Spirit of Determination

FREE SEPTEMBER 2020 | VOL. 14 • ISSUE 9 | POVHOUMA.COM

Uniquely You

CONTENTS |

SEPTEMBER 2020 • VOLUME 14 • ISSUE 9

CONT HOME + LIVING

Page 20

12 CHATEAU CHIC Making Memories

18 THE OBSERVER Turning Forty

FOOD + FUN

Page 28

MIND + BODY

Page 38

28 NATURAL SUCCESS

38 ALWAYS BE YOURSELF

34 BON APPETIT

44 WE SUPPORT A HEALTHIER FUTURE

Louisiana Baseball Academy showcases their recent success.

Nacho Hot Dog

20 WHO RUNS THE WORLD?

Alyssa McClelland shares her story that inspired a book.

Prostate Cancer Awareness Month

Girls Who Code rocks another summer session.

September 2020 2 povhouma.com

ENTS EXTRAS

ON THE COVER

WORD, YA HEARD

FAUX PAS (foh pah) a slip or blunder in etiquette, manners, or conduct; an embarrassing social blunder or indiscretion

WORD ON THE STREET Don’t commit a fashion faux pas this school year, wear your mask!

06 EDITOR’S NOTE Age is Just a Number

08 INTERVUE

Alyssa proudly reads aloud from her book.

Photo: Channing Candies

Say What?

46 UNDER THE SCOPE Remembering Betsy

48 RENDEZVOUS

Where you need to be around town

50 LOOK TWICE

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September 2020 3 povhouma.com

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Business address: Rushing Media, P.O. Box 5013, Houma, LA 70361 • 985.868.7515 Point of Vue magazine cannot be responsible for the return of unsolicited material such as manuscripts or photographs, with or without the inclusion of a stamped, self-addressed envelope. Information in this publication is gathered from sources considered to be reliable, but the accuracy and completeness of the information cannot be guaranteed. The opinions expressed in Point of Vue magazine are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the opinions of Rushing Media, our employees or any of our advertisers. No employee or family member(s) of employees of Rushing Media are permitted to partake in any contests, giveaways or sweepstakes.

September 2020 4 povhouma.com

EDITOR’S NOTE |

MARY DOWNER DITCH • EDITORIAL DIRECTOR OF POV

AGE IS JUST A NUMBER September is an exciting month for me.

It’s my birthday month. And this year, I’m turning 40.

empowers young girls to learn not only how to code but provides the skills, resources, and encouragement needed to enter the typically male-dominated STEM career fields. It is exciting to see young girls taking science and engineering to the next level. Learn more about their amazing opportunity on page 20.

And like so many of my friends hitting the same milestone this year have realized, it’s just not as big of a deal as one might think!

This milestone was really just a good excuse to throw a bigger party… Thanks Covid for ruining that!

But there are some new and exciting things on the horizon for me this year. First big change is that I am once again a college student. Yes, at 40 years old, I have decided to go back to school. I have enrolled at Nicholls State University in their online program to pursue a degree in business administration. It’s a really hard thing for me to do. You see, in my teens and early twenties, I was quite the failure at college. I now know my struggles with depression and anxiety didn’t help my quest for higher education. Now, as an adult, I’m still scared, but I feel I am better equipped to deal with the big feelings that might get in the way.

While 40 might be scary for some, I’m grateful to have made it this far. I am blessed with a great husband who is my biggest supporter and a 5-year-old kindergartener that helps to remind me of the little joys in life. My first class at Nicholls is Geology, and Jackson has watched every video with me. For the last chapter I read, I think he was able to explain volcanoes to me better than the online videos! He is so excited Mommy is in school and has homework too.

The September issue of POV is typically focused on football, tailgating and back-to-school. Since all of those things were up in the air when we began planning this issue back in early July, we decided to instead focus on the youth of our area and their accomplishments. We swapped “The School Spirit Issue” to more of a “Spirit of Determination” issue. Once we landed on our topic, the ideas just kept rolling in. It’s amazing to sit back and realize the list of accomplished children we have in this area! We will definitely cover this topic again!

Our first story is about a group of young ladies who spent a week this summer learning to code and more! Girls Who Code

Let’s hear it for the boys of summer, too! The Louisiana Baseball Academy is coaching up the next generation of baseball players right here in our own backyard. The LBA Naturals were allowed to play a portion of their season this year, even through Covid concerns.

The teams brought home about 25 championship titles just in the 2020 season. Root for the home teams, starting on page 28.

Six-year-old Alyssa McClelland was struggling with looking different from her classmates. Her hair was different than theirs and she was worried they would tease her for having a fro. With the help of her mother, this brave girl turned her fear into a storybook for other children like her. “My Big Curly Fro” shares Alyssa’s story from her point of view and helps other children to “always be yourself.” Share in Alyssa’s newfound confidence on page 38.

Reading this month’s stories brought so much joy to my heart.

The children we are writing about in this issue are the future leaders of our country. They are the ones who will make the new discoveries in medicine and engineering. They are the ones who will use the teamwork skills learned on the ball field to run their own Fortune 500 company. They are the ones who will encourage others to stand up for the things that make us each unique. These children are strong and confident, each in their own way.

This issue has helped to give me the courage to believe in myself again and strive to achieve even bigger goals. When it comes to confidence in their abilities, they never pause to say, “I can’t; I’m only a child.” They would never let youth stand in their way.

After all, age is just a number. POV

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INTERVUE |

AUTUMN IS NEAR. DON'T FALL BEHIND. GET THE EQUIPMENT YOU NEED TO KEEP YOUR LAWN AND LANDSCAPING CRISP

SAY WHAT?

Who was your favorite teacher and why?

CHRIS “Brother Linus. He taught us Algebra 1 and Algebra 2. Great teacher with his odd and even homework notebooks, along with our scratch tablets for in class use. We constantly did problems. If you didn’t learn you were dead! He lectured very little. When he did (lecture), his antics and peculiar behavior gave us plenty of material to laugh and joke about to this day-50 years after. He was awesome!”

TRACTOR HANS

“There are teachers who teach, and then there are teachers who go above and beyond their job title to see into the hearts of their students. I remember one such teacher in sixth grade at Broadmoor Elementary in 1988, Judy (Davis) Navarre. She saw the potential in me as an artist that I couldn’t see for myself. When I was frustrated or felt like giving up, she talked to me and lifted my spirit. Judy passed in 2011, but I will always remember her encouragement, her character, and the way she reached out to her students on a personal level. I owe much of my success to her. And there is another person I have to mention because she was a teacher for 33 years, and gave me the best life skills and love that a boy could ever ask for: my mother, Evelyn Geist.”

KRISTIN “My first grade teacher was my favorite Mrs. Denise Dupre at Broadmoor. I just remember her being very sweet, helpful and genuine!”

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“If I have to pick a favorite teacher, I have to pick Ms Janet Giroir from Napoleonville. She is most memorable because she believed in me and saw something in me that I didn’t even know existed. She was my typing teacher-on real typewriters!! (I’m not that old, but saying this makes me feel ancient)!! She encouraged me to run for a State Officer in FBLA (Future Business Leaders of America), and we both succeeded! We were both able to do a lot of traveling together through the school and my office. I learned so much about myself and the world through this organization. If she wouldn’t have seen something special in me, I would never have been in that position. I have so many teachers that I’d love to thank for molding me into the person I am today!! I admired and respected so many of my teachers that pushed me to be more and do more!! I’m thankful for each and every one of you!”

September 2020 8 povhouma.com

This is the age of a new Louisiana.

We built Louisiana’s largest pediatric health network to care for any of the one million children in our state and deliver on the belief that your child can be part of a stronger, healthier tomorrow. From check-ups to complex medical and emergency care, your child’s care begins here. Visit ololchildrens.org/believe for more.

Believe in me.

HOME + LIVING

CHATEAU CHIC | 12 Making Memories

THE OBSERVER | 18 Turning Forty

WHO RUNS THE WORLD? | 20 Girls Who Code rocks another summer session.

September 2020 10 povhouma.com

WELCOME TO TGMC Terrebonne General Medical Center (TGMC) is proud to welcome Dr. Sindhura Bandaru, Endocrinologist, Dr. Navin Kumar Durairajan, Pulmonary and Critical Care Specialist, and Dr. Dominique Monlezun, Internal Medicine/Hospitalist, to its esteemed medical staff.

Dr. Sindhura Bandaru, Endocrinologist, earned her medical

degree from Bhaskar Medical College and Hospital in India. She completed her Internal Medicine residency at Southern Illinois University in Springfield, IL, and is board certified in internal medicine. She completed an Endocrinology, Diabetes, and Metabolism Fellowship from the University of Wisconsin, Madison.

Dr. Bandaru will join Endocrinology Care, TGMC with Dr. Rachel Coleman where she will be providing care to patients with a wide range of conditions, diseases, and disorders involving the endocrine system.

Dr. Navin Kumar Durairajan, Pulmonary and Critical Care Specialist, attended Sri Ramachandra University in Chennai, India where

he received his Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Science degrees. He completed his postgraduate training with a Pulmonary & Critical Care fellowship at Detroit Medical Center-Wayne University in Detroit, MI. Dr. Durairajan is board certified in internal medicine. Dr. Durairajan will join Pulmonary Care, TGMC with Dr. Ralph Bourgeois and Dr. Andrea Lorio. His specialties include lung cancer, pulmonary hypertension and medical education.

Dr. Dominique Monlezun, Internal Medicine/Hospitalist,

earned his medical degree from Tulane University School of Medicine and two PhDs in the statistical and bioethical aspects of artificial intelligence from Tulane School of Public Health and Italy’s Athenaeum Regina Apostolorum. He completed his Internal Medicine residency at UT McGovern Medical School.

Dr. Monlezun serves as Principal Investigator and Senior Data Scientist for over 30 research studies, is a Professor of Bioethics for two UN-affiliated universities, and author of over 250 papers and abstracts in addition to two textbooks in population health, disparities, and ethics. Dr. Monlezun will join the TGMC hospitalist care team.

Dr. Sindhura Bandaru and Dr. Navin Durairajan are currently welcoming new patients. To schedule an appointment with Dr. Bandaru call (985)873-3484. To schedule an appointment with Dr. Durairajan, please call (985)850-6090.

To learn more visit: TGMC.COM

September 2020 11 povhouma.com

HOME + LIVING |

CHATEAU CHIC

MAKING MEMORIES

BY MARY DITCH | PHOTOS BY MISTY LEIGH MCELROY

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Nestled amongst mature trees and away from the hustle and bustle of Hwy. 308 sits the home of Randy and Mona Zeringue, and their children Shawn, Sarah and Patrick. Built in 1990 by Gus Falgout Contractors, the home was designed for the many family gatherings that the owners hold dear.

“We love making memories here,” shared Mona. “We want everyone that is our guest to feel like family and enjoy their time here. We love entertaining on the spot, planned, or just because. Anytime family and friends can come over, we love it!”

The approximately 4,000 square foot home has 4 bedrooms and 4.5 bathrooms in its two stories. A recent three month long renovation updated the home’s interior and brought new life to the spacious rooms. What initially began with a small plan to

renovate one bathroom and update some tile flooring soon gave way to a total first floor renovation, along with the staircase, upstairs hallway and outside porches.

“Once we met with Gretchen Talbot at A&H Paint, we decided to redo a little bit more,” laughs Mona. “Our original plan was to complete one room at a time and before long, the entire downstairs was gutted and torn apart. Four of us lived within three bedrooms and two baths upstairs. It was hectic at times, but we really bonded and it was exciting to see the progress each day.”

The home’s redesign focused carrying a simpler and tailored look throughout the first floor, incorporating shades of white, grey and blue. The goal was to create a realistic style that the busy family could comfortably

September 2020 12 povhouma.com

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live in. Most of the furniture in the home is from Niche Modern Home of Covington and McMillian Interiors of Baton Rouge, along with the home’s art. On the renovation team were Gretchen Talbot, Interior Planner, Decorator and Designer; Dan Bergeron, Interior Decorator and Consult; Jay Rutter Construction, contractor; Eva Spencer, draperies; A&H Paint and Floor Covering; Arcement Pools; and Bourgeios Contractors, cabinets.

Some of the highlights of the home renovation include marble in the master bath and custom tile work in the shower, along with a free-standing tub; a textured subway tile and granite in the kitchen; travertine floor throughout kitchen, dining, and foyer; wood beams in dining, kitchen, and mantle; and fun wallpaper in the downstairs powder room. A dark gunite pool with fountain and large porches complete the exterior of the home and serve as a favorite gathering spot for the family.

The family loves hosting parties, from bridal showers to sorority and fraternity bid days, graduation parties, to hosting every holiday in their living room. Making memories with family and friends remains the main reason the family loves their home.

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“It is a happy home that we plan to never leave,” said Mona. “It may look different now, but we hope everyone who comes here remembers the good times and looks forward to future ones.” POV

No. 1 Exterior No. 2 Breakfast room No. 3 Formal dining No. 4 Living room No. 5 Master bedroom No. 6 Master bathroom No. 7 Pool No. 8 Kitchen Additional photos can be viewed at povhouma.com.

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TURNING FORTY I turned 40 a few weeks ago; depending on when you’re reading this, I might have been 40 for a few weeks or for a few months.

I turned 40 in the year 2020.

That statement feels like the beginning of a novel.

Based on the year’s events, it would probably be a science fiction “end of the world” kind of novel. So let’s not write a novel. Or a book about what will happen. But there are things I look back on and think: “I would never have dreamed it would have turned out this way.”

Full disclosure: I’ve been saying I’m 40 for about three years now, so when the big day arrived, it wasn’t very shocking or traumatizing to enter into the next decade of life. The only moment I felt tears was when my mom and I went out for dinner for my birthday, and she prayed blessing over the next 40 years, as the Lord has blessed the first 40.

Well then. Am I halfway done living? The first half has felt like a blur. I’m thinking the second half will feel much the same.

But there’s things I wish I could have told my 20-year-old self that would have saved some heartache. I’m not sure the 20-year-old version of me would have listened. She pretty much knew it all at the tender age of 20 and thought the world would unfold exactly according to her plan.

So here’s the things I would tell that naive girl:

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• Friendships are fragile. Guard them and be kind, but don’t spend your life chasing them. Friends will come and go. Be thankful for the ones who stay.

• Wake up earlier. An extra hour a day adds time to your life. The early hours are the best hours.

• Stop complaining about your weight. The extra 5, 10, 15 pounds are just numbers. Stop stepping on the scale every day and take a walk instead.

• Be more generous than you think you can be in every area of your life.

Give your time, your heart or your finances. You’ll never regret it.

• Dear 20-year-old who says she doesn’t ever want children: You will eventually have five. You’ll love them way more than you ever thought imaginable. And going from zero to five will be the best thing you’ve ever experienced.

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• Say the kind things running through your head. When you think a nice thing, say it. Everyone needs some encouragement, and your words have the power to give life to weary hearts. Be a heart mender.

• Quit doubting yourself. You’re enough.

• There will be people who see what you can do for them. And there will be people who see you. Stick with the latter.

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• When you do start having those five children that you never said you would have, give yourself permission to not be perfect.

They love you. You love them.

They’ll turn out ok in spite of the mistakes you make along the way.

• Give lots of grace. You’ve been given more than you deserve. Do the same for those around you.

• Save more money. Spend less.

• Plant more plants. (That goes against spend less money. But spending money on plants is always ok.)

• You’re a terrible dog mom. Just give up on that dream and let it go.

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• Focus on your people. They’re the ones you want with you during each decade of your life.

Don’t keep getting distracted by the things that don’t really matter.

• It’s your life. Live it. Don’t be afraid to dream. Don’t be afraid to change the world.

• Love the man you marry. You haven’t met him yet, but he’s going to be the kindest man who believes in you more than you believe in yourself.

• Lastly, in 20 years, you’ll wish you had more face masks, hand sanitizer and toilet paper.

There’s going to be shortages of all three. Just trust me on this one and keep a little stockpile in a closet somewhere because when you turn 40 in 2020, they’ll be the hottest items on everyone’s shopping list. POV

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WHO RUNS THE WORLD?

September 2020 20 povhouma.com

BY MARY DITCH | PHOTOS SUBMITTED

Close your eyes and just imagine the following: a line of bananas you can play as a keyboard; a working guitar out of a piece of cardboard; or an animated dance battle between yourself and a character of your creation.

Now imagine the people behind these achievements are young ladies in the 6th to 11th grade. Actually, you don’t have to imagine it… these things really happened this summer thanks to Girl Who Code!

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Girls Who Code (GWC) is an international organization that empowers young girls to learn not only how to code but provides the skills, resources, and encouragement needed to enter the typically male-dominated career fields of science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM).

Here in Terrebonne parish, Terrebonne Foundation for Academic Excellence (TFAE) first learned about GWC when local teacher Melissa Williamson submitted a TFAE Innovative Ed-Venture Grant to start her own GWC club at Houma Jr. High. She is a former engineer turned math teacher who is incredibly passionate about inspiring girls to love STEM. With a sponsorship from Chevron, TFAE funded Melissa’s grant (about $9,000) for a set of chromebooks, GWC shirts, supply kit, books, and miscellaneous items she wanted to start her club at HJH. This began a wonderful partnership with Chevron for TFAE. Because they are committed to STEM education, they loved Melissa’s project and offered TFAE additional dollars to expand GWC in Terrebonne Parish.

Katie Portier, executive director for TFAE, suggested one way to reach multiple girls across the parish was to create and invite them to a summer camp so they could essentially “sample” the idea of GWC and ask to start their own clubs at their schools. Last year, TFAE hosted their first camp with 25 girls, which grew the GWC school clubs in our area from one to about eight.

“I cannot say enough about Chevron’s commitment to STEM education in Terrebonne Parish,” says Katie. “We are so grateful that they continue to put their trust in TFAE to carry out educational programs within our parish. Thus far, Chevron has committed approximately $75,000 to our Girls Who Code initiative in Terrebonne Parish. Because of this, every girl can attend our camp at no cost and we have the technology for them to use. Everything is provided for them.”

The GWC Summer Session is open to Terrebonne Parish girls entering grades 6-11. “Research has shown that girls ‘lose interest’ in STEM around this age group, so we wanted to capture their attention and interest,” shares Katie. “It’s also a great age to teach the ‘extras’ of GWC which include bravery, resilience, hard work, respect, and more.”

The objective of GWC school clubs and camps is to encourage our local girls to learn to code. By learning this skill, girls also learn valuable life skills along the way.

“Coding is hard and frustrating,” explains Kaite. “It requires patience, determination, the ability to overcome obstacles. A popular motto of GWC (and our camp motto) is ‘Brave Not Perfect’, which means that it’s okay to

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try something new and not be great at it. Often, girls (and women!) will not try something simply because they know they may not succeed at first. One lesson we stress through the clubs and camp is that bravery is so important in all aspects of our life - bravery to try a new skill, bravery to fail, bravery to speak up, bravery to be yourself. It’s amazing to see these girls see their worth and blossom. Their faces when they put together a string of code and it works is something I’ll never get tired of seeing. They are so excited and proud of themselves.”

Traditionally, GWC Summer Session has been held at Fletcher Technical Community College. Local businesses donated breakfast and lunch, each girl had their own Chromebook to use, and campers spent the day learning how to code, practicing skills, listening to local women in STEM careers, and working on individual and group projects. TFAE had plans to grow the 1-week camp to a 2-week camp and offer two levels this year.

However, with the pandemic adjusting how

we were able to gather in different phases, TFAE recognized their number one priority was the health of camp participants, teachers, and their families. With this in mind, TFAE felt it was best to offer a 1-week virtual camp this year.

“While virtual comes with a whole list of challenges, we are lucky to have some amazing facilitators that were able to put together an incredibly fun and engaging program,” shares Katie. “We created STEM activity kits (which we hand-delivered to each girl with a socially distanced and fun “car parade”) that included a Makey Makey kit, all supplies needed for a handson project, candy, science journal, DIY bracelet kit, “Hidden Figures” book, and more.”

A Makey Makey kit is an innovation tool kit that allows users to make closed and open circuits. With the supplies in their kits, girls could experiment with so many things, but mostly how to control their computers with other objects. For example, one camper, Rozzie Hubbell, learned how to attach her Makey kit to bananas to September 2020 22 povhouma.com

control piano keys that she coded.

Overall, this year’s camp was certainly different but the girls adapted quickly and enjoyed the experience. A day typically started with a Zoom meeting where the girls would play some type of game then launch into their lesson for the day. The girls would then work independently on their coding and Makey Makey projects, while the Zoom was left open for the next four hours for them to come in and out if they needed help. A lot of the girls stayed in the Zoom while working just for fun. At the beginning of the next day, the camp would have a “show and tell” for those who wanted to show the progress they made the day before.

This summer, lessons included different aspects of coding, how to use the Makey Makey kits, historical women in technology fields, and more. GWC also had two fantastic speakers share their journey as women in STEM. “One positive outlook of having to do virtual was that we were able to get a very notable speaker to talk to our girls about

her journey,” said Katie. “Alyssa Carlson is the youngest NASA trainee, and she happens to be from Baton Rouge! She is training to be a part of a crew that will walk on Mars. As you can imagine, her talk was incredibly interesting as we learned about her journey to become an astronaut. The girls were definitely impressed and in complete awe.”

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The campers also heard from Leah Brown, Corporate Affairs Manager at Chevron.

Leah was a great speaker for the girls because her career has taken her through many different STEM avenues including chemist and teacher. She offered some great advice for the campers in how to stay on track to reach their goals in life.

While Katie’s main contribution to the camp is to coordinate in the background, securing funding and resources needed, scheduling speakers, and offering support to the facilitators and teachers, she does get to give the introduction to “Brave Not Perfect” where she aims to inspire the girls to “be brave to do hard things, be kind to ourselves along the way, and go out there and conquer whatever they want to.”

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The five other camp facilitators all work in the TPSD school system, and each bring something different to the camp. “I cannot say enough about our local teachers,” smiles Katie. “They are shaping our next generation of leaders, workers, voters, and community members. They deserve our support, encouragement, and appreciation every day.”

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Melissa Williamson is the camp’s “fearless leader”. She now teaches Algebra at H. L. Bourgeois High School. As a former engineer, her knowledge of coding and her perspective in STEM careers is unique.

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Jennifer Hopkins will be starting as a geometry teacher at Terrebonne High this year. (She was formerly an 8th grade math teacher at Houma Junior High.) She is the Makey Makey expert! She challenges the girls to try new things with their projects and has all the patience in the world.

Rae Bangs is a special ed teacher at Houma Junior High. She coordinated the “brain breaks” and themed days, showing up every day (virtually) in a costume. Rae

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never coded before helping with the camp, so she shows the girls her progress as she learns alongside them.

Shannon Marcel is a geometry teacher at HL Bourgeois. Shannon keeps everyone on track and offers such great encouragement when things get tough for the girls. She is great at helping the girls get their “break through” when facing a problem with their code.

Ashley Jefferson is a guidance counselor at Terrebonne High. After Katie reached out to Ashley in the first year looking for nominations for the camp, she immediately wanted to volunteer. Ashley is an amazing role model.

“We all have different personalities which I think is great, because the girls see us interact with kindness and respect for one another,” explains Katie. “I think we can all say we as adults also walk away from the camp inspired, recharged, and ready to take on the world.”

TFAE is celebrating their 30th anniversary this school year. Since their inception, TFAE’s mission has been to establish a perpetual source of funding to provide additional financial resources to foster academic excellence in public education.

They have funded more than $1.3 million

dollars in grants to local public school teachers for supplies, technology, and innovative projects in the classroom. Just last school year, TFAE funded more than $100,000 in grant dollars directly to local teachers. In addition, TFAE has funded more than 267,000 books to local children through the Imagination Library.

Over the years TFAE has been able to expand on these programs by helping to create additional educational experiences for students, such as Girls Who Code Summer Session, lending libraries, and more, with the support of the community.

They are honored to provide teachers with resources they need to create effective, engaging, innovative, and creative classrooms.

“I think the Girls Who Code program in Terrebonne Parish is a great example of what can happen when one teacher has a great idea. This started as just a small club of 15 girls at a local junior high school and has since grown into much, much more. We now have more than 100 local girls (through the camp and school clubs) who are learning confidence, bravery, technology skills, and much more. They are securing their futures in the ever growing STEM career path.” POV

September 2020 24 povhouma.com

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NATURAL SUCCESS | 28

Louisiana Baseball Academy showcases their recent success.

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NATURAL Success

September 2020 28 povhouma.com

BY DREW MILLER PHOTOS BY CHANNING CANDIES “Baseball is a lot like life. It’s a dayto-day existence, full of ups and downs. You make the most of your opportunities in baseball as you do in life.” – Ernie Harwell Inspiring words about America’s favorite pastime by the late Harwell, a longtime and celebrated Major League Baseball play-by-play caller.

Opportunities are ultimately up to the young athletes to make the most of. But with the proper guidance, strong support system and instilled values, the chances of success become far greater.

The local organization Louisiana Baseball Academy (LBA) has built such a foundation -- teaching its players the fundamentals of baseball while also instilling core values and providing life lessons to succeed on and off the field.

“We try to teach them how they act on the field is a direct reflection of how they are going to act off the field,” says owner and director Josh Constant. “We push them as hard as we can during baseball practices to teach him that baseball is tough -- life is tough. Life is not fair sometimes.

How you deal with adversity is what’s going to define you as a person.”

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LBA Naturals players go through rigorous training at the state-ofthe-art Naturals Sports Complex.

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All the hard work has paid off for the LBA Naturals over the years, with one of the most recent successes being the 2020 summer season. The organization was nearly unstoppable, taking home around 25 championship titles this summer.

lucky to retain some guys for a while...We’ve been lucky with having great coaches leading the way for these boys and getting them in the right position to be successful in critical moments.”

Just one example of LBA’s dominance is the Naturals Blue 12U’s championship run at the 2020 Bring The Lumber Tournament in Branson, Missouri. The team put up 95 hits, 12 home runs, two grand slams, 16 doubles -- while dishing out 73 strikeouts. The Naturals Blue went undefeated in pool play and then took that momentum into the bracket to become world champions.

Prior to the summer season, the organization racked up 86 tournament championships, including the 2013 Cooperstown Dream Park National Youth Hall of Fame Tournament and the 2016 11U AAA State Championship.

The trophies this year came despite the Naturals having to adapt to the trying times of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The organization had to alter the schedule, scaling down to spread-out, single team practices -- as opposed to the large-scale drills.

“To me, it means we have a bunch of great coaches,” Josh shares about the triumphant season. “We’ve been

“For eight years we were doing it a certain way, pretty much religiously, and in our ninth season, everything

September 2020 30 povhouma.com

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turned upside down because of COVID,” Josh says. “It was obviously difficult for us, managing all of it, but if the measuring stick is championships, I think we dealt with it pretty well.”

The organization’s success can also be measured by the numerous players that came through the system over the years who continued their baseball journey at the collegiate level.

“It’s been great to see those guys play at the next level, very proud of them,” Josh shares. “And not only that, it’s the kids that came through our program that are graduating college now and starting to get jobs and move into the real world -- we’re just as proud of those guys as we are the guys that moved on to play college.”

He continues: “It’s about building them into men, and hoping that they can function in the future...Obviously, we speak in the baseball language, but hopefully that can help them out at some point down the line.”

There are 18 LBA Naturals teams, ranging from 8U to 14U groups, and Josh says they’re going to start a developmental league this year for younger children. The organization also has a 14U softball team, which also had a successful summer -racking up tournament wins and seeing

players receive individual accolades -and plans on adding 12U and 10U softball teams for this upcoming season.

“I think that we’ve built something pretty special. I think there’s a lot of guys out there that feel proud of being a part of what we’ve done,” Josh says. “The family environment that we try to create gives these players an opportunity to meet some guys that maybe they haven’t met in the past, and a lot of bonds are built on the baseball field.”

Josh says the goal of the Naturals is to not necessarily push the Division I scholarship dream but to produce great high school players and respectful young athletes. “Obviously there’s guys that come through and go into the college ranks, which is great, but that percentage is small. And we can help those guys along that path as well,” he continues.

“But as far as getting the travel ball experience of going and competing in tournaments and being coached the right way and being pushed, I think that’s all things that parents expect from us as coaches,” he says. “And I think we do that.” POV More information on the LBA Naturals can be found at www.lbanaturals.com.

September 2020 32 povhouma.com

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September 2020 33 povhouma.com

FOOD + FUN |

BON APPETIT

LET’S GET GRILLIN’ While summer may be winding down as kids go back to school, the days are still long offering plenty of daylight for evening grilling.

The classic summer ballpark food, the hot dog, is more than just a quick meal for children. By simply dressing up the toppings, you can create a gourmet meal perfect for one last hoorah by the pool or

a last minute movie night under the stars.

Fun options for hot dogs include homemade slaw; bacon, lettuce and tomato; condiments like chipotle mayonnaise or honey BBQ mustard; corn salsa; or even using po-boy bread to hold more toppings. The sky’s the limit!

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2. G rill your hot dogs.

3. Inside each open bun, place half the crushed chips and a warm hot dog.

4. Drizzle each with the cheese sauce and sprinkle the remaining chips.

5. Garnish with sour cream, salsa, cilantro, jalapenos, etc.

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MIND + BODY

ALWAYS BE YOURSELF | 38

Alyssa McClelland shares her story that inspired a book.

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Always Be

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BY KEELY DIEBOLD | PHOTOS BY CHANNING CANDIES “Always be yourself,” is the message that appears on the opening page of “My Big Curly Fro,” a children’s book written by six-year-old author and Houma resident Alyssa McClelland.

For Alyssa, that message holds a significant personal meaning.

When Alyssa felt unconfident with her beautiful hair, her parents found a way to offer her a creative outlet for expressing her emotions: one that has now reached and inspired children all over the country.

“My Big Curly Fro” takes place on picture day at Alyssa’s school, where readers see Alyssa’s character wishing that her hair was like that of her classmates.

“Alyssa, your hair is your own way of expressing yourself. It’s what makes us different but most importantly in a good way,” Tamara’s character tells Alyssa’s as she leaves for school.

When Alyssa’s character meets new student Amyah, who has hair just like

“It took some long nights. It took some early mornings sometimes,” Tamara says. “The process of selfpublishing, you’re doing everything on your own.

You’re finding your own illustrator, and it was a lot, but I think she was really patient...I couldn’t have asked for her participation more than what she did with her book.”

Alyssa’s story began when her mother, Tamara McClelland, was fixing her hair one day before school last fall. Tamara says that her daughter confided in her that she didn’t want to wear her hair the way it was styled, fearing that students at school would make fun of her.

Months after the bathroom incident, Alyssa’s experience is making its way into the homes and hearts of people everywhere.

“I’m going to everywhere. I’m in Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Target [and] Walmart,” Alyssa says.

Alyssa says she would mainly work on the book in the morning and at night, saving the middle of the day for playtime.

Self-publishing a book undoubtedly had its challenges.

“I had to go to school, but I didn’t want to go to school with my fro because I didn’t want kids at my school to make fun of me. I wasn’t confident,” Alyssa says.

“I was like, ‘You know you don’t have to worry about people teasing you. You can wear your hair however you want to wear your hair, and you’re beautiful regardless. You have to be comfortable with yourself,’” Tamara says. “So that’s when we said, you know what, maybe everybody needs to hear about this.”

After coming up with the concept for “My Big Curly Fro,” Alyssa and her mother worked together to brainstorm elements of the story. To develop interactions between characters, Alyssa would give her mother ideas of what was taking place at school, and Tamara would in turn offer her response to those situations from a mother’s standpoint.

hers, she learns to love her curls.

Alyssa says her favorite part of “My Big Curly Fro” is when her character and Amyah, who is named after Alyssa’s cousin, share a sweet moment together in the second half of the story.

“When the new classmate had helped me...and when we took pictures,” Alyssa says. “That’s mostly my favorite part. I like taking pictures.”

September 2020 39 povhouma.com

The day the first published copies of “My Big Curly Fro” arrived at the McClelland household ahead of its June 19 release date was a feeling unlike any other for its young author and her parents.

“I was so excited. I kept on jumping and running around,” Alyssa says.

“We were literally waiting for UPS,” Tamara laughs. “The blinds were open, and [my husband] was like, ‘It’s here. The book is here. It’s the book.’”

The weeks that have followed since its release have been “overwhelming,”

“I was like, ‘You know you don’t have to worry about people teasing you. You can wear your hair however you want to wear your hair, and you’re beautiful regardless. You have to be comfortable with yourself.”

— Tamara McClelland

Tamara says, with over 300 copies of “My Big Curly Fro” sold already.

“We just wanted to get a cute little book out to our family and friends, and now it’s just like taken off,” Tamara says.

Meanwhile, Alyssa is enjoying the spotlight that’s come along with it, participating in countless interviews and photoshoots on what seems like a weekly basis.

“My Big Curly Fro” even reached the

attention of Director Matthew Cherry, whose animated short film “Hair Love” about a father styling his daughter’s curly hair for the first time won the Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film earlier this year. Cherry requested a virtual meeting with Alyssa after seeing her story on Twitter. “[He said] he would love to speak with Alyssa and give her some words of encouragement,” Tamara says.

As her book continues to make its way

September 2020 40 povhouma.com

around the country and demand for it increases, Alyssa has been learning how to take care of inventory, invoices and shipments of orders. Tamara says she wrote down the steps for processing orders in a notebook for Alyssa to follow.

“It’s so much fun. There’s like no hard part. Like it’s easy for me because my mom taught me how,” Alyssa says.

Alyssa says it makes her feel “really great” to see children all over the country reading her book and being inspired by its

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message. Tamara takes pride in the fact that “My Big Curly Fro” was able to serve as a piece of valuable representation.

“We don’t have a lot of AfricanAmerican cartoon characters and representation in the media in a more positive way,” Tamara says. “We want everybody to feel confident. That’s the purpose of the book - to let everyone know that they’re special in their own

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way, and they’re confident.”

Alyssa has another book in the works, but for now she’s keeping its details a secret.

“The title is a surprise,” Alyssa says.

However, Tamara says the next project is one that is closest to her heart personally, and they are hoping to release it in December around Christmastime.

In the meantime, Alyssa says she wants people that read her book to find confidence from its message.

“I want them to love themself,” Alyssa says.

For anyone wanting to follow in Alyssa’s footsteps and write their own book or share their experiences, Tamara encourages them to keep going no matter how challenging it gets.

Alyssa has some words of advice, too.

“I would say, ‘Of course you can!’” Alyssa says. POV

September 2020 42 povhouma.com

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NATIONAL PROSTATE CANCER AWARENESS MONTH As the coronavirus pandemic continues, it is important to not only mask up, social distance and practice good hand hygiene but also not to delay care for other illnesses or overlook symptoms unrelated to the virus.

September is National Prostate Cancer Awareness Month. Prostate cancer is the second most common cancer among men and affects as many as one in every nine men. While prostate cancer is typically slow growing and can be successfully treated if detected early, some types are extremely aggressive and can spread rapidly.

Prevention and Reducing Risks Although COVID-19 affects all genders, age groups and ethnicities, the risk for severe disease and death is higher in older men and particularly those with underlying health conditions—the same group most at risk for prostate cancer.

African-American men and Caribbean men of African descent have the highest rate of prostate cancer.

According to American Cancer Society guidelines, men can reduce their risk by: • Choosing a diet with a variety of fruits, vegetables and whole grains; • Following a low-fat diet with limited red meat and dairy products; • Choosing foods rich in vitamins and minerals over supplements; • Drinking plenty of water and limiting caffeine and sugar-sweetened beverages; • Exercising frequently; • Maintaining a healthy weight.

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Annual screenings typically consist of a blood test to measure PSA levels. If levels are elevated, your doctor may recommend a digital rectal exam to feel for bumps or hard spots on the prostate.

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September 2020 44 povhouma.com

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UNDER THE SCOPE |

BY JOHN DOUCET

REMEMBERING

BETSY Celebrating 55 years might seem like an odd anniversary. If celebrating a wedding, it falls between the gold anniversary at 50 years and the diamond anniversary at 60. The gift for 55 years is emerald. Emeralds appear green to us because particles in the gemstone absorb and scatter incandescent light. Mostly for the same reason, bodies of water like bayous can appear green as dissolved and suspended particles scatter sunlight. This year marks the emerald anniversary of the September when Hurricane Betsy struck the bayou towns of PoV Country.

Psychologists generally agree that adults can’t remember farther back than age two. When Betsy hit, I was age three, and I remember it clearly. Golden Meadow was fifteen miles from the Gulf and two feet above sea level at the bayou sides. Our house there was a half-mile west of Bayou Lafourche in the marshland down a street aptly named “Palmetto.” As the storm approached on September 9th, my dad and hero was somewhere faraway on a drilling barge, and my 35-year-old mom was home-protector of me and my three older sisters. I remember morning sun shining through our large picture window. The next thing I remember is canned food. We lifted the living room furniture atop large cans of fruits and juices to protect the pieces from floodwater. Other cans were packed in paper grocery bags to take with us for eventual evacuation. It befell my grandpa, uncle, and neighbors to help board-up our windows. It was newly raining by then.

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The plan was to evacuate from Golden Meadow to my great aunt’s house in Cut Off—a whole eight miles farther from the Gulf and five more feet above sea level than home. Despite my grandparents’ pleas, Mom wouldn’t leave the house without Dad being home. By nightfall, we didn’t know if Dad was caught on the rig or was trying to drive home to us. In the dark behind the plywood boards, as rain poured and winds gusted outside, I remember Mom’s pleadings with a ship-to-shore telephone operator to contact Dad on the rig, but there was no answer. After the last attempt, she put her face down in her hands, which I had never seen before. Something ominous was happening. We soon left home in the stormy darkness. Highway One was already overtopped. Mom drove us slowly up the bayou through flood water and heavy rain, sometimes between the road lines, sometimes over them, and always, it seemed, at the dismay of other cars.

We eventually reached my great aunt’s house to an incidental reunion of my mom’s side of the family, all evacuated from their homes. All the kids found places to sleep, but I was put to bed way too early. I needed to see what was going on and where my dad was. But comfort and consolation were not to be found that night. I was fussed back to bed, as I suppose I was adding to the anxiety of the adults, especially the women who had started praying in the kitchen under the flickering light of large, votive candles. Back in bed, the banging of a sheet of

September 2020 46 povhouma.com

KEEP MOVING! Styles the whole family will love! plywood against a picture window caused it to shatter and crash onto the bed. No injuries except little boy nerves, which I relieved by vomiting.

I was fussed for that, too. Moved to a different room, I must have slept for a bit. My dad arrived during that nap, as I heard his voice in the kitchen. I woke to inspect. There I saw the men on their knees, murmuring the Rosary in French under candlelight. Their subjugation was terrifying, more so than the howling, the pounding, and the crashing outside. When a young boy finds grown men on their knees in dim darkness, he knows things are going to be bad. It was hopelessness before having learned what hope was.

1539 MLK Blvd • Houma 985.851.1559 Mon - Fri 10-6 • Sat 10-4

That was the last vision I remember of the night. Maybe it was exhaustion, maybe it was desperation, maybe dream was the only place to find comfort and security. Maybe it was my own subjugation. But I missed the eye of the storm, which everyone talked about in the morning. I missed the collapse of the carport which the men had already lifted off the cars, and I missed my dad hopping on a Civil Defense truck to Golden Meadow to check out our home. He reported back that town was wet and mangled but no water in the house, no shingles on the roof, no trees unbent, and a large stray dog that would come to befriend us for weeks after our return.

Betsy hit the Gulf Coast below PoV Country in early morning of September 10 with sustained winds of 155 mph.

Based on size and intensity estimates, it remains the second most severe Atlantic hurricane, exceeding Camille, Katrina, and other storms of infamy.

No size and intensity estimates in my mind, however: It remains severe and one of my earliest memories. When we returned to our house after a week or so, we noted on the cinder blocks below the doorframes where the high point of floodwater was marked by a thin line of emerald green. POV

(hours subject to change)

Auto - Home - Flood - Commercial 985-262-1435 • trinitycoverage.com

September 2020 47 povhouma.com

RENDEZVOUS |

WHERE YOU NEED TO BE AROUND TOWN

COME CHECK OUT OUR HUGE VARIETY! Dufrene Building Materials Fishing Rodeo

BRINGING YOU THE FINEST IN WINE LIQUOR & CRAFT BEER

Sept. 18-19 Bridge Side Marina, Grand Isle

Dufrene Building Materials welcomes you to their 6th Annual Fishing Rodeo!

The three official categories are Inshore, Offshore, and Kids Divisions. Enjoy a family-friendly environment while raising funds for very special causes.

PICKUP YOUR LIQUOR ORDER TODAY USING

Nicholls Baseball Clinic

Sept. 5, 9 a.m. - noon Broadmoor Baseball Park, Houma

CASE DISCOUNTS AVAILABLE!

Learn techniques and secrets from your favorite Nicholls baseball players! Rec 2/3 is teaming up with Nicholls State University Baseball to put on a free clinic for all kids, ages 7-12 years old. No presign ups necessary; bring your own glove and bat.

Fall Arts Walk

NEW TO TERREBONNE PARISH!

Sept. 25, 5-8 p.m.

Downtown Thibodaux

Arts Walk invites the community to stroll the streets and visit the businesses of Historic Downtown Thibodaux while enjoying the talents of a variety of local artists set up along the sidewalks and storefronts. Arts Walk is free and open to the public.

BEER, WINE & LIQUOR.

DELIVERED TO YOUR DOOR.

Chamber Cornhole Challenge Respect Life Dinner

HOMES, CAMPS OR BIZ!

IN AS LITTLE AS 1 HOUR QUESTIONS? CALL 985-873-9189

WWW.CANNATAS.COM FOR QUESTIONS, INQUIRIES & ORDERS CONTACT:

LANE BATES

985-209-9762 LANEBATES@CANNATAS.COM

Sept. 22, 6:30-8:30 p.m.

Wellness Center of Thibodaux Regional

Enjoy special guest speaker Shawn Carney at the Respect Life Dinner, to support Crossroads Pregnancy Resource Center. Tickets are $40 Individual Seat; $500 Reserved Table (8 Seats) Reservations are required & seating is limited. No seats will be sold at the door.

This event is open to the public.

Sept. 29, 3-8 p.m.

Southdown Plantation, Houma

The Houma-Terrebonne Chamber of Commerce will host its Third Annual Cornhole Tournament in partnership with Southdown Plantation. Two-player teams are invited to register. Teams are guaranteed to play at least three games in the tournament, and can also enjoy refreshments and beverages throughout the event. Space is limited!

All events are subject to cancelation and/or date/time changes to due to current COVID-19 phases or mandates.

September 2020 48 povhouma.com

UP TO $1,650* OFF A NEW SYSTEM PURCHASED BETWEEN SEPTEMBER 1, 2020 – NOVEMBER 15, 2020

OR 0% FINANCING

Perfect Temperature

* EXCLUSIONS APPLY

• RESIDENTIAL AND COMMERCIAL • AC & HEATING SALES AND SERVICE • FACTORY TRAINED TECHS

1309 st. patrick st.

446-6256 • Thibodaux 868-4421 • Houma

WANT US TO INCLUDE YOUR EVENT IN OUR CALENDAR? Shoot an email to mary@rushing-media.com and we’ll help spread the word.

985.852.5282 www.teacuptravelco.com info@teacuptravelco.com September 2020 49 povhouma.com

LOOK TWICE |

WIN A $50

COURTESY OF SYNERGY BANK

GIFT CARD

Find the six differences in this photo from our feature on page 14. Email your answers to us at looktwice@povhouma.com or drop it in the mail: Rushing Media, P.O. Box 5013, Houma, LA, 70361.

A winner will be picked by random drawing September 20.

The winner will receive a $50 Visa® gift card courtesy of Synergy Bank.

Congratulations to Kinley E. Cooper for winning last month’s contest.

you

MORTGAGE BANKING FOCUSED ON

ANSWERS TO LAST MONTH’S CONTEST 1 Recolored cake plate in the middle in cabiney 2 Recolored pillow on beige chair 3 Changed ottoman color 4 Removed left A/C vent 5 Removed drawyer pull on end table 6 Added bird house on the end

Misty Guidry NMLS# 450025

Synergy’s mortgage lenders are dedicated to helping you achieve your dream of home ownership.

Kassie Barrancotto NMLS# 1066161

985.851.2217 banksynergy.com September 2020 50 povhouma.com

Fall Frenzy

6161 WEST PARK AVE., HOUMA, LA | 876-1817

www.southlanddodgechryslerjeep.com September 2020 51 povhouma.com

September 2020 52 povhouma.com