Our Impact
Teacher Stories
Teaching at Vandebilt Catholic High School was always such a beautiful experience for me. My career started as an eighth grade English teacher and ended with me teaching Honors English to juniors and speech to tenth to twelfth graders. Being able to lead prayer before each class began, having the opportunity to attend daily mass in the chapel, and just being in a true Catholic environment was important to me. Yes, I could have probably doubled my salary if I had taught in a public school, but honestly, I was lucky because I did not have to work. Instead, I taught at Vandebilt because I loved being a part of Catholic education. I loved teaching, and, today, I am still amazed at the friendships I made and kept with former students and teachers.
- Mary Haydel
Teaching at Vandebilt Catholic, my alma mater, has been so rewarding in many ways. I get to impact our next generation of leaders in more ways than just in the classroom, but with also fostering those personal relationships through sports or extra curricular activities. My ultimate goal is to push the students to their maximal potential. I want to show them that they can excel no matter what type of adversity they may encounter. I always use this quote by Muhammad Ali "If my mind can conceive it, if my heart can believe it, then I know that I can achieve it" to motivate them to be to dream big and ensure that you have the fortitude to achieve their dreams.
- Jeremey Ezell
As a parent of three alumnae and a teacher at Vandebilt Catholic High School, I am excited about the mission of the V Foundation of South Louisiana! When our girls attended VCHS, we were excited about the educational opportunities and personal attention they received. Additionally, we were impressed with the dedication of the faculty. The girls were always busy with co-curricular activities, and those activities were all moderated by the teachers at VCHS. Once I began teaching at Vandebilt, I soon realized that being a faculty member is more than teaching a course load. Yes, we provide our students excellence in academics, but we also provide personal attention to our students - nurturing their spiritual and personal growth. It truly is a ministry!
- Ann Robichaux
I have been a teacher for 10 years, 5 of which have been at Vandebilt Catholic. I graduated from Vandebilt in 2006, and while I initially graduated from college and began working as a Registered Nurse, I felt like God was calling me to be a teacher. While returning to school to receive my teaching certification, God created a path for me to begin teaching at Vandebilt. After four years and with a growing family, I made a very difficult decision to leave and teach in a local public school, where I thought financially things would be better for us. It wasn’t long before God began paving the way for my return to Vandebilt. The timing seemed to be off for a few years, but in the Spring of 2020 when Mr. Gueldner reached out to me, it seemed like things were finally going to fall into place. Being back at Vandebilt has been a breath of fresh air for me in my teaching career. Nothing compares to the atmosphere, students, and fellow faculty and staff that fill our school. Closing out Holy Week these past few days with the Passion Play, faculty retreat, and Adoration as staff, has allowed me to reflect on the beauty of everyone coming together as one to worship God. Every step of my journey teaching at Vandebilt has been led by God’s Plan, and while I am grateful for what I learned along the way, I am so blessed to be back and able to carry out the mission of our school alongside the best teachers and co-workers in our area.
- Erica Babin
Almost twenty years ago, I literally got the call from David Keife(who was then principal, but was also my 8th-grade Algebra teacher) asking if I would be interested in taking over the Art position at my alma mater. My return to Vandebilt came after being away since I graduated in 1984. At the time, my oldest was in kindergarten, I had been working in the public school system for about five years and had taught while out of state after finishing my masters program. I would be taking a pay cut, right when my family would need it to pay for Catholic school tuition, but I knew the trade-off was well worth it. I distinctly remember my first school mass, and an overwhelming feeling of “coming home”, and that I had made the right decision. As my family grew, there was no other place that I felt could give my four children the academic and faith-based foundation that my parents had provided for me and my siblings. Teaching at VCH, buidling life-long connections with my students and their families, and making an impact every day in a young person’s life have been the greatest rewards of my job. Working where my own children and their friends attended school is icing on the cake. I was fortunate enough to have had some incredible and legendary teachers while at Vandy, like Brothers Donald and Alfred, and Mrs. Jean Donegan, and to teach with legends like Gary Phillips, Irma Colasurdo, and Luigi Vegas. I am also proud to say that I have the same group of forever friends that I had in high school, several of whose children attended Vandebilt with mine. My hope is that my own students leave Vandebilt with that same feeling of connectedness that I always had as an alum, and that they always know that they belong to the “Vandy family”.
- Laurie Robichaux
Returning to the place where it all started…. that was not my original plan, but I am so thankful that this is the path that God paved for me. I always knew that I was fortunate in receiving a Catholic education, but I didn’t fully understand how much of a gift it was until I returned as a teacher. By that time, my circle had grown bigger, I had experience in other places, and I had become a wife and mother. These experiences helped to light a fire inside me when I returned to the halls of Vandebilt Catholic. I get to return the favor and help mold future generations. I want to continue the legacy of this great school; I want to continue the mission of the Brothers of the Sacred Heart. Returning to Vandebilt Catholic has been one of the best decisions that I’ve ever made, and I get to do it alongside Jeremy (my husband and VC President) and my daughters, Cate (current terrier) and Macy (future terrier.)
- Mary Catherine Gueldner
Some photos are copyright of Romaguera Photography.