The Fall 2011 Outstanding Graduates include an Academic All-American softball player, a budding actress, a registered nurse and an engineering major with a focus on robotics.
A total of eight students will be honored as the UL Lafayette Alumni Association’s Outstanding Graduates from their respective academic colleges. Each semester deans from the eight academic colleges nominate a student as an Outstanding Graduate based on leadership, scholarship and service. A selection committee with the Alumni Association interviews each candidate and selects one for the overall award.
The overall winner will be announced during Commencement on Dec. 17.
Here’s a look at this semester’s Outstanding Graduates.
Elizabeth Satterly – College of the Arts
Elizabeth Satterly, daughter of Ellen Satterly of Opelousas, is the Outstanding Graduate for the College of the Arts.
She is a performing arts major with a concentration in theater and a 3.859 GPA. She has been on the Dean’s List for several semesters. She served as president of Alpha Psi Omega honor fraternity for the 2010-2011 year.
Satterly also received the Ronald Kern Scholarship and the PASA L. Hill Bonin Scholarship.
She’s been recognized for her outstanding performances including: the Irene Ryan Nomination for Nancy in ‘Good Kiss’ and Sara in ‘Stop Kiss.’ She was also accepted to the Moscow Art Theater School in Boston.
Satterly also participated in several community productions with Cite des Arts, Opelousas Little Theater and the Acadia Players. She is also a member of the Infinity Hip Hop Dance team.
Satterly plans to audition in New York City next month for more than 40 schools, in hopes to attend one to earn a Master of Fine Arts degree.
Jean-Luc Hebert – B.I. Moody III College of Business Administration
Jean-Luc Hebert, son of Ben and Christina Hebert of Abbeville, is the Outstanding Graduate for the B.I. Moody III College of Business Administration.
The management major has maintained a 3.975 GPA throughout his college career. Hebert has been on both the Dean’s and President’s List for four years.
He’s the recipient of the UL Lafayette Academic Excellence Scholarship, the Willie L. Cornay Jr. Memorial Scholarship, a TOPS Performance Award and the UL Lafayette Valedictorian Scholarship. In addition, he is a member of the UL Lafayette Honors Program, Order of Omega, Phi Beta Delta and Sigma Alpha Lambda.
He’s a member of Pi Kappa Alpha International Fraternity, where he’s served as treasurer, community service chairman, academic chairman, alumni relations chairman and athletics chairman.
He is a member of the Association of Future Alumni, UL Lafayette triathlon club and the Coastal Conservation Association.
Hebert is currently organizing a Lafayette chapter of the Young Republican National Federation.
Upon graduation, he plans to attend law school with hopes of practicing corporate and international law.
Ashley Brignac – College of Education
Ashley Brignac, daughter of Joseph and Tammy Brignac of River Ridge, is the Outstanding Graduate for the College of Education. She’s an exercise science major.
She has maintained a 4.0 GPA during college and is a pitcher for the Louisiana’s Ragin’ Cajun softball team. She’s a member of the National Honor Society and has been on the Dean’s List and President’s List throughout her college career and is a member of Phi Kappa Phi.
She’s the recipient of several scholarships including the Catherine Moore Endowed Physical Education Scholarship, the Academic Excellence Scholarship and the TOPS Performance Award.
Brignac is the 2011 Capital One Academic All-American Player of the Year. She’s received numerous athletic accolades including: seven-time Sun Belt Pitcher of the Week, LSWA Pitcher of the Week, Sun Belt Conference Pitcher of the Year, All Regional Team and James J. Corbett Award Winner – Allstate Sugar Bowl.
In 2007 she was a member of the USA Junior Olympics softball team, which won the gold medal in the Pan American Games. That year, she was also named the Gatorade National Softball Player of the Year.
She has been involved in research projects with professors in the Kinesiology Department. As a result, she is a published author in the proceedings of the 2010 National Strength and Conditioning Association Conference.
After graduation, she plans to attend UL Lafayette one more semester to finish her senior year on the softball team. She ultimately plans to work in the sports medicine field.
Christian De Prins – College of Engineering
Christian De Prins, son of Christian and Rebecca De Prins of Lafayette, is the Outstanding Graduate for the College of Engineering. The electrical engineering major has a 3.91 GPA
.
He’s been on the President’s and Dean’s lists each semester and is a member of Tau Beta Pi Engineering Honor Society, Order of Omega Honor Society, Eta Kappa Nu Electrical Engineering Honor Society and Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society.
He’s a member of the university’s Honors Program and is on the Electrical Engineering Student Advisory Board.
De Prins has received several scholarships including the UL Lafayette Academic Scholarship, the Keith Lindley Scholarship, the Tau Beta Pi Stabile Scholarship, the UL Lafayette Valedictorian Scholarship, the Poche Prouet Engineering Scholarship, Hiram Russel Memorial Scholarship, Instrument Society of America Scholarship, Daniel G. Egan Grant recipient, Senior Achievement Endowed Scholarship in Electrical Engineering, Harold J. Callais Memorial Endowed Scholarship and a TOPS Honors Scholarship.
He is a member of Pi Kappa Alpha Fraternity, where he has served as scholarship chair, external vice president, risk awareness officer, philanthropy and community service chair and new member educator.
He’s also served in numerous capacities for Eta Kappa Nu, the Louisiana Engineering Society and the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers student chapter. He was team leader of Louisiana Robotics, which placed second among 33 teams at the IEEE Region 5 conference. De Prins also served as a member of TEAM BeauSoleil.
De Prins is a proud supporter of Louisiana’s Ragin’ Cajuns and is a tutor for math, physics, computer sciences and electrical engineering courses in the UL Lafayette Learning Center.
After graduation, he plans work in robotics before entering graduate school. He will pursue a doctorate in electrical engineering with a focus on robotics and automated systems.
Christopher Roby - College of General Studies
Christopher Roby, son of Sam and Susan Roby of Plano, Texas, is the Outstanding Graduate for the College of General Studies.
He is a General Studies major with a 3.854 GPA. Roby has been named to the Dean’s List and President’s List and was in the university’s Honors Program for three semesters.
He is a member of Kappa Delta Pi Education Honor Society, where he has served as president, treasurer and membership chairman. He is also a member of Alpha Lambda Delta Honor Society and Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society.
Roby received the Jesse and Irma Jewel Endowed Scholarship and is a member of the UL Lafayette Club Ice Hockey Team.
Upon graduation, Roby plans to attend graduate school to study economics.
Donna Guidry - College of Liberal Arts
Donna Guidry, daughter Don and Sharon Guidry of Breaux Bridge, is the Outstanding Graduate for the College of Liberal Arts.
She is a mass communications major with a concentration in broadcasting. She has maintained a 3.892 GPA. Guidry has been on both the Dean’s List and President’s List.
She’s received a TOPS Performance Award, UL Lafayette Academic Excellence Scholarship, AESC National Scholarship and LADC Local Chapter Scholarship.
Earlier this year, she received the Outstanding Broadcasting Senior Award and this fall received the Communication Department’s Outstanding Senior Award.
Guidry is a member of Sigma Alpha Lambda Honor Society, Phi Beta Delta Honor Society, Radio Television Digital News Association and UL Lafayette Student Chapter of the Radio, Television, and Digital News Association.
She is currently an intern at KLFY TV 10, a production assistant at KSMB 94.5 FM and L’Acadien yearbook copy editor and staff writer.
Upon graduation, Guidry plans to work towards a master’s degree in mass communications.
Kristen Colvin – College of Nursing and Allied Health Professions
Kristen Colvin, daughter of Patrick and Lark Colvin of Lafayette, has been named this year’s Outstanding Graduate of the College of Nursing and Allied Health Professions.
Colvin has earned a 3.1 GPA and has been on both the Dean’s List and President’s List. She’s been nominated by Delta Delta Delta for “Ragin’ Recognition.”
She is a member of the UL Lafayette Student Nurse Association, where she has served as president and philanthropy chairman. She is also College of Nursing president for the Student Government Association and is a member of Delta Delta Delta Sorority, the University Program Council and the Dean’s Advisory Council.
Colvin has participated in mission trips to Mexico and has volunteered for St. Jude Children’s Hospital.
She plans to work as a registered nurse in the maternity/labor and delivery field.
Matthew Roy – Ray P. Authement College of Sciences
Matthew Roy, son of Robert Roy Sr. of New Iberia and Rachel Comeaux of Jeanerette, is the Ray P. Authement College of Sciences Outstanding Graduate.
Roy is a mathematics major with minors in business and computer science. He has earned a 3.737 GPA.
He is a member of the UL Lafayette Honors Program, Alpha Lambda Delta and Phi Beta Delta National Honor societies. He is vice president of Phi Kappa Phi.
In addition to TOPS and UL Lafayette Foundation scholarships, Roy has received the Oren Robert Perry Burke scholarship.
He has distributed medicine to third-world countries through the National Cancer Coalition, visited nursing home residents in Iberia Parish each week, worked as a volunteer tutor for both high school and college students, and helped with the National Park Service’s Reforestation Project in Olympic Park, WA.
In the summer of 2011, he lived and worked as an international intern in China where he worked on website development and advertising.
Roy is certified to each secondary Mathematics in Louisiana. He is also a General Class Ham Radio operator licensed by the FCC for the past seven years.
Upon graduation, he plans to work. Eventually, he plans to earn a master’s degree from UL Lafayette’s Center for Advanced Computer Studies.
Pictured from left: Matthew Roy, Kristin Colvin, Ashley Brignac (back row), Elizabeth Satterly, Christian De Prins (back row), Donna Guidry and Jean-Luc Hebert. Not shown is Christopher Roby.