Hahnville salutatorian has already completed most of college prerequisite courses

Kylie Dufrene

Not one for staying idle, 2023 Salutatorian Kylie Dufrene kept her calendar full while at Hahnville High – she was a varsity soccer player, member of Beta Club, National Honor Society, and active with Hahnville’s Thespian Society, a theater-focused group linked to her work with Talented Theater. Theater, Dufrene said, was one subject she thoroughly enjoyed throughout her time at Hahnville High.

“[Talented Theater] is just a place where you can cry, you can scream, you can laugh, you can be angry at the world and they’ll sit there and listen and help you through it,” Dufrene, 18, said. “I learned so much – we studied Shakespeare, plays…it’s a way for people who come from different worlds to connect in one place and be put on a stage together.”

Graduating with a Grade Point Average of approximately 4.27, Hahnville High Salutatorian Kylie Dufrene was recently awarded the Cypress Scholarship, which she will soon put to work as she begins her studies at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette this fall. The graduating senior has taken several Dual Enrollment classes including English, History, Sociology and Psychology classes at both Southeastern University and Nicholls State, allowing her to get a big jump on her college career later this year.

“Most of my prerequisite courses for college are done,” Dufrene said proudly of the initial college coursework she has already completed.

Dufrene’s career goals are to complete her bachelor’s degree and become a travel nurse, a career path she saw her aunt have success with growing up. She loves the idea of making a career out of traveling to new destinations for medical work, being a leader managing hospital staff, and serving others all at the same time.

Before college gets underway, Kylie plans to start her summer off traveling to Mount Ida, Arkansas, where she will work as junior staff for a Christian summer camp called Camp Ozark. She’ll finish out her senior year summer working as a local lifeguard, before heading west on Highway 90 to Lafayette for college this August.

Dufrene’s parting advice for incoming 2023 Hahnville High freshmen was also her own personal philosophy when facing challenges in school.

“You might fail – and it’s ok to fail – but remember to always pick yourself back up and keep going; keep fighting for the education you deserve,” she advised.

When asked what she would like to be remembered for at Hahnville High, Dufrene paused for a beat, and knew exactly how to answer, emphasizing the hard work she put in academically to achieve Salutatorian status.

“I think I want to be remembered for being a student athlete,” Dufrene said, reflecting on her days at Hahnville High. “I played varsity [soccer] all four years, and I still managed to have all A’s…Being in a sport – that’s time consuming; you’re exhausted [after practices and games], and it’s hard to want to do your school work afterwards,” Dufrene explained.

After years of juggling school work with a full slate of after-school activities, Dufrene says she is proud to have her parents Erik and Angie Dufrene witness her hard work pay off, graduating as Hahnville High’s 2023 Salutatorian.

“I knew I could do it,” Dufrene said. “I was very determined and hard-working; I made sure I understood everything going on in class, and made sure I had my teachers’ help whenever I needed it.”

 

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