Southeastern student earns national OSH&E scholarship
Wednesday, April 29, 2020 
by: Tonya Lowentritt
SOUTHEASTERN STUDENT RECEIVES NATIONAL SCHOLARSHIP – Alison Garaudy, a Southeastern Louisiana University senior from Loranger majoring in occupational safety, health and environment, has been awarded a national scholarship from the Board of Certified Safety Professionals. Garaudy received the $5,000 award based upon her cumulative grade point average, a submitted essay on why she entered the program, and her commitment to obtaining professional certification upon graduation.
HAMMOND -- A Southeastern Louisiana University senior majoring in occupational
safety, health and environment has been awarded a national scholarship from the Board
of Certified Safety Professionals.
Alison Garaudy of Loranger received the $5,000 award based upon her cumulative
grade point average, a submitted essay on why she entered the program, and her commitment
to obtaining professional certification upon her graduation.
“This scholarship means a lot to me. It has made a substantial difference in
helping to fund my education, and I am extremely honored to be a recipient,” Garaudy
said. “It has also boosted my confidence and helped assure me that my hard work is
paying off. I am happy to know that my voice has been heard and potential was found
in it.”
As an anticipated December graduate, Garaudy wants to apply her newly acquired
knowledge to making workplaces safer and more productive for current and future workers.
“With climate change being such a prominent issue, protecting the environment
is also especially important to me, so I want to make sure any company I work for
is environmentally conscious and doing what they can to protect future generations,”
she explained. “I would love to incorporate more environmental sustainability into
my life and work, and I am very interested in working abroad at some point.”
One of Garaudy’s biggest goals is to influence the safety culture around her.
“I hope to educate the people I work with, so they can have a better understanding
of why we go out of our way to be safe, especially when it seems like extra hard work
for nothing,” she said. “We all have the right to work in a safe environment where
we can stay healthy, but it takes individual efforts to make that happen.”
The Southeastern OSH&E program was recently ranked among the top 20 best values
in OSHE programs in the country by the website collegevaluesonline.com. The ranking
is based on quality of academics; value, which includes tuition affordability and
financial aid; and the calculated average return on investment data, a guide to the
success of students graduating from the program.
The website valuecolleges.com also ranked the program among the top 25 in the
country in best value occupational safety and health degrees. The ranking is based
on reputation, based on “U.S. News & World Report;” return on investment, based on
payscale data; and cost, based on online tuition as reported to IPEDS.
The OSH&E program is nationally accredited by the Applied and Natural Science
Accreditation Commission of ABET, Inc. The program grew from a two-year associate’s
degree program to a four-year bachelor of science program following considerable input
from managers at area industries who reported a significant need for safety, health
and environmental professionals. The program prepares students for a variety of positions,
including roles of environmental safety and health specialists and safety supervisors.
