Becca Nguyen 1993 and Chung PhamMr. Son NguyenMr. Tuongvan NguyenPopi Nicopoulos 1989Ms. Elena NielsonLacy Wood and Scott Niemeyer 1983NOLA CoutureNOLA Public SchoolsNOLA · Radio · NOWJimmy Nolan 1965 †Henry Norris 1979Susan Norris-Davis 1980 and Mark DavisRebecca W. NorwoodDr. Erica R. Peyton-Nunnery andMr. Nathaniel NunneryKamryn Nutzel 2025Ms. Beverly J. O’BoyleMs. Ian O’BoyleMr. Michael R. O’BoyleMs. Shawn M. O’BrienMs. Denise ObstDr. and Mrs. Martin T. O’ConnellGermaine Odenheimer 1971Ms. Emmy O’DwyerMr. John OglesbyMs. Lauren T. Oglesby andMr. Aaron MitchellMr. and Mrs. John F. OlindeMs. Krystal OliveiraMr. and Mrs. Richard C. Oliver-GoodwinMs. Harvi G. OlivierPam Cook Olson 1987Ms. Donna O’NealDylan O’Neal 2025Mr. Patrick O’NealMs. Bonnie J. Miller andMr. Christopher J. O’NeillMs. Raphaëlle O’NeillOPA GraphicsRandy Opotowsky 1971Michael Orth 1982Ms. Martha OsbornePat Hanson Oster 1968John Otis 1963Outpost 45Mr. Kay OuyangTom Owens 1972Mr. Todd OwensMs. Kathleen PadianJeff Page 1978Ms. Liinda PailetArchana Rao Paine 1995 andWhiton PaineMs. Diana PanaraMs. Lori PannellNancy and John ParaukaHaley W. PardoAlexis Parent-Ferrouillet 1996Ms. Katherine G. ParkEmma Labranche Parker 2009Dr. and Mrs. Geoffrey G. ParkerKimberly ParkerMs. Susanna ParkerMs. Debra ParkyMs. Karely PasillasDr. and Mrs. Ryan H. PasternakMr. Vittorio PaterMs. Angela T. PattersonMr. Christopher PattersonMr. and Ms. Daniel PattersonMs. and Mr. Melissa PattersonMs. Amie F. PaulSharon Pauli 1966Ms. Betty J. M. PauloseMs. Holley PavyMs. Linda PayneMs. Erin M. PeacockMr. Christopher C. PeetMs. Zhijuan Ding and Mr. Lu PengMr. and Mrs. Bill PeoplesMr. Jerry F. PepperPepsiCo FoundationMs. Cherie PerenackMr. Anthony PerezMr. Baraka PerezMr. Guillermo PerezMs. Andrea Perkins, C.P.A.Jamani Perkins-SmithAlisha Johnson Perry 1989Mr. Dylan PerryJames Person 1982Victoria Person 1990Zach Peterson 2005Eve Crawford Peyton 1998Mr. Patrick PeytonDr. Erica Peyton-NunneryMr. Charles PhamMs. Huyen N. PhamMr. Jonathan PhamMr. Michael PhelpsKeith PhenixApril Philips 1974Libby and Greg Phillips 1994Ms. Christy PhoenixMs. Raina M. Benoit andMr. Aurelien B. PiantanidaMr. Robert PiazzaroliPatricia Berry Pierce 1978Ms. Cassie M. PiersonMs. Ana Bella PinedaPippen LaneKatherine PitreKyran PittmanNida PittmanMr. and Mrs. Peter C. PlaiaMs. Georgetta PlaisanceMr. Kenneth PlaisanceAmy Kocourek Plenger 1983Mr. and Mrs. William M. Plunkett, Jr.Plush AppealBeth Davis Poirrier 1998Nichole PolinHenry Polmer 1963Kelly Sutherland Pontano 1995Ms. Michelle PournarisMs. Jayden PoweMs. Elsie G. PoynterMr. Neil R. PoynterMr. Anders D. PreauJulie Babylon Prechter 1992Ms. Christine PrefontaineKen Preslan 1992Ms. Marilyn R. PressleyMs. Sara L. Sohr-Preston andMr. Darren B. PrestonMr. and Mrs. Laniche J. Prevost IIIMs. Chrystie PriceEboni Price-Haywood 1991Cliff Prince 1983The Printers Wholesale GroupMs. Denise PritchettCharles R. Privitera, M.D.Pro Bono Publico FoundationProfessional Mechanical ServicesPure DermatologyKim McLellan Quintana 1976Peter Raabe 1996Mr. Henry Rachal, Jr.Madalyn Radlauer 2004Dr. Jennifer A. Raeder and Mr. David DawesMr. Todd G. RagusaMr. and Mrs. R. Michael RaineyRaising Cane’sMs. Manchili Anand and Mr. Anand RajaramAnand RajararPradeep Ramamurthy 1999Shokufeh Mojgani Ramirez 1991Mr. and Mrs. Andrew D. RamseyMargo Ramsey 2026Ms. Anil S. RanaWade Rathke 1966Ms. and Mr. Sushma RawatArnab Ray 1996Ms. Shirah RayMr. Sean RaymondChristy Cowart Read 1989 and Beau ReadSuma Reddybfhsla.org/donate 51
Jenea McLaughlin Reed 1998Mr. Alfred ReeseKimberly ReeseMs. Stella C. ReeseReeves Construction GroupJudy Reeves 1963Ms. Janell RegaldoMs. Ann ReggioReginelli’s Pizzeria (Lakeview Cafe Inc.)Alex Reinboth 2004Renaissance PublishingMy Hanh RenfroStephanie Salvaggio 1987 andEric Revels 1986Mr. and Mrs. Joshua S. ReyherMr. James RhoadsMr. Steven RhoadsMs. Margaret E. Troha andMr. Jonathan M. RhodesDr. Michelle S. Rhodes and Mr. Thomas J. Rhodes, Jr.Ms. Erin RibkaDr. Erin M. Ribka and Mr. Paul D. RibkaMr. Quinn P. RibkaMs. Carlina RiceMs. Tabitha RichardsonShael Richmond 1978Melissa Gordon Richter 1980Richard Riggins 1983Ms. Paulette RileyMr. Willie RileyMs. Amy RiniMr. and Ms. Alfred R. Ripoll IIIMs. Karmen C. RipollMr. Karl RitcheyHeather Thompson Rivera 1997Jack Rivera 1974Ms. Maribel RiveraMs. Joy N. RiversRizzuto’sAnnika Roberson 2025Jeffrey S. RobersonMs. MariAnn RobersonNancy RobersonMr. and Mrs. Thomas Y. Roberson, Jr.Mr. and Mrs. Alvin J. Robert, Jr.Mr. and Mrs. André J. RobertMs. Esme W. RobertMs. Ann Marie RobertsMr. and Mrs. John E. Roberts, Jr.Ms. Michelle RobertsMs. Cindy RobertsonMs. Mallory RobertsonMs. Trina RobertsonMs. Candace G. Robichaux andMr. Jan K. FrankowskiMr. Shafter RobinDean Robins 1966Mr. Alvin RobinsonMs. Brenda C. RobinsonMs. Courtney RobinsonKenyattah Robinson 1994Markeisha RobinsonMs. Tiajuana RobinsonMs. Donna L. RobisonMr. A Troy RocheMr. L Eric RocheMaria RocheMr. Samuel RodgersMs. Mallory RodrigueMs. Caitlin E. RohnMs. Julie A. RomainMr. and Ms. Stanford RorisonThe RosaMary FoundationMr. Noah J. RoseStuart Rose 1972Tom Rose 1976Lisa Rosenbaum 1975Joel Rosenberg 1965Jonathan Rosenberg 1994Mr. and Mrs. Stephen RosenthalMs. Josaphine RoueCharlotte Clark Rouleau 2014Ms. Lillian S. RousseauDr. Marcelle M. RousseauMs. Priscilla RousseauJohn and Elizabeth AndersonRoussel 1995Mrs. Sydney RouxMs. Dominique RouzanMs. Ivy S. RouzanMs. Laci RouzanMs. Teri RouzanMr. and Mrs. John W. RovettoMel RowanMr. Cornel Rowel, Sr.Katye Evans Rubin 984 andJeff Rubin 1984Andrea and Mark Rubin 1986Ruby SlipperLucy Schonacher Ruffino 1963Mr. and Ms. Ashon I. RuffinsMr. Kermit RuffinsRonnie Ruiz 2025Mr. Ronald S. Ruiz, Jr.Camille RussLinda Southerland Rutsch 1976Mr. and Mrs. James T. RyanMr. Richard RybinskiRonald Ryes 1989Rajeev SadhwaniMs. Manoswini Dash andMr. Deepak K. SahuMs. Brenda Ann SaizanRyan Sakauye 2005Ms. Victoria SamahaMs. Shari P. SamesMs. Eloise SamuelsMrs. Jennifer R. SamuelsLaura McComb Sanchez 1984Walter SanchezMs. Lisa S. SandersMs. Malkia SandersDr. Amy SandridgeVirginia Saussy 1984Ms. Rhonda SavoiaMs. Kathleen SavoieMr. and Mrs. Robert SavoyKelly Titus Scalise 1994Donna LaPorte Scharpf 1984Ahsaki ScharponMr. Rudy SchatzmannMs. Sarah SchatzmannMs. Holly ScheibEd Scheinuk 1976Melissa Scheinuk 1984Daniel Schenck 1994Lance Schiffman 1969Nhã Tran Schiro 1993Mr. Felix C. SchmidtMs. Millicent P. SchmidtJamie SchmillSonny Schneidau 1977Mrs. Marina SchoenMs. Heather SchofieldMargaret Beacham Schuber 1965Wendy Schudmak 1994Andrea Larson Schultz 1984Ms. Ramona R. SchultzMr. Hermann SchulzeLeslie SchuttRebecca Berins Schwarz 1994 and Matthew SchwarzMr. and Mrs. Paul SciortinoMr. and Mrs. Kyle SclafaniAyo Scott 1998Christy and John Folse52 BIFOCAL 2026
Ms. Dorionne J. ScottMr. Ernest ScottGladin ScottMr. Walter ScottSusanne Scovern 1981Ms. Erin F. Crowley and Dr. John B. SealMs. Susan E. SealMr. and Mrs. Justin SealeNatalie Gruning Seeboth 1996Mr. and Mrs. Richard J. L. SeegKathryn SeelingThe Selley FoundationSharon Ivker Sernik 1985Frank Serpas 1987Ms. Wendy SeverinMr. Jeffrey SeymourMr. Jeffrey P. SgambatoPulin ShahJudith Wallen Shalev 1979Mr. Daniel F. ShantzMr. Gene ShapiroMs. Tina R. ShariffMs. Laura M. Wolford and Mr. Daniel B. SharpShell Pipeline Company LPDiane SheltonLori Aronovich Sher 1990Mr. and Mrs. Daniel M. ShermanMs. Stephanie ShermanSkip Shipman 1964Ms. Mary A. ShirkShoe-NamiGayle Herman Siegel 1985Mr. Carl R. SigurMr. Curtis SigurMr. Keith SigurMs. Shanon SigurMr. Brian SimmonsMr. Ricky A. Simmons IIMrs. Shelly M. SimmonsMs. Trina SimmonsMs. Desiree SimmsSimply Mrs. HomeMr. Dedrick SimsMs. Erin SingerMr. Harold SingerStacie Sire 1991Sizeler Thompson Brown ArchitectsSophie SkripnikoffMr. Dwayne SloanMr. and Mrs. Peter B. SlossCallie Smith 2020Ms. Dinah L. SmithGabe Smith 1983Janet Barnwell Smith 1985 andGuerry Smith 1986Kristin Smith 1982Linda Smith 1974Mr. Marcus SmithMichael Smith 1996 and Nhu LeMs. Paula P. SmithMr. Raymond SmithMs. Romona SmithMs. Samantha SmithMr. Stephen SmithSuzy Woolley Smith 1966Ms. Toya P. SmithMr. and Mrs. Troy A. SmithStacey Smith-Andrade 1996Smoke Street CateringSmoothie KingSnap Mobile, Inc.Ellen and Gregg Soll 1991Michael Soll 1986Ms. Alicia M. Solorzano andMr. Donald LandryMs. Gladys SolorzanoMr. Meddardo SolorzanoMs. Stephanie SolorzanoJessica Williams Sorrels 1990Meera Unnithan Sossamon 2001Ms. Valerie SoutherlandMarthe Mann Souza 1992Dr. Sally SpahnLaurie Spanier 1978Vivian Mazier Sparacio 1990Ms. Adrienne G. SparrowSpartan Society LtdMaury SpeaseJac Sperling 1967Lynn Hill Spragens 1976Jonathan Sprague 1975Ms. Adrea SpreterBen Springgate 1990 andMrs. Krystal SpringgateMs. Alison Stewart and Mr. David SpruillMr. and Mrs. Vaniyambadi V. SridharSt. James Cheese CompanyMr. and Mrs. Marco St. John IIMr. and Mrs. Melvin A. Staes, Jr.Ms. Sara SteinbauerDaniel Stephan 1984Ms. Natalie SterlingLynne Rothschild Stern 1964Ms. Alexandria M. SternhagenMs. Carol L. SternhagenMr. and Mrs. Seth A. SternhagenRichard Stetzer 1960Andrea Spencer Stevens 2003Ann Stevens 1975Ms. Paula StewartRowan Stewart 2015Jasmine StiffJill Covell Stone 1962Ms. Rosemary StonkusMs. Margaret G. StradaMr. and Ms. Matthew W. StrainMr. Joshua StraussMs. Karen K. StraussEllie Streiffer 2003 and Ben HorwitzTodd Stremlau 1989Ms. Mary Lou StrongMs. Shannon StroupMs. Aprill StrouseMr. and Mrs. Jeffery B. StruckhoffSucréSukho ThaiMr. Andrew SullivanCourtney Egan and David Sullivan 1984Ms. Jill SullivanDawn deVillasana 1992 andAskia Suruma 1989Susco SolutionsMr. John SuslakMs. Dorothea M. SuthonMr. and Ms. Richard M. SuttonMs. Ryan SvehiaRachel Swan 2002Ms. Lakisha SwinneyCynthia SylvainMs. Lynda TafaroCorie Barnes Talano 1996Mr. and Mrs. Shaun K. TalbotMr. Ernest TarantinoMs. Lauren TarantinoTartineMs. Stacey C. TaskerMs. Cheryl TateMr. Edgar G. TaylorMs. Melissa L. TaylorMs. Rebecca TaylorMs. Shari TaylorMr. and Mrs. Sonny Taylor, Jr.Stanley Taylor 1999Mr. and Mrs. Paul M. TeallMs. Tara TebbeAlison Degan Tem 2007Ms. Whitney TempletonTenga FoundationTerrance Osborne GalleryMr. David TerrellMr. and Mrs. Ryan E. TeschMs. Erin K. Arnold andMr. Christopher M. ThackerDr. Patricia A. Jackson andDr. James O. TheisMr. and Ms. Gabriel Theodore, Sr.Ms. Erin Theriotbfhsla.org/donate 53
Ms. Shanda TheriotMs. Cheryl ThomasTrevor and Clare Brown Thomas 1991 Ms. Jennifer ThomasMs. Kirstie A. ThomasMs. Kisha M. ThomasMs. Lynette ThomasMary Thomas 1973Mr. and Mrs. Dennis ThompsonMs. Lauren ThompsonMarianne ThompsonPallie ThompsonMr. and Mrs. Dennis N. ThomsonMr. Hunter ThomsonDeborah Thurber 1979 and Dawain Hachenberg 1978Mrs. Gueydon S. ThurberMr. Daniel J. TierneyMrs. Elizabeth V. TierneyMr. Gary TierneyJamie TierneyMs. Jessica TierneyMs. Melissa TierneyMr. Nathan TierneyBritley TilleryMs. Mary Ellen TitusMs. Sangita TiwariMs. Kathleen ToftSuzette Toledano 1973Kris Torberson 1988Mr. Miles TorreganoSheila A. TorreganoLorraine Taylor Torres 1978 andRichard Torres 1972Ms. Sonia TorresJamie Toso 2000Delta Epsilon Phi InducteesTotal WineMr. Neilson V. TranPaul Tran 2024Paul Tran 2003Van Tran 1990Van Tran 1989 and Mr. Michael CajskiMs. Gail L. TranchinMs. Emily TregoKiana Andrew Tregre 1996Debbie Clarke Trejo 1987Deepak TripathiBecki Grimes Tripathy 1979Ms. Natasha TriversMs. Elizabeth A. Privitera andMr. Thomas F. TrouvéMr. William TrouveMs. Monica TrouvesappDavid E. TruscottMr. and Mrs. Mitchell W. TurnboughMs. Tonya J. TurnipseedEmma Tyler 2011Ms. Dorothy A. Malik andMr. Stephen C. TylerGia Landry Tyson 1997U.S. Charitable Gift TrustMr. and Mrs. Stephen W. UnderwoodUptown FramesUrban South BreweryMr. and Mrs. Thomas M. UsdinEkpe UsorahMs. Ima UsorohMs. Inez UsorohUdeme UsorohDavid J. UtterVictoria Valdary 2023Ms. Crystal Valteau-MorganLiz Wilks Van Dervort 2003Mr. and Mrs. Jason P. VanceVanguardZach Vaughn 1997Rebekka Veith 2006Mr. Diego VelascoDr. Francesca VelascoMr. Gabriel VelascoVertical Raise DonorsMs. Patty VicknairGabs Villemarette 2025Mr. and Mrs. Jason P. VillemaretteMr. Albert VitterMs. Donna VitterMr. John VitterMs. Sharon W. VitterMr. and Mrs. John F. VollmanVolume Zero, LLCMs. Nicole C. VorkapicMs. Margaret VorosJane Beach Voytek 1969Trang VuMs. Adrienne E. Shulman andMr. Chris WaddingtonBrittanie Bender Wade 2004Mr. Lance L. WadeMs. Leona WadeWilliam Wade 1960Ms. Patricia WaferSarah Bock Waggenspack 1998Mandy Walkenhorst 2004Ben Walker 2007Ms. Brieanna N. A. WalkerMs. CaTina WalkerMs. Cynthia M. Walker andMr. Christopher BeachMs. Katherine Walker54 BIFOCAL 2026
Bob Walker 1964Ms. Valerie A. WalkerMr. Thomas R. WallerMs. Jennie S. A. WalshMr. and Mrs. Milton O. Walsh, Jr.WalsworthMs. Robin A. Werner andMr. Christopher G. WaltermanJanice WaltersJessie Wang-Grimm 1986Mr. Austen J. WardMr. Daniel G. WardHolly Ward 1976Geraldine Ward 1961Al Ward 1964Ms. Zoe WardMike Warner 1973Ms. Kayla WarnerLauren Cates Warner 1998Dave Warren 1975Mrs. Stephanie G. WarshauerMs. Alexis WashingtonMs. Claudia T. WashingtonMr. and Mrs. Everett J. WashingtonJaye Washington 2024Julie Kanter Washko 1995Mr. Daniel WassermanMr. Michael WassermanArianne Watkins 2001Patrice WatsonMs. Tarnetta WebbLarry Webber 1963Mr. and Mrs. Kyle WedbergKevin Wegener 1972Mr. and Mrs. Randy WeidemannAaron Weidenhaft 1998Mr. Thom WeidlichMr. Daniel P. WeinerMs. Miriam WeinsteinMs. Jennifer F. WeishauptWally Weitz 1966Mr. and Mrs. Henry R. WelchFred Welden 1976Mr. John WeldonJeannie Welsh 1970William Welsh 1980Wendell and Anne GauthierFamily FoundationMelinda Marchiz Wentworth 1975Mr. Paul WernerSandy Werren 1980Charles West 1997Mr. Ralph WestbrookSarah Rumage Whalen 1974Mr. Alan WheatMr. Stanley White, Jr.Elena Whitecloud 1998 and Bob RutterCeci Redmann Whitehurst 1978 and Andrew Whitehurst 1978Alyson Yaeger Whitesell 1977Andrew Whitley 2001Ms. Christie WhittenMs. Regina WhittingtonPaige Wiegel 1982Ms. Renee Baugnon and Mr. Reuben WilderMs. Georgia WilemonJacob Wilensky 1960Ms. Bianca F. Hart and Mr. Aaron L. WilliamsMs. Amber WilliamsMs. Anna R. WilliamsBrenetta WilliamsMr. Carvell WilliamsCindy Williams 1985Mr. DeWayne L. Williams, Esq.Diedra WilliamsImri Williams 2025Jasmine WilliamsMs. Kathy B. WilliamsLeslie S. WilliamsPeggy Murrhee Williams 1962Ms. Mary J. WilliamsMs. Tina M. Dixon-Williams andMr. Matthew A. WilliamsMr. Norris WilliamsMs. Penny WilliamsMr. Quince WilliamsMs. Rachell WilliamsMr. Will Willis IIICourtney Wilson 2006Ms. Gabrielle A. WilsonLisa Wilson 1991Ms. Shelby WilsonMr. Stephen WilsonMr. Terry Wilson, Sr.Mr. Ayden C. Wilson-JonesMs. Stacey H. Stanfill and Mr. Daniel R. WinkertMr. David WinkertMr. George WinkertMs. Jennifer WinkertMr. John WinkertMr. Tom WinkertMs. Ashona Winzy-JonesMr. Ryan G. WiseMarilyn Galler Wohlstadter 1973Mr. and Mrs. Dan WolfordNeil Wolfson 1963Mr. Brady K. WoodMs. Karen K. WoodMs. Alexis WoodruffAshley Reed Woodruff 1997Ms. Judith WoodruffMr. Keith WoodruffMs. Patricia WoodruffMs. Constance WoodsMs. Haley D. WoodsMr. Jimmie M. Woods, Jr.Mr. and Mrs. Jimmie M. Woods, Sr.Ms. Barbara M. WrightMs. Erin O. YaggyAmy Gage Yildizli 1992Jim YonkusCassandra D. Youmans, M.D.Mr. Amos YoungElizabeth Young 1976Endya YoungMrs. LaQuanda Young andMr. Everett L. YoungJaime YoungMs. Laquanda YoungMr. and Mrs. Patrick E. YoungPeter Young 1988Ms. Stella YoungKate Youngblood 2009Mr. Kevin YoungbloodMary Moffitt Zamierowski 1963Vasileios ZarganisMs. Karaline ZeiglerFred Zengel 1965Mr. Andrew ZeringueMark Zeringue 1969Andres Zervigon 1983Dr. Irene J. Ziegler andMr. Rodney E. ZieglerMs. Rebecca ZiskindMs. Elaine M. ZolloMs. Greta L. Zornes andMr. Lester SickerdickFalcon Fest Co-Chairbfhsla.org/donate 55
ACCOLADES• #1 High School in the state - US News & World Report.• 7 students scored a perfect 36 on the ACT last year.• 49 students were recognized by College Board as National Merit Finalists, National Merit Commended Students, National African American Scholars, National Hispanic Scholars, and National Indigenous Scholars.• 1 student placed first in the high school and undergraduate poster competition at the Coalition to Restore Coastal Louisiana 2025 State of the Coast conference -- the only high school student recognized!• 1 student completed the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory’s Science & Engineering Apprenticeship Program at Stennis Space Center and presented her results in a virtual poster at the annual meeting of the American Geophysical Union.• 6 students were recognized at the Greater New Orleans Science and Engineering Fair, with two earning top prizes and several receiving special awards from prestigious organizations such as USAID, Yale Science and Engineering Association, and the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics.• 2 students won top awards at the annual National Association of Teachers of Singing Southern Regional Competition.• 1 student was selected for Black Girls Film Camp – one of 10 students nationwide.• 1 student helped direct a Super Bowl commercial for Studio Be in partnership with Gemini AI by Google.• 1 student earned second place in Voice for her age group at the international Best Beethoven Performance competition.• Our robotics team made the World Championship.• Youth and Government Club earned multiple awards at the 2025 Model United Nations Conference, including Outstanding Resolution and Outstanding Delegate.• 1 student was accepted to the Congress- Bundestag Youth Exchange (CBYX) Program in Germany. • 9 students went to Speech & Debate Nationals.• 1 student won Tulane University’s Innovation Institute’s Startup Sprint, competing against college students, graduate students, and adults.• 2 students were in the top 3 for Tulane’s Young Entrepreneurship Academy Pitch Competition. • 15 students took home trophies at the Mu Alpha Theta state competition. • Academic Games won first in Propaganda, first in Presidents, second in LinguiSHTIK, and second in Equations at the national competition, plus national champion in Sweepstakes. • 25 students were inducted into the Louisiana Zeta Chapter of the National German Honor Society Delta Epsilon Phi. • 7 students earned POSSE scholarships.• 3 students earned CollegeTrack scholarships.• 3 students earned QuestBridge Scholarships.• 3 students nominated for U.S. Presidential Scholar awards.academicsARTISTIC56 BIFOCAL 2026
• Boys’ soccer went to the state semifinals.• Girls’ soccer went to the state quarterfinals.• 11 students made the All-District boys’ and girls’ soccer teams.• Our Sailing Team won multiple regattas and regional championships last year.• Girls’ basketball made it to the bi-district playoffs.• 4 students named to the All-District boys’ and girls’ basketball teams.• 7 students qualified for state for boys’ and girls’ tennis.• Flag football made the playoffs in their very first season.• 25 students qualified for regional finals for boys’ and girls’ track.• 14 students qualified for state finals for boys’ and girls’ cross country.• 1 state was named to Girls’ All-State Cross Country Championship Team.• 2 students were named to the All-District team for softball.• 1 student represented the U.S. at the JKA Funakoshi Gishin Cup Karate World Championship and earned double gold in Kata and Kumite at the JKA American Federation National Championship.• 4 students signed to compete at the college level.• Volleyball was state runner-up with 7 players named to the All-District Team and 2 named to the All-State Team.• 16 swimmers qualified for LHSAA D2 State Championships and 10 qualified for the Allstate Sugar Bowl Metro Swimming Championships. The girls’ team placed third in the state, and the boys’ team placed fifth in the state.• 1 student was a finalist in the Rau for Art Scholarship Competition. • Student band Beverly Hills Polo Club, composed of five Franklin seniors, performed at Jazz Fest.• 1 student won first place in the Music of Mediterranean Europe, an international competition for young performers.• 1 student won the NAACP Afro-Academic, Cultural, Technological and Scientific Olympics Award for Poetry.• 2 students won awards in the Historic New Orleans Collection’s Student Writing Contest.ATHLETICbfhsla.org/donate 57
paulmatthews ’02Formed by Franklin“Most of my day is playing chess, figuring out how to grow the port...Every day is new; every day is different.”Paul Matthews serves as CEO of the Port of South Louisiana, the nation’s leading grain exporter and one of the largest tonnage ports in the Western Hemisphere. Appointed in January 2022, he made history as Louisiana’s first African-American port director. After Franklin, he graduated from Tulane University and earned his MBA from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette.A seasoned leader in port management and economic development, Matthews previously held the role of deputy port director at Plaquemines Port and served as community affairs manager at the Port of New Orleans. His leadership and community engagement earned him recognition, including Inland Marine Expo’s 40 Under 40 Award and a spotlight in Biz New Orleans Magazine’s New and Notables.Matthews sits on the Executive Board of Greater New Orleans Inc., the World Trade Center of New Orleans, and the Board of Directors of United Way of Southeast Louisiana. He also contributes to multiple American Association of Port Authorities committees.“ I purposely keep Bloomberg News on television all day because there are things globally that could impact our customers and operators on a daily basis that are happening throughout the world. So when something happens with Ukraine or Russia, that’s impactful to us. It’s actually right at our doorstep.”“58 BIFOCAL 2026
For Paul Matthews, leadership is not simply about strategy or expertise — it is about people.My favorite part of my job is leading people,” he says. “That’s the most rewarding part. I love my team. And I love being the leader of a team.”That appreciation for teamwork began during his years at Benjamin Franklin High School. He recalls being able to move easily between friend groups yet feeling welcome in all of them. That openness, he believes, reflects something unique about Franklin’s culture: students are encouraged to engage widely while striving for excellence. “It was always, ‘What four-year college are you going to?’” he remembers — an expectation that shaped his ambition early on.Like many students, Matthews once questioned the value of certain classes, but over time, he came to understand that maturity means doing what is required in order to earn future opportunities. He often notes that Franklin was more challenging than college, teaching him discipline, perseverance, and when to step back and reset.He credits Franklin with sharpening his ability to process information quickly and think decisively — skills he relies on daily in his leadership role. He also recalls the pressure he felt after a poor freshmanyear test grade, a moment that ultimately taught him resilience. Success, he believes, is not about avoiding setbacks but about responding to them, learning, and continuing forward.That mindset — steady progress, accountability, and growth — was built at Franklin and continues to guide him today.“real maturity is doing the things that you have to do so that you can do the things that you want to do.”“bfhsla.org/donate 59
GISICannizzaro ’00Formed by FranklinFor Gisi Cannizzaro, her time at Ben Franklin High School was more than a strong academic foundation—it was the start of a path that would take her across the world. Gisi recalls how her close friendship with classmate Ryan Prechter, now a high school AP teacher, helped shape those years. Together, they spent four years in German class under Mr. Leblanc, turning what could have been a small elective into something much bigger. “ My time at Franklin was really positive.”Gisi revived the German Club, appointing herself president and building a tight-knit community around language and culture. Lunchtimes became entrepreneurial, selling Bahlsen gummy bears and Ritter Sport chocolate sourced through her family’s business, funding club T-shirts printed with their German names, Gisi’s own nickname coming from “Gisela.”The most transformative experiences came from beyond the classroom. Under Mr. Leblanc’s leadership, students traveled to Berlin for two weeks each November. Gisi went twice—experiences that shaped her future. “ Franklin is really what led me to moving to Europe.”60 BIFOCAL 2026
After graduating, that curiosity became a life abroad. Gisi worked as an au pair in Frankfurt, then earned a master’s degree and doctorate in language acquisition in Groningen. She later advised international families on language education. Today, she leads that work as the founder of HLE Network, a nonprofit supporting heritage language and culture education.Although she has spent more than 20 years in Europe, New Orleans remains central to her life. Living in a Dutch city that celebrates Carnival in its own way, she admits it doesn’t compare. Instead, she brings Mardi Gras home, watching parade livestreams, playing Second Line music, and making king cake each Friday using braided cinnamon roll dough.“Franklin was just the perfect place because you can geek out over anything you like, and no one bats an eye,” she says—a mindset that continues to guide her today.Her story is a testament to the power of education to inspire. At Franklin, Gisi didn’t just learn a language—she discovered a world—and still carries New Orleans with her wherever she goes. “ In the process, I truly learned the Dutch language.”bfhsla.org/donate 61
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