Two LSU engineering students received the Donald W. Clayton Graduate Assistantship Award, substantial scholarships allowing them to pursue their advanced degrees with fewer financial stresses.
Doctoral students Hobbs McAllister and Gabriela Theis Marchan were awarded the scholarship. McAllister’s award gives him a stipend of $28,000 in the first year, with the total growing up to $31,500-$35,000 in the following years. Theis Marchan was awarded a stipend of $40,000 in the first year and up to $46,500-$50,000 for subsequent years.
“I’m excited for the research that I’m doing and research that I’m continuing from being an undergrad student, and getting that assistantship, competitive as it is, felt like a concrete example of people saying we believe in you,” McAllister said.
The assistantship is named after alumni Donald W. Clayton, who graduated from LSU with a petroleum engineering degree in 1979. Clayton and his wife, Gloria Pichon Clayton, gave a generous donation to LSU in 2004 to start the scholarship.
Theis Marchan was born in Caracas, Venezuela. She graduated from the Universidad Cen-
ROAD TO RECOVERY
Collegiate Recovery Program creates campus community, sober space
BY KALEY MELANCON Staff Writer
The Collegiate Recovery Program offers a safe haven for students struggling with substance misuse. The program hosts weekly meetings and provides sober spaces on campus for those in recovery.
“We just want to try to offer folks the ability to live a meaningful, thoughtful life that is what they want it to be,” said Adam Singer, the manager of the CRP.
The program started as a student organization on campus in 2023, following in the footsteps of 140 other CRPs in the country. Singer said LSU was the last school in the Southeastern Conference to have one.
Help is available to anyone struggling — not just with drugs or alcohol. Singer said the program encompasses a variety of struggles from eating disorders, gambling, drinking and everything in between.
It is all about resources. Singer, who is a licensed therapist, offers referrals to treatment facilities and other organizations like the Student Health Center.
CRP does not offer treatment but is ready to meet people at any stage in the recovery process.
“If you need more than what we have to offer, I’ll get you there,” Singer said.
In addition to resources, the CRP opens the door to a sober community within LSU. Singer
said having a space where someone can share their triggers or cravings is the most important aspect.
The program meets four times a week for members to discuss their experiences and to offer tools to help the process. CRP hosts two all-recovery meetings, which are less formal and discussion-based. These meetings involve students acknowledging what is happening in their stage of recovery and talking through it.
“They have a place to verbalize it and that kind of takes the power out of it,” Singer said.
Meetings are not the only place where students who are a part of the CRP can go. The Recovery Lounge, located in Coates Hall is open to all students looking for comfort.
The deconstructed classroom is made for students to escape by using lamps and string lights to create a dim, relaxed atmosphere. The lounge is furnished with a comfy couch and beanbags where students can watch movies on the projector.
Also in the room, students can have free snacks and drinks or grab a few essentials. CRP also stocks up on items like Plan
B, condoms and Narcan.
This space is just part of what makes up the greater CRP community. Michael Guillet, the former president of CRP, said the program helped him when he needed it most.
“It gives you a sense of camaraderie that is hard to find without it,” Guillet said.
Guillet joined the program a month after it started in March 2023. Before that, he was trying to navigate recovery on his own. Guillet said he was reading books on recovery, dealing see RECOVERY, page 4
New study abroad director gives offers global perspective
BY ALAYNA FORD Staff Writer
A full circle moment recently occurred for the study abroad program at LSU when alumna Shelly Royer-Fremaux stepped in as the new director in July.
Royer-Fremaux was a firstgeneration LSU graduate in general studies with three minors: music, psychology and English. Originally, she was a music major with a focus in opera but she “didn’t want to lose my love for music so I switched.”
“It’s a full circle being back at LSU,” Royer-Fremaux said. “I never thought I’d return.”
Her biggest advice to students who want to study abroad is to save their free electives. She advises students to choose a program that fits into their degree for a greater chance of financial
aid coverage.
Some of Royer-Fremaux’s goals are expanding the program beyond European countries, making the program more financially accessible and focusing on “returnee” support for students coming back to campus.
Her vision is to educate the student body on the importance of studying abroad. She emphasized that learning about different cultures will teach valuable life skills like empathy, knowledge and open-mindedness.
“Studying abroad teaches empathy,” Royer-Fremaux said. “You don’t get passionate about helping others until you’ve been the ‘other’. [I’m] hoping for a future of every student coming to campus with a laptop and a passport.”
A Louisiana native, RoyerFremaux was born in Metairie and moved around the state
while growing up. A few years after graduating from high school Royer-Fremaux applied to the Japanese Exchange and Teaching program where she studied abroad and taught English in Sodegaura, Japan.
“I knew I wanted to go abroad somewhere unique,” Royer-Fremaux said. “It was amazing.”
While in Japan, she studied traditional Japanese arts like making flower arrangements and playing the koto, a traditional stringed instrument. Her love of traveling only grew stronger while in Japan. She enjoyed giving back to the students and took that love of teaching back with her to the states.
She moved to Atascocita, Texas in 2002 and started teaching at Lone Star College. She was also a college success and career exploration educator there until 2022.
She was active in her students’ lives and wanted to help as many as she could, including by assisting them navigate changing majors.
“I wish I would have known the techniques I now teach,” Royer-Fremaux said.
Before starting at Lone Star College, Royer-Fremaux was an associate director at Rice University and oversaw their international programs from 20052009. She was also a local au pair program coordinator from 20132021.
The au pair program helped expand her love of travel and learning different cultures. She was able to help foreign au pairs settle in the U.S. and learn about American culture by hosting monthly events and staying in touch with them during their stay.
Before she came to LSU as director of the study abroad program, she was the education and employment lead for the Catholic Charities Baton Rouge Diocese. Within that role, she worked with refugees that came to the U.S. for a second chance.
Royer-Fremaux’s diverse background is what got her to LSU. She has big plans for the study abroad program and is looking forward to a new chapter.
Royer-Fremaux would describe herself as positive, outgoing and creative. She, her husband, her son and rescue dog Lady are big LSU fans and are looking forward to making a positive impact on the program.
“I’m excited about growing the program,” Royer-Fremaux said. “I feel like I’ve stepped into something really great and I have the opportunity to make it greater.”
ALEXIS PERSICKE / The Reveille
The Collegiate Recovery Program at Fall Fest Sept. 12 on the Parade Ground in Baton Rouge, La.
