Three Vermilion Parish students honored by winning Inspirational Heroes Award

LAFAYETTE – This week Cox honored 41 Acadiana students, grades Pre-K through 12, who are leading meaningful and productive lives while overcoming great personal adversities at the 4th Annual Cox Inspirational Heroes Awards & Recognition Program.
Three of those 41 students are Vermilion Parish students.
Winning from Vermilion Parish were Samuel Dailey, Vermilion Catholic School; Gavin Hebert, Seventh Ward Elementary and Haylie Mouton, Kaplan High School
Here are the bios of each student that were sent to Cox by the school.

Samuel Dailey is a junior at Vermilion Catholic High School

“With a great understanding of his Asperger’s diagnosis, Sam has excelled academically and socially. He has a 3.4 GPA, an ACT of 30 and a great acceptance of self, which he displays through involvement with 4-H, drama and public speaking about having Asperger’s.”
The event was held at River Oaks Catering and Event Center, located at 520 E. Kaliste Saloom Road.

Gavin Hebert is a 4th grader at Seventh Ward Elementary
“Gavin is a very well-liked child with an awesome character; yet, he is a non-reader that continues to work extra hard in the lower-level reading program and is making extreme progress. Gavin also excels in science areas if the subject matter is read aloud to him, allowing him to absorb the information as if he read it himself. Scoring a mastery in science on the iLeap, Gavin’s ability to overcome many adversities in his home life, while achieving success in school, has made him the Seventh Ward Elementary hero.”

Haylie Mouton is a 10th grade at Kaplan High School

“Haylie is an exceptional young woman who is known for her distinctive laugh and equally loveable personality. She is fun-loving, very likeable and a motivated young woman who continually strives to succeed in life.”

Cox Inspirational Heroes, from the parishes of Acadia, Iberia, Lafayette, St. Martin, St. Mary and Vermilion, were accompanied by their parents or guardians, teachers and school administrators.
The public, private and parochial schools in Cox’s six-parish Acadiana footprint were invited to submit the name of one student who has met special challenges or overcome some sort of adversity. They are being honored as unsung heroes, as they’ve inspired both their peers and teachers through their actions.
“We recognize each of our Cox Inspirational Heroes for demonstrating character, determination, courage and a positive attitude. That’s a winning combination, and we are pleased to be honoring them,” said Executive Director of Operations for Cox Acadiana, Julie Simon-Dronet.
“Education has always been Cox’s cornerstone initiative, so recognizing students is a natural for us. The founder of our company, James Cox, began his career as an educator, and he was also a great public servant. Mr. Cox’s legacy lives on through programs such as Cox Inspirational Heroes. It’s also another way for us to give back to our community, which is a core value of Cox,” she continued.
A central theme of this event is taken from a quote by Booker T. Washington: “Success is measured not so much by the position that one has reached in life, as by the obstacles that one has overcome while trying to succeed.”
The short bio of each student was read aloud for each hero as he or she were honored on stage. Each student receives a certificate of achievement and a commemorative Cox Inspirational Heroes plaque.