ONE AMAZING KID

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amazing kid

In high school, Ivory Gipson maintained a near-perfect GPA and was a three-sport varsity athlete, band member, fellow in the Baton Rouge Youth Coalition (BRYC), vice president of the Goal Society, and held down a part-time job. “I did every sport and every club that was there in my time at Northeast,” he says. The recent graduate was named one of six 2021 Louisiana Young Heroes by Louisiana Public Broadcasting. The program celebrates achievements of inspiring students who make their communities better places. Ivory found out he was named a Young Hero while on a college visit with Lucas Spielfogel, Ivory’s mentor in BRYC and the organization’s executive director, who nominated him. Ivory, 18, credits his mom, Latasha Gipson, for his success. “My mom is my superhero without a cape,” he says. “She’ll take her last $20 out of her wallet so I can do something.” Latasha also taught Ivory to be a caregiver, as he has helped her care for his four-year-old niece Unica Mitchell, which he calls his proudest accomplishment. “I think I’m her favorite person. She’s kind of got me wrapped around her finger.” The next step for Ivory is a full-ride to Skidmore College in Saratoga Springs, New York. Ivory knew it was the right school for him when he visited with Spielfogel. “I could feel myself being there,” Ivory shares. As a Young Hero, caregiver, excellent student and star athlete, Ivory is certainly one amazing kid. ■

EBR EXPANDS ITS VIRTUAL ACADEMY

After a most unusual school year with varying degrees of remote classes and their accompanying challenges, some families in our area found virtual learning ended up being better for their children. Although the goal is for students to be physically back in their classrooms when school starts this August, the East Baton Rouge Parish School System will provide virtual instruction to those students who need or want it. The EBR Virtual Academy is expanding to become a fully functional PreK through 12th grade school. Informational sessions will provide more details throughout the summer, and parents can enroll their children in the academy online. The school’s offices are located on 802 Mayflower Street in Baton Rouge.

After 47 years in baseball, Parkview Baptist School head coach Emrick Jagneaux has announced he is retiring. During his time at Parkview, Jagneaux led the Eagles to an overall record of 10015. In his four seasons, the Parkview team earned three district titles, two state semifinal appearances, and a 2021 state runner up finish. Before Parkview, Jagneaux coached at Woodlands Christian Academy, Houston Christian, Deer Park High School and West Dale High School. His career also included time coaching at the collegiate level at the University of Southwestern Louisiana, Wharton County Junior College and Lamar University. Jagneaux and his wife Cheryl have been married for 49 years and have two sons, Chad and Cory. The Ascension Sheriff’s Office awarded scholarships to three seniors. Presented by Sheriff Bobby Webre, the awards can be used toward the cost of college tuition, fees or books for the school year. Kinslei Scroggs, who graduated from Ascension Christian High School, received this year’s Dawn Shivers Memorial Scholarship in the amount of $1,500. As part of a 4-H “Back the Badge” service project, Kinslei made care packages for the sheriff’s office earlier in the year. Julia deGeneres, a Dutchtown High graduate, received the Ascension Parish Sheriff’s Office scholarship in the amount of $500. Lauren Bennett, an East Ascension High graduate, is the recipient of the Louisiana Sheriff’s Association scholarship in the amount of $500.

PARKVIEW BAPTIST BASEBALL HEAD COACH RETIRES ASCENSION PARISH SHERIFF PROVIDES SCHOLARSHIPS

SCHOLARS PARTICIPATE IN MOCK DEBATE

Students from Glen Oaks Magnet High School took part in a debate at Taylor Porter law firm as part of Volunteers in Public Schools Take the Lead initiative. The debate marked the end of a four-week series in which students studied The Narrative of the life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave. Senior Aaliyah Chevalier, and freshmen Mariah Payne, Chelby Johnson, and Karie Culbreth debated the question “Should the pursuit of higher education be mandatory?” Former judge Preston Castille presided. “Partnering with VIPS on the Take the Lead scholars program was truly rewarding,” says Barrye Panepinto Miyagi, the firm’s diversity chair. “We watched students who were initially timid develop the skills, confidence, and evidence needed to express their positions.”

$13M ATHLETIC FACILITIES APPROVED

LIVINGSTON STUDENT WINS SCHOLARSHIP

Athletic facilities at Denham Springs High School will receive needed improvements. In April, voters approved the proposition that allows the Livingston Parish School Board to invest $13 million in new and improved athletic facilities at the school. The bond will be funded through the extension of an existing 8.64 mills in the district. Construction on the softball and baseball fields will begin this summer and be ready for next season. Starting in October, a track and field house will be constructed, and the soccer and football field will be reconfigured. Those projects are expected to be finished by fall 2022. “By making an investment in our athletic facilities, we give our students better opportunities,” says Superintendent Joe Murphy.

Each year, Coca-Cola UNITED gives scholarships to children and grandchildren of employees. Carlon Graziano, a recent graduate of Southeast Premiere Academy in Albany, received a $3,000 Crawford Johnson III and Walker Johnson Jones Scholarship. The scholarship’s namesakes are father and daughter who were longtime Coca-Cola UNITED employees. Carlon’s father, Michael Graziano, works at the Baton Rouge Coca-Cola Bottling Company. Carlon founded Moto for Mentors, an organization that mentors young dirt bike riders in his community. “We are very pleased to have the opportunity to provide college scholarships to the children and grandchildren of our associates,” says Toby Guidry, Baton Rouge Coca-Cola Sales Center manager. A Sweet Summer Night Gala

Saturday, July 31

7pm until 10pm at the Baton Rouge Marriott

This elegant evening will benefit The Anna’s Grace Foundation’s assistance and outreach programs that support local families who experience miscarriage, stillbirth, or infant loss. Join us for decadent desserts and savory tidbits, complimentary beer and wine, exciting raffles, a diverse silent auction, and live music in a sweet atmosphere.

Tickets will go on sale June 1.

Online pricing: $50 per person in June, $65 per person in July. At-the-door pricing: $75 per person

STOP TELLING TEENAGERS

All They Need is Ice Cream After a Breakup

BY RACHAEL MOSHMAN PHOTO BY DAVID TAUZIN 2020-21 COVER KID MAYA V.

PODCAST

“Get her some ice cream!”

If I had a dollar for how many times I heard that after my daughter’s devastating breakup, we could buy out the whole grocery store freezer department. Newsflash, ice cream doesn’t always cut it. Actually, it’s possible ice cream is never the answer for a broken heart.

My daughter fell in love with her best friend at 16. Their relationship was intense. They brought out the best and worst in each other. It ended ugly. Months later, they still aren’t even able to talk to each other because the hurt is so raw. She lost a boyfriend, but she also lost her dearest friend and one of her favorite people. She didn’t eat. She didn’t sleep. Showering took huge effort that she couldn’t muster up for days at a time. All she did was cry. Our whole household was in turmoil. I took her to therapists and psychiatrists. She ended up in the ER because dehydration and exhaustion triggered a migraine that just wouldn’t let up. We were all barely holding on, her pain swallowing up everything surrounding it. And still...people prescribed ice cream. A few suggested we watch Gilmore Girls while feasting on our pints of creamy goodness. I love Rory and Lorelei, but I knew they weren’t fixing this. This was well beyond the power of Phish Food, too.

It’s been six months and she’s slowly working through the grief. I don’t have all the answers or a magical cure for taking away a child’s heartbreak–oh, how I wish I did–but here are a few things I have learned along the way.

1. People don’t know what to say, so they rely on standard responses like, “Get her some ice cream.” This doesn’t mean they don’t care. 2. Most people don’t take teenage relationships seriously to begin with, thus flippant remarks about ice cream are often made. This relationship and this breakup were both very serious to my daughter. 3. Sometimes mom and dad aren’t enough. Her therapist said it’s a good idea to seek professional help if a teen isn’t moving on from a breakup or lost friendship after two weeks. 4. Time isn’t the cure. Deciding it’s time to move on is. Someone can stay stuck in their pain for years if they don’t decide “enough.” 5. You can’t make someone decide “enough.” They have to come to it on their own. 6. Space and new experiences eventually help replace the raw pain. 7. A hurting person doesn’t always feel like engaging in new experiences or seeking out new friends. Grief is exhausting. It often doesn’t leave room for anything else. 8. Space can also be hard. My daughter logically knew staying away from his social media and avoiding him at school was the best thing for her, but the pull to someone you miss so very much is hard to resist. 9. Make sure your child doesn’t feel like a burden to you. They need to know you’ll still be there even if all of their friends get tired of hearing about the breakup. 10. You might miss their ex, too. He was part of our household for a year. It was a loss for me. However, it’s important not to upstage your child’s breakup with your own feelings.

THINGS TO SAY

to a teenager experiencing a heartbreak instead of “Want some ice cream?”

-I’m sorry you’re going through this. -This sounds really hard. -It seems like you’re really hurting. -I can tell that he/she was really special to you. -It’s okay to be upset. -Is there anything I can do right now to help you feel better? -What do you need from me so you feel supported?

Teenagers have big, strong feelings and they don’t always completely understand them. They might not have the words to express them to someone else. Things get turned upside down quickly and sometimes it’s hard for them to find their way to the surface. Be there to help them pull through it. Don’t trivialize their feelings by saying all they need is some Ben & Jerry’s. Listen. Acknowledge. Support. By all means, dig into some ice cream together if you both have a craving, just don’t call it the cure. (Unless you know of magic ice cream, and if so, I would like to place a large order.) ■