The East Jefferson Advocate 06-25-2025 by The Advocate

A pause for pups

My colleague just adopted an 8-month-old puppy, and she is experiencing all that comes with introducing a new pet into the family, including establishing the rules of the house and ﬁnding harmony with the two rulers of her household: two female cats. Her new dog is not only learning his environment but also his place in the pecking order with the felines. Chatting with her reminded me of the “Rule of Threes.”

Part of the process of making sure shelter pets ﬁnd their forever homes is managing expectations. Throughout the rescue community, the Rule of Three is a guiding principle. It breaks down the adjustment period for a shelter dog into threes: three days, three weeks and three months.

There is always an adjustment period for a new pet to learn the ropes. This rarely happens overnight.

Pet owners should be prepared to give a new dog the time he needs to transition to living in an unfamiliar place, with new surroundings, new sights and sounds, new people, maybe new pets and most importantly, new rules. Expect that the new pet may be nervous, shy, unsure, restless, not eat, have a potty accident or two, or even growl or nip at existing pets. Too often, we see a dog returned to the shelter after just one night or just a couple of days. There is an unrealistic expectation that dogs should be perfect from the moment they get home. And when they aren’t, they are returned through no fault of their own.

Here’s the Rule of Threes breakdown:

Three days

These initial days require a massive amount of patience and grace from the humans involved. The first three days are a “detox period” as the dog transitions from the shelter to a home. This can be overwhelming for a dog, and he may not act like himself at first. He may not bark, he may not want to eat, he may hide in his crate. It is common for dogs to be anxious and scared as they are not sure what to expect. Some may act out and want to test boundaries or have a flight mentality

New adopters should make sure the dog is secure and cannot bolt out a door or under a fence before he has had time to relax and realize he is in a safe place. Some dogs may be easily startled or have

BY EVA JACOB BARKOFF

Contributing writer

The

ﬁrst year the Feed the Multitudes event was held, Frank Bailey, pastor of Victory Church, said he and his wife, Parris were “caught up in the swirl of the moment.”

The 36th annual Feed the Multitudes will be held July 4 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on the grounds of Victory Church, 5708 Airline Drive, Metairie.

“We will be serving barbecue chicken,

“We were struggling as a church because of a building project and the downturn in the economy,” Bailey said. “That ﬁrst year the homeless, those with nothing, came to the event. We learned that it is more of a blessing to give than to receive. And it changed the focus of our church, beginning many ministries.”

event will be from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. July 4. The event also includes live entertainment, haircuts, manicures, groceries, a shoe giveaway and much more.

PROVIDED PHOTOS

Madison Howard’s ‘Bubba’ is the top winner in the Rau for Art competition. She just graduated from Haynes Academy for Advanced Studies in Metairie.

Traci Howerton ANIMAL RESCUE

Second place goes to Haynes rising senior Eshita Lahiry for ‘Fragments.’

MASTERS

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as complementary colors,” Howard said. “Learning a lot of principles in school helped guide me with this piece.”

Howard, who said her brother is the subject of most of her works, didn’t want to sell her ﬁrst-place painting. It now hangs in the family living room She is spending time with family this summer before attending Loyola University New Orleans this fall She is still debating whether to accept the $7,000 scholarship or take a trip to Italy for art classes.

“I love going to art galleries,” said Howard, who also likes painting her sneakers whenever she gets a new pair “There’s something mind-blowing about being an artist because you learn to look at the little details of what people can do, and you can learn from everybody.”

The annual Rau art program includes two components: an art assistance fund in which 10 schools are each awarded $1,000 worth of art supplies based on grant requests submitted by teach-

PET

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ers, and the scholarship program in which four winners receive scholarship money and the first-place winner has the option to attend art school in Italy or take the scholarship money

McKenna said that each August, students from all high schools in the metro area are invited to submit an entry Rau employees conduct the initial vote to narrow the selection to 10 ﬁnalists. Then a panel of judges chosen from the art world and the local art community select the top four winners. McKenna liked one of the paintings so much that she purchased it for herself.

A.J. Allegra, artistic director at La Petit Theatre, served as a judge. Although he comes from the world of performing arts, he spent many years teaching at local schools and he has a real appreciation for what fresh minds can bring to a canvas. “I was immensely impressed with the quality, not just the technical quality, but also the interpretation of the theme,” he said. “I’m consistently surprised at how the kids will interpret something It’s usually very far from what you might expect, and these artists had detailed stories behind their

difﬁculty settling down. Others may spend the ﬁrst few days catching up on some much-needed rest after being in a noisy shelter for days, weeks or even months.

A new dog won’t know right off the bat what you expect from him. Where is he supposed to potty? Is he allowed in the bed or on the sofa? Which are his toys and which are just shoes that he should not chew on?

Three weeks

At the three-week mark, the dog is likely getting used to the daily routine. He’s starting to settle in, feeling more comfortable and realizing this just might be his home He knows when mealtime is, he knows where to potty and where to sleep and lounge. This is the time frame when his true personality may start to shine. He may also start to show some unwanted behaviors at this time maybe he didn’t bark at all the ﬁrst three weeks but now he has found his voice. It may not be smooth sailing yet but everyone is feeling more relaxed and the stress level should be much lower

Three months

Most dogs are now comfortable with their new home and family The dog should feel a sense of security and be set in his routine He knows that he is truly in his home with his family

Remember that the Rule of Three is a general guideline. Each dog will go at his own pace — some will take longer than three months to settle in while others may feel right at home much sooner

work which added layers of complexity.”

Second-place winner Eshita Lahiry will be a senior at Haynes Academy for Advanced Studies. Her painting, titled “Fragments,” featured symbolic items representing childhood memories, and she took home a $3,000 scholarship.

“These were things that were important to me, like books that were inspirational and a ﬁsh that was a gift from a really good friend,” said Lahiry who entered the competition last year but did not place. “This gives me inspiration, and art is deﬁnitely a career option for me.”

Gracie Eckstein, who will be a junior at Ben Franklin High School and the New Orleans Center for Creative Arts this fall, said she was excited to place third with her painting titled “Lingering Scents.” It featured a collection of perfume bottles belonging to four generations of her family

“The women in my family have signature scents, and I thought painting their perfume bottles would be nice subject material,” Eckstein said. “I’ve heard stories about them, so I feel connected to them when I smell their perfume because it’s

part of them that’s still around.” Eckstein said seeing the works painted by her peers left her a little intimidated before the contest.

“I didn’t have all that much confidence going into the contest, but this has given me a lot of conﬁdence,” she said. “I was so excited to place, and my family was freaking out.”

Eckstein, who took home a $1,500 scholarship said she may not pursue art as a career “because it seems like a hard life,” but she is grateful for this experience and hopes to paint recreationally for the rest of her life.

Jack Anderson, who will be a senior at Mandeville High School, placed fourth and won $1,000 with his entry titled “Portrait of a Mother & Son.”

Since its launch in 2012, Rau for Art has received nearly 1,200 works of art submitted by students and gifted nearly $180,000 in scholarships and art supplies.

PET OF THE WEEK

Daisy and Daphne are 10-month-old twins who’ve been in the shelter since they were just tiny sprouts, growing more and more inseparable with each passing day They do everything together Cuddle, play, wrestle, chase, nap, etc. To learn more, email adoptionteam@animalrescueneworleans.org

We adopted our Shih Tzu, Romeo, when he was 10 years old after being surrendered by the only family he had ever known and then bouncing around shelters. He was scared, gave lots of growls and even nipped me a few times. Romeo bonded with our other dog right away, but it took him some time to warm up to the humans in the house Learning our routine took several weeks, and it was a good six months before he fully trusted us. It wasn’t easy, but we never gave up on him, and ﬁve years later, it’s like he has been here his entire life. When adopting a new pet, keep in mind that some of these animals have been through a lot, and change can be stressful. Nothing is more disappointing than to see a shelter staff favorite ﬁnally get adopted, only to be returned a day or two later because the dog wasn’t “perfect.” Take it slowly, and give the dog the space and grace he needs to learn the ropes. With time and patience, your new pup will come to understand that he is home and has a loving family

Events

JUNE 26: ARNO invites the public to a

ribbon-cutting ceremony for its new shelter from 2 p.m. to 3 p.m. at 160 Brookhollow Esplanade in Elmwood. For more information, email info@animalrescueneworleans.org.

JUNE 28: ARNO is hosting an open house at their new shelter from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. with tours, refreshments, rafﬂes and a silent auction. 160 Brookhollow Esplanade in Elmwood. info@animalrescueneworleans.org.

Traci D. Howerton is the volunteer manager for Animal Rescue New Orleans (ARNO), a nonproﬁt, volunteerbased, no-kill shelter. For more information on ARNO, visit www animalrescueneworleans.org.

HELPING

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rice, watermelon, desserts, sno-balls and drinks,” said Kathryn Modica, church administrator and the children’s pastor “Plans are being made right now to feed almost 5,000 people from the Greater New Orleans area.”

There will also be live entertainment, free groceries, 500 pairs of shoes that will be given away, manicures and haircuts, Modica added. Bailey said the numbers of those attending have been consistent from year to year “But for the two years that we moved it to City Park, we had so many thousands of people, it was hard to be effective in that large of a crowd,” Bailey added. Those years, in the early 1990s, saw crowds of 8,000 to 10,000 people.

Once again, Second Harvest is partnering with Victory Assembly to provide groceries.

“Second Harvest has been a huge addition to the event to help distribute food, which is something that we do throughout the year, partnering with other businesses and ministries as well,” Bailey said. “We will give away whatever Second Harvest can provide, as their supplies have recently been signiﬁcantly impacted. We are hoping for 500 bags of groceries.”

Bus transportation will be provided to and from the event at four locations in New Orleans:

1. The New Orleans Mission 1130 Oretha Castle Hailey Blvd.

2. Ozanam Inn, 2239 Poydras St.

3. The Salvation Army, 4526 S. Claiborne Ave

4. The New Orleans Public Library, 219 Loyola Ave.

The pickup time is 9 a.m. The buses will depart the church at 2 p.m. and return to the same pick-up locations.

“Every year, there is so much gratitude from all those attending as well as from our volunteers, giving them a view of how blessed they are and thankful for the opportunity to serve,” Bailey said. “Parris and I love Feed the Multitudes. These are God’s people regardless of what has befallen them.”

For more information about the event, to donate or to volunteer, call Modica at (504) 407-7777 or go to feed-themultitudes.com.

In fourth place is Jack Anderson for ‘Portrait of a Mother & Son.’ The Mandeville High School rising senior also attends New Orleans Center for Creative Arts.

Third place goes to Gracie Eckstein for ‘Lingering Scents.’ Gracie is a rising junior at Benjamin Franklin High School who attends the New Orleans Center for Creative Arts.

PROVIDED PHOTO

Members of the Barony of Axemoor, the local group of the Society for Creative Anachronism, will bring knights, crafts and costumes to the East Bank Regional Library, 4747 W. Napoleon Ave. in Metairie.

The event will run from 11 a.m to 2 p m June 28. The goals are to learn about and re-create day-to-day life in the Middle Ages, with an emphasis on pre-17th century medieval culture and education.

RÉSUMÉS FOR VETERANS: Jessica Rareshide, CPC CSP, LLC, a career coach with her own company Rare Insight, will lead a seminar on résumé writing speciﬁcally geared for veterans at 6:30 p.m. July 1 at the East Bank Regional Library, 4747 W. Napoleon Ave., Metairie.

“Transitioning from a military career to a civilian one requires more than just translating military jargon into civilian language,” Rareshide says. “The structure and content of a military resume differ signiﬁcantly from that of a civilian resume ”

The main differences are:

Length: A military résumé is detailed, including important military career information such as unit, locations, ranks, branches served, duties, award and achievements This information alone and lengthen the résumé. A civilian résumé is one to two pages long, focusing only on jobrelevant qualiﬁcations.

Skills: A military résumé must highlight military job duties and responsibilities. A civilian résumé will be focused on the jobrelevant skills the candidate brings to the table, not their entire skill set

Terminology: The armed forces have their own language The Department of Defense even created a dictionary, including acronyms. A military résumé can use these terms, but a civilian résumé simply uses professional English language.

Formatting: Military résumés tend to be more uniform and structured, while civilian résumés allow for more creativity and ﬂexibility in terms of format and layout. In both instances, the résumé must adhere to a professional layout Understanding these differences can be a critical step in achieving your career goals and in preparing your military to civilian transition résumé

PUNK POETRY: Library staff member Christie Cognevich, Ph.D., will discuss how to analyze and interpret lyrics in an event she’s titled “Reading the Black Parade: Pop-Punk as Poetry Series,” at 7 p.m., Wednesday, June 18, at the East Bank Regional Library, 4747 W. Napoleon, Metairie

Patrons will celebrate iconic pop-punk bands such as blink-182, Jimmy Eat World, Paramore, My Chemical Romance, Relient K and others.

WELCOME BACK KANOPY: After a long hiatus, the Kanopy movie-streaming app has been revived for all Jefferson Parish Library cardholders.

Enjoy thousands of feature ﬁlms and documentaries 24/7 by logging into the library website and going to the digital library button at the top left-hand side of the page.

SUMMER READING PROGRAM: Below are the programs offered at the 16 JPL branches during the tail end of June and early July

Patrons can scan the bar code on the Color My World pamphlet for a complete list of activities. The pamphlet is available at all JPLibraries.

Didgeridoo Down Under: The Didgeridoo Show is a fusion of Australian music, culture, puppetry comedy character building and storytelling while moving and grooving to the pulsing rhythms of the didgeridoo.

n 11 a.m. June 27, Laﬁtte Library

n 3 p.m. June 27, Live Oak Library Frank and Tammy’s Magic Show: Frank and Tammy have been making children laugh for more than 25 years.

n 11 a.m. July 7, Lakeshore Library

n 2 p.m. July 7, North Kenner Library

n 11 a.m. July 14, River Ridge Library

n 2 p.m. July 14, Old Metairie- Library

n 11 a.m. July 18, Westwego Library

Nature on the Geaux: Meet and learn about animals from all over the world in this interactive presentation.

n 11 a.m. June 30, Lakeshore Library

n 2 p.m. June 30, Old Metairie Library

n 11 a.m. July 2, River Ridge Library

n 11 a.m. July 7, West Bank Regional Library

n 2 p.m. July 7, Live Oak Library

n 11 a.m. July 8, Harahan Library

n 2 p.m. July 8, East Bank Regional Library

n 11 a.m. July 9, Avondale Library

n 3 p.m. July 9, Belle Terre Library

n 11 a.m. July 10, Laﬁtte Library

n 3 p.m. July 10, Wagner Library

Chatty the Mime: Join Chatty for 50 minutes of entertainment that includes miming, juggling and magic.

n 2 p.m. July 19, Terrytown Library

n 11 a.m. July 22, Harahan Library

n 2 p.m. July 22, Rosedale Library

n 11 a.m. July 23, Avondale Library

n 3 p.m. July 23, Belle Terre Library

n 11 a.m. July 25, Live Oak Library

n 2 p.m. July 25,

Fireworks will cap off the festivities. Gates open at 3 p.m. at the Al Copeland Concert & Meadow Stage in Lafreniere Park, 3000 Downs Blvd. in Metairie. www.visitjeffersonparish.com.

ST. CHARLES PARISH:

and the Fort Tradition. Food trucks will also be on site. scpparksandrec.com. PATRIOTIC CONCERT: The New Orleans Concert Band, under the direction of Patrick Hennessy, will perform a free Fourth of July concert at the Ogden Museum of Southern Art, 925 Camp St. in

Orleans on

4 at 12:30 p.m. ogdenmuseum.org.

BERNARD SALUTES AMERICA: Louisiana singer Adam Pearce and six-piece

band Epic will play

at the Frederick J. Sigur Civic Center, 8245 W. Judge Perez Drive in Chalmette. The familyfriendly event starts at 5 p.m., with live music at 5:30 p.m. and fireworks at 9 p.m. GO FORTH ON THE RIVER: New Orleans’ annual Independence Day free fireworks display will be held July 4 at the New Orleans downtown riverfront, starting at 9 p.m. with a 17-story tall patriotic peacock tail fan created by Pyromania Fireworks. Other activities during the day include performances by the Irish a capella group Trinitones at 2 p.m. and 8 p.m. at Oscar Dunn Park, 768 Decatur St. in New Orleans, across from the Moon Walk, and a water show with plumes of red, white and blue fountains from the Gen Roy S. Kelley fireboat from 6:30 to 7 p.m. at the Port of New Orleans, 1350 Port of New Orleans Place www.go4thontheriver.com.

FOURTH OF JULY FEST: Dat Dog presents its Independence Day celebration with music, beer and hot dogs on July 4, 4-6 p.m., at 5030 Freret St. in New Orleans. The highlights include a hot dog-eating contest, with the winner receiving a $500 cash prize. www.datdog com

COMMUNITY EVENTS

MAC AND CHEESE AND FRIED CHICKEN FES-

TIVAL: The food festival will be held June 29, 10 a.m.-6 p.m., at the Festival Plaza, 8700 Lake Forest Blvd. in New Orleans. Activities include music, dancing, and a mac and cheese competition. Tickets start at $12.51 via Eventbrite nolakreweofwestafricafestival@gmail.com.

ARTS MARKET NEW ORLEANS: The bimonthly open-air market will be held June 28, 9 a.m.3 p.m., at City Park’s Goldring/Woldenberg Great Lawn, 6 Victory Ave. The market showcases the creations of 300 rotating art vendors from the Gulf South region, plus native musicians, local food options and kids’ activities. artsneworleans.org.

SIP + DIP: Tickets for the Sip+Dip experience at Cool Zoo Waterpark at Audubon Zoo, 6500 Magazine St. in New Orleans, are on sale Sip+Dip events take place almost every Friday through August, 6:30 p.m.-10 p.m. Each event has a different theme and gives grown-ups a

chance to relax, enjoy live entertainment, and cruise down the lazy river at this 21+ takeover of the water park. Tickets start at $50. For details, see www.audubonzoo.com/sip.

METAIRIE HUMANE SOCIETY: A fundraising dinner will be held on June 28, 4-8 p.m., at St. Matthew’s United Methodist Church, 6017 Camphor St. in Metairie. Plates are $16 and include a hamburger, mac and cheese, baked beans, a cupcake and a drink. Reservations are requested. (504) 458-0531.

SPRAY PARKS: The St. Charles Parish Department of Parks and Recreation has ofﬁcially opened Ormond Spray Park and West Bank Spray Park. Summer operating hours will be 1-6 p.m. Tuesday-Sunday. www.scpparksandrec.com.

SPLASH PARK: Kenner has opened its Splash Park at A.P. Clay Playground for the summer season. The park, located at 200 Decatur St., will be open May 23-Aug. 31 on Fridays 2-7 p.m., Saturdays 11 a.m.-7 p.m., and Sundays 2-7 p.m. The new and improved splash park is available to residents and visitors of all ages. www.kenner.la.us/219/Parks-Recreation-Department.

CELL PHONE SATURDAY: Audubon Zoo’s recycling initiative will accept cellphones and smartphones, iPads, iPods, tablets, Apple/ Android watches, and other electronics on June 28, 10 a.m.-1 p.m. Guests who donate recyclable electronics near the gorilla habitat will receive a gift while supplies last. Funds generated through device recycling will support gorilla conservation efforts. Recycling bins also are available at the front gate of Audubon Zoo. Zoo tickets start at $30. audubonnatureinstitute.org.

CITY PARK PLANNING: City Park Conservancy will hold its ﬁnal interactive community planning meeting to provide input on the future of New Orleans City Park. It will be held on June 25 at the Pavilion of the Two Sisters in City

Park, 1 Victory Ave. in New Orleans. Participants will review the proposed City Park Plan, which has been shaped by community input through multiple engagement interactions. RSVP for sessions at 11:30 a.m. or 6 p.m. neworleanscitypark.org.

CULTURE AND CONCERTS

THURSDAYS AT TWILIGHT: The musical series continues at the Pavilion of the Two Sisters in the Botanical Garden, 1 Victory Ave. in City Park, New Orleans. Concerts are held indoors on Thursday nights, 6-8 p.m. On June 26, Paul Soniat and Creole Pasta will be the entertainment. Admission is $15. NewOrleansCityPark. org.

FAITH

SPIRITUAL RETREAT: St. Dominic Catholic Church will sponsor its biannual men’s retreat July 25-27 at the William J. Kelly Retreat Center, 510 N. 2nd St. in Bay St Louis, Mississippi. The retreat is open to men seeking a deeper understanding of Catholic faith and fellowship. Cost is $205, including transportation. Register online at stdominicparish.com/ emmaus.

FILM

“A LADY TAKES A CHANCE”: The 1943 story of a NYC spinster on a bus tour of the West who encounters a rodeo cowboy will be screened June 25, 6-8:30 p.m., at the West Bank Regional Library, 2751 Manhattan Blvd. in Harvey. The screening will include a 20-minute presentation on a key aspect of the movie. jplibrary net.

BOOKS

THE RAINBOW SOUTH AUTHOR TALK: BK House & Gardens will host an evening with members of the New Orleans LGBTQ+ community,

including authors Larry Bagneris, Robert Fieseler and Frank Perez on June 30, 6 p.m., at 1113 Chartres St. in New Orleans. The authors will share insights from their latest books exploring LGBTQ+ narratives in Southern and Creole history. Tickets are free, but reservation are requested. www.bkhouse.org.

HONORS

JEFFERSON PARISH: Jefferson Parish has received the Government Finance Ofﬁcers Association Distinguished Budget Presentation Award for the 32nd consecutive year. The parish satisﬁed nationally recognized guidelines for effective budget presentation in four ranking categories and 14 mandatory criteria within those categories to receive the award This award is the highest form of recognition in governmental budgeting.

CLASSES

“THE LONG AND SHORT OF FLASH FICTION”: An adult creative writing workshop led by Marguerite Sheffer will be held June 25, 5-5:30 p.m., in the meeting room of the Nora Navra Library, 1902 St. Bernard Ave. in New Orleans. This interactive workshop covers the basics of writing ﬂash ﬁction with examples, play with

MOVEMENT

SWAMP SCHOOL: Registration is open for the

of four weeklong camp sessions sponsored by

Charles Parish Department of Parks and Recreation. Kids 8-12 can experience nature and outdoor adventures paired with science-backed activities, such as canoeing, ﬁeld games, archery and tree planting at the Bonnet Carre Spillway in Norco. The weeklong sessions run 8 a.m.-2 p.m. MondayFriday, through July 25. Registration for each week is $200 per child. scpparksandrec.com.

ST. MARY’S DOMINICAN HIGH: Registration is open for Dominican’s summer camps. All camps, except soccer and softball camps, are at Dominican’s campus, 7701 Walmsley Ave in New Orleans. Camps range from drama and cooking to cheerleading and sports. See details at www.stmarysdominican.org.

STEAM SUMMER CAMPS: Nunez Community College will offer more than 10 multiday camps this summer for students in grades 1-12. Prices vary by camp. All camps will take place on the Nunez campus, 3710 Paris Road in Chalmette, and most will meet from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on the designated dates. See Nunez. edu/STEAM for details.

BROTHER MARTIN HIGH: Registration is open for Brother Martin’s 2025 summer camps for boys 6-12, to be held through July 3 at the school, 4401 Elysian Fields Ave. in New Orleans. Activities include academic games, athletics, band, outdoor wilderness adventures, robotics, STEM, theater and weekly ﬁeld trips. Camp hours are 9 a.m.-3 p.m., and aftercare is available 3:30 p.m.-5 p.m. for a fee. The cost is $180 per week for weeks 1-5, $140 for week 6, or $940 for all six weeks. www brothermartin.com.

The Ladies Leukemia League awarded $175,000 in grants recently, funded by its annual Fete de Noel. Seated, from left, are league grant administrators Rosalie Edwards and Angie Ciciero, and Anita Hymel, league president. Standing are grant recipients Dr Xin Zhang, Ochsner/MDAnderson; Dr Zhen Lin, Tulane University Health Sciences Center; Dr Hua Lu, Tulane University School of Medicine; and Van Barnes, Ph.D., Tulane Educational Fund. Not pictured is grant recipient Dr Michele Redell, Texas Children’s Hospital PROVIDED PHOTO

STAFF PHOTO BY MICHAEL JOHNSON

Fourth of July fireworks are planned across the New Orleans area.

Dominican High School students, alumnae and parents at Carnegie

from

are

Poindexter, class of 1974; Diana Woods, class of 1975; Laurette Woods, class of 1976; and Meg Womble.

ST. MARY’S DOMINICAN HIGH: Veronica Matherne, a rising sophomore at Dominican, was chosen to attend the 2025 Louisiana Girls Leadership Academy at Nicholls State University. LGLA is a leadership-building opportunity offered to young women in grades 9-12 throughout Louisiana. Matherne was selected to serve as the campaign manager for her competitive team, which won the overall Best Campaign award at the closing ceremony.

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NEW ORLEANS PUBLIC SCHOOLS:

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CornerstoneChemicalCompany,LLC celebrated thepower of educationand thepromise of thenext generationatits annual CornerstoneScholarship BanquetonJune5,reaffirmingits deep commitment to communitydevelopment andworkforce readiness across JeffersonParish.

Thebanquet,heldtohonor recipients of the2025 CornerstoneScholarship Programand Louisiana YouthSeminar Sponsorships,showcased the company’sstrongbelief that investinginstudents is keytostrengtheningthe region’s future

“There are47,000 children in JeffersonParish, andwe’re honoring you,”saidJeffersonParishSchool BoardMemberDerrick Shepherdinhis remarks to students.“Be kind,bepresent,and be grateful.”

JacquesByrd, CornerstoneVicePresidentofSite Development, told recipients,“We need youbecause as we continue to grow anddevelop ourfacilities, we need people like youtostayathomeorcomeback home andbea part of ourCornerstone family.”

Theeveninghighlighted thestories of exceptional students whohavedemonstratedacademic success, leadership potential, anda desire to make adifference throughscience,technology, engineering, and mathematics(STEM)careers

Each year,Cornerstone’s scholarshipinitiative awards $1,000 one-time scholarships to 10 eligible localstudents pursuing STEM degreesataccredited universities or communitycolleges. Theprogram is open to graduating high school seniorsand current collegeorgraduatestudents. Some scholarships arereservedfor applicants whoare children of Cornerstoneemployees,and otherscholarshipsare awardedtoapplicantsfromnearbycommunities such as Waggaman,Kennedy HeightsinAvondale, andOld Kenner

“For me,after financialaid andmyacademic scholarships throughSoutheastern, this $1,000 wasthe last that Ineededfor my collegetobe completelypaidfor,” said MadisonAvery,a Nursing majoratSoutheasternUniversityand oneofthis year’s recipients

“Tuition is deﬁnitelythe most expensivepartof my schooling, andthe CornerstoneScholarship will coveradecentchunk of my tuition,”added Ethan Pittari, apre-pharmacy majoratthe University of LouisianaatMonroe. SistersEllaand MiaGuillot,bothmajoringin toxicology at theUniversityofLouisiana at Monroe, expressedsimilar gratitude.

“Withthe moneythatI’vereceived from Cornerstoneand thescholarshipsI’vereceived from othersources,I’llbegraduatingdebtfree,” said Ella,Class of 2026.Mia,Class of 2027,added, “The scholarshipisgoing straight to my tuition. I’ll be graduating debt free also.”

In addition to theSTEMscholarships Cornerstonesupportslocalhighschoolstudents throughits sponsorship of threeattendees to the LouisianaYouth Seminar, aweek-long summer programfocused on leadership development. This seminarequipsstudentswithkey skills such as effectivecommunication,goalsetting, problem-solving,and team building.Bysponsoring participation, Cornerstoneensures that more students have accesstothese career-shaping extracurricularexperiences,regardless of financiallimitations

“I’m reallyexcited for this opportunity. It’s really big, andI’m eagertogrowwithany opportunity,”said LouisianaYouth SeminarSponsorship recipient EmilyMontufar, an upcoming senior at Joseph A. Cullier Career Center studying cosmetology. Cornerstonebelievesthatleadershipdevelopment is critical to long-termsuccessfor both individuals andtheir communities. Thecompany’s commitment to providesupport for students wishingtoattend theyearlysummerseminar is oneway it cultivates afutureworkforce prepared to lead in both professional andcivic arenas

The2025recipientsofthe Cornerstone ScholarshipProgram areMadisonAvery,Jose CarmonaIII,Avery Folse, AimeeGuillory, Ella Guillot, MiaGuillot,Ethan Pittari, NadiaPowell Joshua Nguyenand MadilynSanderson

TheLouisiana YouthSeminar Sponsorship recipients areEvanComeaux,Emily Montufar and Cotton Stewart CornerstoneScholarship Programrecipientsare anonymouslyselectedbya paneloflocal community leaders. LouisianaYouth SeminarSponsorship recipients areselectedbyleadershipattheir respectiveschools Applications for the2026scholarship cyclewill open in January. With each newclass of recipients Cornerstonecontinues to buildbridges between education, leadership,and thefutureofJefferson Parish’s workforce To learnmoreabout Cornerstone’scommunity initiatives,visit www.cornerstonechemco.com

Matherne

PROVIDED PHOTO

St. Mary’s

Hall,

left

Sarah Perez; Nicole Budde Bruzik, class of 1999; Paris Aultman, freshman; Sara Pope, class of 2008; Giselle Chatelain, class of 2001; Halle Briede, class of 2018, Sophia Perez, freshman; Emme Womble sophomore; Anna Hattier eighth grade; Aurora Bezdek, eighth grade; Karis Brooks, senior; Mercedes Grace Ohlmeyer, senior; Claire Cooper eighth grade; Anna Rogers Heim, class of 1967 Ashley Brooks, Helen Woods, class of 1983; Paula Woods Adams, class of 1971; and Brenda Castillo. Not pictured: Alumnae Director Celeste Shelsey Anding, class of 1982; Emily Heim, class of 2020; Beryl Radcliff Small, class of 1979; Laverne Woods