University of Louisiana at La. hands out degrees to 1,300 students

LOUISIANA La. — Tears came to Carolyn Cole’s eyes when she saw her daughter Natalie Cole being pushed in a wheelchair during her commencement processional.

Natalie Cole was one of more than 200 students who received their diplomas at the Cajundome Saturday from the College of Liberal Arts of UL Lafayette. She joined the estimated 1,300 students who received diplomas at various times throughout the day.

Cole explained that Natalie, a criminal justice major, wrecked her car after a deer jumped in front it three weeks ago.

Her leg was shattered after she ran off the road and hit a bridge in Crowley. She’s already had surgery and has several pins in her leg, but it could have been a lot worse.

“I’m lucky she’s alive and I can see her graduate,” said Carolyn Cole. Natalie Coke won’t be able to walk for a year, her mother said, and she doesn’t know how it will affect her ability to get a job.

“We’ll have to wait and see,” she said. “She has a job interview in Arlington, Texas, but we’ll just give it to the Lord.”

The noon Liberal Arts ceremony was one of nine academic colleges along with the graduate school commencement held Saturday at the Cajundome complex.

As he stood holding a bunch of flowers for his daughter after Liberal Arts commencement, proud father Cy Deblanc said his daughter Beth M. Deblanc plans to attend the University of Memphis where she’ll work on her master’s in medical anthropology.

“Right now we’re going to the house and have a party,” he said.

Glynn Fung, 23, of Lafayette said he’s also going to relax in the near the near future. He plans to take a few months off and rest after getting his bachelor’s in economics. His friend John Bergeron, 21, of Maurice, graduated in finance and said he’ll start looking right away, maybe in sales or working for a bank.

As he welcomed graduates and their friends and families, A. David Barry, Dean of the College of Liberal Arts, said they all represented a roomful of lights on a dark and cloudy day.

“Your job is to light the world, not to darken it,” Barry said. He praised the work of retiring faculty members, which included history professor Richard Cusimano, who was commencement speaker.

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Beverly Corbell
bcorbell@theadvertiser.com