LAFAYETTE, La. — You've probably noticed there are a lot of cool schools in neighborhoods across Acadiana.
That's why we're taking some time to showcase what those very schools are doing to enrich the lives of students and staff with the return of our Cool Schools segment — starting at Comeaux High School in Lafayette Parish.
Jennifer Horrigan is the school's piano teacher with 21 years of teaching experience and 37 years playing herself. This summer, she was presented with a unique opportunity for the third time — attending the Summer Music Educators Workshop at Carnegie Hall in New York City.
"You're there in late June, early July for four days," Horrigan tells KATC. "Master classes, workshops, seminars, concerts, free breakout sessions all day long for those four days, very intense."
It's a prestigious honor, too. Horrigan is one of 160 teachers from 33 states across three countries who was selected to attend. For her, however, the cherry on top is being able to share a piece of that New York state of mind with her students back home in Lafayette.
"They can tell how full my cup is and then I'm able to pass that on to them because I'm fully charged, ready to go," she says.
A lover of music her whole life, that full cup is something she doesn't take lightly. Born and raised in rural North Louisiana, the opportunity to pour from that cup is not only something that makes her school cool, but something she wishes she could've had in her own classroom growing up.
"Here at Comeaux High School, we have the Performing Arts Academy which totally separates us from all the other schools in our district," Horrigan tells KATC. "The students get to have band, choir, theatre, dance, strings, guitar, music theory, music media, as well as piano all in one setting."
The school has a brand new piano lab with state-of-the-art equipment as well.
"That experience alone can change a life and it's certainly changed mine," she says.
If you have a cool school, be sure to let us know at KATC. Send an email to news@katctv.com with "Cool Schools" in the subject line, and include a picture and a short story of why your school is cool.
