Paula Ann Guillory Ducote – Upper Elementary Education, May 1961

Paula Ann Guillory Ducote

May, 1961

                My name is Paula Ann Guillory Ducote, a 1960 S.L.I. graduate in Education.  I was born and reared in the small rural Avoyelles Parish town of Plaucheville.  I am forever grateful to my parents, family, and teachers for instilling in me the lifetime values–to be God-fearing, love of family, neighbor, and country; education and hard work to achieve; honor; and integrity.  I left home after high school graduation with a determination to get a college education at all costs.  (At this time in our small town, girls were encouraged to work, then get married).  With the encouragement of my parents and brother, I set out for S.L.I. in September, 1956.  Armed with a tuition-exempt scholarship, some money to cover my necessities, and a resolve to find a student job to pay my room and board, I began the first great adventure of my life.

                I was fortunate that my dad’s first cousin, James Guillory, was Assistant Dean of Men.  He was a god-send.  He was influential in getting me a student job in the office of two business professors, Dr. Arny and Dr. Creel.  I had previously had six weeks of typing at the Avoyelles Trade School in Cottonport to prepare me for this work.  Luckily, my friendly co-worker was a whiz on the keyboard, and did most of the typing which the good professors required.  Eventually, I gained more typing skills and a lot of library research skills when I found information for Dr. Arny.

                I registered in Secretarial Science–my mother’s idea.  She reasoned that if I could financially afford two years, I might continue toward a degree.

                My high school offered no business courses during my years there.  Consequently, my business courses were foreign to me.  I hated them.  That semester I made all A’s in my basic courses, two C’s, and a D in Economics.  I quickly decided to change my major!

                My mother was a teacher, my uncle was a principal at Hessmer High School, and my brother had recently graduated from S.L.I. in Education.  I come from a line of educators.  I also loved children.  The next semester I enrolled in the upper elementary education curriculum.  This changed my academic life at S.L.I.  I loved my courses and my professors–Ms. Hoffpauir, Dr. Joseph, Dr. Coussan, Dr. Robinette, Ms. Gehring in Library Science, Ms. Bourgeois in Physical Education, Dr. Philippe in French as well as other professors who taught me required courses.  Dr. Longanecker was my critic teacher when I student taught the fourth grade (one-half day) at the Lab School where Mr. Carson was principal.  Dr. Longanecker was a wonderful teacher who was dearly loved by her young students.  Student teaching taught me that teaching is hard and demanding work, but knowing that you have influenced at least one child in the right direction brings much satisfaction.

                As a sophomore at S.L.I., I was wiser.  To help my financial dilemma, Dean Guillory secured me with a job in the cafeteria–one of the highest paying jobs on campus.  This meant rising at 5:00 A.M. to be at work to eat breakfast at 6:15 and begin serving the breakfast crowd at 7:00 A.M.  The job also meant that student workers were not excused until supper was over–about 7:30 or 8:00 P.M., then we went back to the dorm to study until all hours.  I learned an invaluable work ethic from this job and made very close friendships with boys and girls from Avoyelles Parish as well as other parishes.  We had a great time as we worked, studied, and socialized together.  Lifetime relationships were formed.

                In my junior year, as I gained more courage, maturity, and wisdom, I became an assistant housemother in Evangeline Hall, thanks to Dean Roth and Dean McPhaul, Dean and Assistant Dean of Women, respectively.  This position also secured higher pay for me as well as a bit more prestige.  I worked in this position until I finished my course work in January 1960 and left S.L.I.  I learned many public relations skills in this job and earned the affection and guidance of the wonderful housemothers.  During these years, the school had a sign-in and sign-out policy for the women’s dormitory residents.  Girls had to sign back in the dorm by 12:00 midnight!

                Beside my education degree, S.L.I. gave me much more.  I met my husband, Harris Ducote, who was mature and confident as he had completed four years of service in the Air Force during the Korean Conflict.  He entered S.L.I. in 1956 to eventually earn an English degree in Education.  Fortunately, the GI Bill paid his college.  We met at the Catholic Newman Club one evening, began dating, and courted for the next three years.

                S.L.I. has given me much more than a college degree!  The two wonderful priests, Father Sigur and Father Speyrer, at the Catholic Student Center, greatly influenced our spiritual growth in our faith.  With his wonderful sense of humor and dedication, Father Sigur established a bond with all “his” students.  Both priests drew many of us to daily mass; Our Lady of Wisdom Chapel overflowed with students on many days.

                My husband-fiance’ and I prepared for marriage through a Pre-Cana course we attended at the Catholic Student Center in September 1959; Father Sigur taught the course.  We felt we had learned much and were spiritually ready for still another great adventure–and indeed it was!

                Harris and I married on August 6, 1960, the day after his last exam of the summer session.  We have been married for 38 years and have five children.  Our daughter, Julie, is a U.S.L. graduate in Microbiology.  We are proud that she has shared some of our roots.

In January, 1960, I accepted my first teaching job at Simmesport High School teaching fourth grade.  After our wedding in August, Harris and I moved to Port Allen, Louisiana.  I taught at Port Allen Elementary in the sixth grade and my husband taught English at Brusly High School.

Our first child, a son, was born the next September, but I continued teaching for five more years.  We then decided to enlarge our family and I resigned.  God blessed us with four more children.  I became a full-time wife and mother during those next eight years, doing much teaching at home.

I officially graduated from S.L.I. in May, 1961.  Since then, I have taught 14 years in the public school system.  In 1973 we moved to Baton Rouge.  I returned to teaching in 1975 and earned my M.Ed. in Reading in 1981.  In 1985, I again resigned from teaching to care for my elderly mother who was ill.

I reentered the work world in 1987 as a part-time library technician in the East Baton Rouge Parish Library system.  In 1989, I accepted a full-time position in the Children’s Room at the Main Library.  My work with children (and teachers) in promoting a love of books and reading was very enjoyable.

Since September, 1998, I have retired from both systems with 24 years of service.  My husband also retired in 1998 with 44 years in the education system.

We now enjoy a busy but leisurely pace in life enjoying our children and four grandchildren, volunteering and church work, and traveling.