Special to
L’Observateur

NATCHITOCHES — The class of 2014 at the Louisiana School for Math, Science, and the Arts is the first to complete both semesters of the college counseling seminar program offered by the College Counseling Center.

The College Counseling Center initiated a two-semester sequence of college counseling seminar. The first half, junior seminar, takes place in the spring semester of the junior year. It is intended to assist students in identifying colleges that are a good match for their interests, backgrounds and personal needs.

The second half, senior seminar, takes place in the fall semester of the senior year. It is intended to guide students through the college application process.

The graduating class of 2013, which had 95 students, earned approximately $7.9 million in merit-based scholarships, exclusive of TOPS.

The graduating class of 2014, which had 92 students, earned approximately $11.4 million in merit-based scholarships, exclusive of TOPS.

This is an increase of $3.5 million, or a 43 percent jump, in a single year.

Not only did the dollar amount jump, but so did the percentage of students receiving the money.

Historically, about 65 percent of a graduating class would earn merit-based scholarships, exclusive of TOPS. In the class of 2014, 83 of 92 graduates, or 90 percent, earned merit-based scholarships, exclusive of TOPS.

“Our college counselors, Leah Lentz and Laurie Richard, are to be congratulated for initiating a program that has provided such dramatic and tangible results,” said Dr. Clayton Delery, director of academic services at LSMSA.

Students from the class of 2014 will attend 33 different universities and colleges spread across 24 states.

The following is a list of which university or college each River Region graduate will attend in the fall:

 

• Centenary College — Sebastian Weinell of Destrehan

• Louisiana State University — Ethan Guerra of Lutcher

• Louisiana Tech University — Khalilah Al-Amin of Convent, Cheyenne Ortiz of LaPlace