by joining my wife who was teaching at N.P.Moss.

                In addition to teaching, I returned to USL to work toward a Masters and Educational Specialist Degree. Because of the G.I. Bill, furthering my education became somewhat of a part-time job as it supplemented our income at the time. In closing, I would like to thank the fine educational staff at USL for their support and guidance in helping me to develop my skills and prepare for my future.

                USL continues to be an important part of our family. Our daughter Shelly Trahan, received her bachelors and masters degrees in education at USL and is now teaching in our Lafayette School System. Our son Brad is now enrolled in the College of Education and hopes to teach in the Acadiana area.