Stacey Tinsley, Bossier Press-Tribune
It was standing room only Thursday evening as the Bossier Parish School Board held its final meeting before the end of the academic year. The night was one of celebration and recognition, spotlighting exceptional students, academic milestones, and future-focused initiatives that reflect the parish’s commitment to excellence in education.
Two standout seniors, Isabella Vincent of Benton High School and Hannah Frentress of Airline High School, were honored with $1,000 STEM scholarships awarded by Calumet Specialty Products Partners. The ceremony, held at the Bossier Instructional Center on Airline Drive, recognized the students’ academic achievements and leadership in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.
“Calumet is committed to supporting our schools and our students, especially when it comes to STEM education,” said Mike Achacoso, Senior Vice President of Operations at Calumet. “These students have shown exceptional promise both in the classroom and in their communities, and we are proud to contribute to their futures.”
The scholarships are part of Calumet’s new initiative to encourage local students to pursue STEM-related careers, viewed as crucial to the future of Louisiana’s workforce. Alongside the Bossier Parish recipients, Calumet will recognize two seniors in neighboring Caddo Parish — Arjun Desai of Caddo Parish Magnet High School and Shelby Owens of Captain Shreve High School — at an upcoming school board meeting later this month.
Headquartered in Indianapolis, Calumet operates twelve facilities across North America, including several in Louisiana, where it manufactures and markets specialty branded products for industrial and consumer applications. The company’s recent efforts to invest in education mark a growing commitment to community development and workforce readiness.
Thursday’s meeting also featured a commencement celebration for local graduates of Reach University, a pioneering institution focused on addressing labor shortages through its Apprenticeship Degree model — an innovative, job-embedded path to higher education designed especially for working adults.
Graduates were applauded for completing rigorous academic programs while continuing to serve in their communities, many of them as paraprofessionals and aspiring educators. The ceremony reflected the success of Reach’s mission to build regional talent pipelines and expand access to affordable, flexible degree programs rooted in professional experience.
“Reach University represents the next frontier in how we train and empower our workforce,” said a representative from the university. “These graduates have demonstrated that it’s possible to earn a degree while working full-time and making a daily impact in our schools. They’re proof that learning doesn’t have to mean leaving your community — it can start right where you are.”
Reach University currently works with more than 2,600 candidates across 400+ communities nationwide. Its model prioritizes job-embedded learning, regional collaboration, and replication of best practices through the newly launched National Center for the Apprenticeship Degree (NCAD), helping scale its success across the country.
As the meeting drew to a close, the atmosphere was one of hope, pride, and momentum. The evening underscored Bossier Parish’s commitment to nurturing future leaders and strengthening the pipeline between education and workforce development.