What has your life been like since leaving Southeastern? What do you do for a living? And have you married and/or had children?
Following graduation, I started my first full-time job as lifestyles editor at the Livingston Parish News. After 10 months, my old managing editor at the Daily Star in Hammond (where I worked part-time during college) offered me the assistant news editor position and I returned to Hammond for five years. After that, I moved on to The Advocate in Baton Rouge, first as a copy editor, then features writer and now as features assistant editor. I met Randy Bergeron while working in Hammond, we eventually married and have two adult daughters, Amanda and Gena.
What do you remember most about your time at Southeastern and working with student publications?
From the first time I walked into the Student Publications office (then in the Student Union), I felt welcomed as a member of The Lion’s Roar family. Week in, week out, we pounded out stories, each Wednesday gathering as a group in close quarters to put together that week’s edition. Ever at the helm was Vic, leader, mentor and friend, who would one day escort me down the aisle.
Give me your back story. How did you wind up at Southeastern and interested in working with student publications?
They say location is everything, and with Southeastern located only 15 minutes from home plus a family tradition by then, it was my obvious choice. The journalism bug bit in high school, with three years on the school newspaper, opening the door to a longtime career.
What would you say is the biggest thing you learned while at Southeastern?
Big fish, small pond; little fish, big pond — it’s all about what you make it, and not necessarily where you obtain a degree.
Southeastern Student Publications Alumni 