2024 Louisiana Teacher of the Year Kylie Altier

First-Gen Roundtable (Part 2)

Regents celebrates the achievements of first-generation college students and graduates across Louisiana each November. During our annual #FirstGen Week (November 1-8), we highlight first-gen students on our social media channels. This year, we capped off our #FirstGen Week at Baton Rouge Community College with a roundtable discussion with first-generation students and staff. For the final podcast episodes of 2024, we recorded the #FirstGen roundtable discussion with BRCC students and staff. What you will hear in their perspectives is our "why" for what we do — it's all about the students. Listen to Part 2 of our special two-part First-Gen episode. Louisiana's Got Talent is an award-winning monthly podcast by the Louisiana Board of Regents. To learn more about our work at Regents, visit www.laregents.edu or connect with us on social media.

First-Gen Roundtable (Part 1)

Regents celebrates the achievements of first-generation college students and graduates across Louisiana each November. During our annual #FirstGen Week (November 1-8), we highlight first-gen students on our social media channels. This year, we capped off our #FirstGen Week at Baton Rouge Community College with a roundtable discussion with first-generation students and staff. For the final podcast episodes of 2024, we recorded the #FirstGen roundtable discussion with BRCC students and staff. What you will hear in their perspectives is our "why" for what we do — it's all about the students. Listen to Part 1 of our special two-part First-Gen episode. Louisiana's Got Talent is an award-winning monthly podcast by the Louisiana Board of Regents. To learn more about our work at Regents, visit www.laregents.edu or connect with us on social media.

Dr. Donna Beegle

Last month, we kicked off our new (academic) year with our annual Staff Retreat at BRCC’s Automotive Training Center. Not only was it an opportunity to come together as agency staff, but it was also a chance for us to see various training programs up close as BRCC students demonstrated the skills they are learning to enter the workforce. The highlight of our retreat was the captivating and inspirational Dr. Donna Beegle. Born into a migrant-labor family and married at 15, Dr. Beegle is the only member of her family who has not been incarcerated. By age 25, she earned her GED and then, within 10 years, received her Ph.D. in Educational Leadership. Dr. Kim Hunter Reed and Dr. Beegle sat down after the retreat for an hour-long conversation to further discuss her journey and what we as higher education leaders can do to succeed in moving Louisiana from poverty to prosperity. Louisiana's Got Talent is an award-winning monthly podcast produced by the Louisiana Board of Regents. To learn more about our work at Regents, visit www.laregents.edu [http://www.laregents.edu] or connect with us on social media.

2024 Louisiana Teacher of the Year Kylie Altier

She walked to the mic in a heart dress and delivered a heartful message. Her message was honest, vulnerable, and powerful. In a room filled with 45 outstanding education majors and their families, the 2024 Louisiana Teacher of the Year Kylie Altier shared how she became a first-grade teacher... all because her first-grade teacher believed in her. Kylie shared that story and more for our latest episode of "Louisiana's Got Talent" which was guest-hosted by Deputy Commissioner Dr. Susannah Craig. Louisiana's Got Talent is an award-winning monthly podcast produced by the Louisiana Board of Regents. To learn more about our work at Regents, visit www.laregents.edu or connect with us on Twitter (www.twitter.com/La_Regents [www.twitter.com/La_Regents]), Facebook (www.facebook.com/LARegents [www.facebook.com/LARegents]), Instagram (www.instagram.com/la_regents [www.instagram.com/la_regents]), or LinkedIn (www.linkedin.com/company/laregents [https://www.linkedin.com/company/laregents/]).

Samuel Gil

April's Board meeting was the final one for Regent Samuel Gil, who has served as a Student Board member for the past year while also serving as the Student Body President at McNeese State, which he has done for two years. Sam will graduate May 10 with not one, but TWO degrees - an associate's degree in applied and natural sciences and a bachelor's degree in mass communication.   The Ville Platte native joined Commissioner Kim Hunter Reed to look back on his time as a student leader at McNeese and his plans, including graduate school at the University of Texas at Austin. Louisiana's Got Talent is an award-winning monthly podcast produced by the Louisiana Board of Regents. To learn more about our work at Regents, visit www.laregents.edu or connect with us on Twitter (www.twitter.com/La_Regents), Facebook (www.facebook.com/LARegents), or Instagram (www.instagram.com/la_regents).