Rebecca Dupuis was a single mother with a baby boy when she began classes at Louisiana Technical College Shelby M. Jackson Campus five years ago. She admits today that she almost squandered the opportunity.

&uot;I goofed off a lot my first three semesters,&uot; Dupuis said. &uot;Then I realized I was not setting a good role model for my son. And my mother and my father told me to get back in school, get my grades up and get a good job.&uot;

When Dupuis joined the dozens of others who donned caps and gowns on Thursday for the college graduation in Ferriday, she was one of many shining stars, said Sherrill Byrd, who has worked at the college for 28 years both as a teacher and an administrator.

&uot;Rebecca came to us when she was pretty young,&uot; said Byrd, now director of student affairs and financial aid. &uot;She has grown in maturity and responsibility.&uot;

Meantime, the school assisted Dupuis three years ago to get a job at the Concordia Parish Library System. Because of her continued studies and her new skills, she now has a new position with the system.

&uot;She started in a part-time position shelving books,&uot; Byrd said. &uot;Now she has been promoted to a more responsible position because of her computer skills, and she’s working full time.&uot;

The library system has had a good working relationship with Louisiana Technical College, said Amanda Taylor, library director. &uot;We try to select part-time employees from the technical college,&uot; Taylor said. &uot;Rebecca has developed in all kinds of ways. She has developed a work ethic, she is very organized and she has a serious intent about her work.&uot;

Dupuis said her associate degree in office systems technology has made her a happy, fulfilled person. She remained in school a semester longer than necessary to learn the Power Point program because she knew it would be useful in her library job.

Now 24, recently married, she realizes the importance of encouragement she received at school. &uot;They talked to me about doing better. They found the job for me. They are great instructors,&uot; she said.

The Thursday graduation marked the first time all graduates took part in a ceremony together in caps and gowns, Byrd said. &uot;We had 67 graduates for the whole year,&uot; she said.

In her long tenure with the school, Byrd has seen many changes. However, enrollment, usually about 500 each year, has remained steady.

The school draws from several areas &045; some young people studying to take the GED for high school graduation accreditation; others who are older, late 20s to early 30s who may be looking for a change or who went to another school but were unhappy with the experience.

&uot;I think we’re very important in this area,&uot; Byrd said. &uot;We’re the only type of post-secondary education that is nearby other than in Natchez, where there is the out-of-state tuition.&uot;

In addition to the office systems course, other programs are accounting technology, computer specialist, air-conditioning and refrigeration, outdoor power equipment, practical nursing and nurse assistant.

&uot;This is a springboard for these students,&uot; Byrd said. &uot;There are not that many jobs in the area. They have to learn to wear many hats to get and keep a job.&uot;

For Dupuis, the future looks good, Taylor said. &uot;She has hung in there through lots of bumps in her personal life. I think she’s going to do a very good job. She’s got a good future. She’s focused. I give that school all the credit for developing her skills.&uot;