Elementary School Student of the Year Students Pictured (127.7 KB) Middle School Student of the Year Students Pictured (113.0 KB) High School Student of the Year Students Pictured (110.2 KB)

The top three Student of the Year winners for Ascension Parish Schools are Caitlin Marie Ballotta, a senior at Duthtown High; William Ward Belleu, III, an eighth grader at Lake Elementary; and Madison Brooke Gaines, a fifth grader at Oak Grove Primary. These students will represent the parish in the regional Student of the Year competition, where they will compete against students from other parishes to advance to the state finals.

Top Three Students Advance to Regional Competition

GONZALES, LA. – The Ascension Parish School Board recently announced the winners of the parish’s Student of the Year competition.

All the students who were named Student of the Year winners for their respective schools the 2009-2010 school year were recognized, and the top winners were selected from that group. The announcements were made at the Jan. 19 school board meeting, which was held at the East Ascension High School cafeteria.

The parish’s top winners include Madison Brooke Gaines, a fifth grader at Oak Grove Primary; William Ward Belleu, III, an eighth grader at Lake Elementary, and Caitlin Marie Ballotta, a senior at Dutchtown High School.

These students will advance to the state’s regional competition to compete with students from other parishes for the opportunity to become a state finalist in their respective grades.  The annual competition is sponsored by the Louisiana Department of Education.

“All of our Student of the Year winners are outstanding students who hold much potential and promise,” said Superintendent Donald Songy. “There are lots of things that go into making Ascension Parish one of the top school districts in the state, but the most important one is our great students, and this year’s group of winners affirms why we’re a great school district!”

Gaines was selected from among 14 other Student of the Year winners who included Alexa Rae Burns, G.W. Carver Primary; Madeline Claire McCoy, Central Primary; Nicole Marie LeJeune, Duplessis Primary; Madison Nicole Bolling, Dutchtown Primary; Emilee Ann Villar, Galvez Primary; Gavin Vernon Ahearne, Gonzales Primary; Jaime Lynn Keller, Lake Elementary; Madison Leigh Anderson, Lakeside Primary; Tyerah Trashelle Sullivan, Lowery Intermediate; Emily Isabel Galindo, Pecan Grove Primary; Kaylie Ranae Kirk, Prairieville Primary; Allison Huynh Redlich, Spanish Lake Primary; and Chrystal Mensah-Wiredu, St. Amant Middle.

Belleu was among eight middle school students honored at the meeting.  The other eighth grade Student of the Year winners included Laura Lee Ann Hernandez, Central Middle; Kaitlyn Michelle Cayette, Donaldsonville High; hira Azeem Hasan, Dutchtown Middle; Christopher Patric Poore, Galvez Middle; Placid Chidozie Nwokorie, Jr., Gonzales Middle; Jeanne Elise Steyer, Prairieville Middle; and Mason Alexandra Westbrook, St. Amant Middle.

Ballotta was one of four high schoolers honored.  The other Student of the Year winners were Bre’yahna Krishone Williams, Donaldsonville High; Jessica Nycole Gilbert, East Ascension High; and Rebecca Marie Harris, St. Amant High.