Joy L. Blanchard – French/Journalism Education, May 1999

Joy L. Blanchard

Graduate–May 1999

French/Journalism Education

            Each time I drive through the campus of USL, I can’t imagine that it has been actually four years since I first nervously arrived as a freshman.  So much has happened since then–both good and bad. As a friend of mine once said, times like this build character.  However, I have so much more for which I should be thankful.  USL has made me the person I am today.  The people that I have met and the experiences that I have had were only possible because of my decision to attend USL.

I laugh when I remember my first day of college in August 1995.  The biggest worry on my mind was what to wear!!  But I knew even then that if USL were to be my home for the next four years, I had to jump into campus life head first.  I went through sorority rush and met some amazing girls that remain my friends to this day.

But I must admit that I was not “Joe College” from the beginning.  My fondest memories from my freshman year include my involvement in the Honors Program and Habitat for Humanity.  Anyone who knows Dr. Pat can definitely attest to the fact that she takes all her “baby chicks” under her wing!!

Within the next couple of years, I became involved in the Student Government Association and a host of other campus activities.  I cannot think of a single experience that shaped me more than my two terms on the SGA.  I had a chance to interact with students from all walks of life and see my volunteerism have meaning.

During the 1997-98 term, I served as public relations chair and worked closely with campus philanthropies, such as the American Cancer Society.  But most importantly, I grew as a person.  The Union Forum was my home on Monday nights.  The senators were my support network and driving force.  I think that by being involved in SGA, I began to realize how bold I could dare to dream.  And when I lost hope, everyone was always there to pick me up.

Surprisingly, the icing on the cake was when I ran unsuccessfully for SGA Vice-President on the Revolution ticket.  It did not matter that I lost.  I stood up for what I believed (though sometimes controversial) and was just proud of throwing my hat in the ring.  It took guts to stand up to our critics, but it was something I had to do sooner or later.  The campaign trail was made so much fun because of my colleagues and the people I met.

My senior year, though, is what sealed it for me.  I had the honor of being chosen to serve on USL’s Homecoming Court.  To the girl that stepped on campus four years earlier, that was an unfathomable accomplishment.  Despite the death of my brother and other personal setbacks, I kept my head above water all these years and continued to live my dreams.  It was not the limelight that I enjoyed (though that may have surprised most).  I was just so taken aback that I was now indelibly a part of USL’s rich history.  I will never forget the incredible honor that my peers bestowed upon me.  To be among the other qualified candidates was just amazing enough.

It was after Homecoming that I realized fully exactly what USL means to me.  It is not just a place where I grew as a person and “found myself.”  It is not just a place that gave me an amazing educational foundation and gave me the opportunity to live two summers in Europe while improving my French.  USL is a place that taught me exactly what life is all about.  I have worked with so many people and have learned life’s most important lesson:  to accept people for who they are.  It sounds so simple, but you see so little of it today.  USL has become a part of me, and the lessons that I have learned and the experiences that I have had will stay with me forever.

As I prepare to enter my final semester, I think of all the little things I will miss: staff meetings at “The Vermilion” newspaper, parking at “Perry’s Parking” at First Baptist Church, noon mass at Wisdom Church, and all the friendly faces that brightened each and every day.  USL is so unique in that it not only educates its students, but it also embraces them.  I could have not have received a better preparation for life anywhere else.

Graduation is quickly approaching for me in May of 1999.  I will be student teaching at Lafayette High and frantically trying to finish my Honors thesis, which focuses on the methodology and assessment of second-language learning.  I am also filling out a dozen applications for graduate school.  Though I always thought I wanted to be a principal, I have decided to pursue a masters degree in higher education/student affairs administration.  Dean Ed Pratt had such an influence on me during my years in SGA that I want to be just like him!!

From tutoring privately two teenage boys to performing a one-month practicum in the high schools, I realized that classroom teaching is really only my second calling.  What I truly enjoy is my daily interactions with the kids and sharing in their trials and triumphs.  I think what makes my relationships with my students so special is that we can relate to each other so easily (I am only 21 years old).  Realizing what an experience my years at USL have been, I want to do the same for others.

And with a degree from USL, I know I am in good stead for the future.

Joy L. Blanchard