Feb 10, 2021
Like many people, sophomore Lauren Earl has always wanted to be a business owner. Unlike many, Lauren did not only dream about starting her own business, she did it.
“For my 14th birthday, I ordered a birthday pin for myself,” Lauren explained. “As my birthday got closer, I found out that the pin was not going to be made. I asked my mom if we could go to Hobby Lobby, and I made my own pin.”
The pin created buzz on social media, and soon Lauren was getting messages from friends and family asking if she could make their birthday pins. This led to the creation of her business.
In February of 2019, as an 8th grade student, Lauren created Luxe’ Creations by Lauren. Lauren is self-taught, relying on books and YouTube videos for inspiration. The business specialized in pins for birthdays and special events.
In March of 2020, just as business was beginning to increase, Covid-19 shut the state of Louisiana down. Unlike the state, Lauren’s spirit was not shut down.
“When the state went into lockdown, we could not get my supplies for pins as frequently as we could before,” said Lauren. “People weren’t asking for the pins as much, either. Nobody needed a birthday pin when they could not go out for their birthday.”
“I was watching TikTok one day, and saw a video of a girl making chocolate covered treats. I knew that I could do the same things she was doing.”
Luxe’ Creations by Lauren has turned into a business that provides a variety of treats, including chocolate-covered strawberries, pretzels, Rice Crispy treats, Oreos, cake pops, cakesicles, and hot chocolate bombs. Orders are prepared as they are made, allowing Lauren to customize her products to meet her customers’ needs. Lauren has built a loyal customer base, and her business continues to grow from social media exposure and word of mouth.
She has also been able to continue growing because of the support she receives from her parents, Lawrence and Mekisha.
“My mom and dad have always been supportive of everything I do, from dance and volleyball when I was young, to Luxe Creations now. Their support and guidance mean everything to me.”
When Lauren is not busy growing Luxe’ Creations, she stays busy at Woodlawn High. She is a Great Scholars student who carries a 4.31 GPA while taking advanced level and AP courses. Lauren is also a member of Woodlawn’s Talented Theater program and an active member of the DECA Chapter. She is also a member of the Lady Panther Volleyball team and participated in Powerlifting as a freshman.
Lauren wants to encourage others who are dreaming of starting their own business to “just start it. If you really put your mind to something and set your goals, you can achieve anything.”
Anyone interested in placing orders with Lauren can contact her through her Instagram account, @luxecreationsby_lauren, or through her Facebook account, Luxe Creations by Lauren.
Feb 9, 2021
The Debose Fine Arts Festival is an exhibition and performance event which includes fine art and music competition once a year in the Baton Rouge area. This year the festival/competition was carried out virtually. Art and music teachers in the EBR area were allowed to submit five artworks for the competition. The student winners were awarded in different categories. There were three Traditional categories (Beginner, Intermediate, and Advanced) and three Talented categories (Beginner, Intermediate and Advanced).
Nine Woodlawn High students placed in this year’s festival. Five of those students placed in Traditional categories, and three placed in Talented categories.
- Rachel Ezell, First Place, Talented Advanced
- Isaiah John, First Place, Traditional Advanced
- Christopher Delcid, Second Place, Traditional Intermediate
- Joann Mayeux, Second Place, Talented Advanced
- Kerrin Whitly, Second Place, Traditional Advanced
- Hannan McCant, Third Place, Traditional Intermediate
- Cameron Rice, Third Place, Talented Beginner
- Angel Caine, Honorable Mention, Traditional Advanced
- Naya Smith, Honorable Mention, Talented Advanced
Congratulations to these Panthers for their spectacular achievements at this year’s festival.
Feb 9, 2021
Despite a shortened season, the Lady Panther basketball team improved their season win total from 5 wins during the 2019-2020 season to 12 wins this season. The Lady Panthers finished the season with a 12-7 record, just falling short of the LHSAA Class 5A Playoffs.
The Lady Panthers were led by five underclassmen this season. Brianna Johnson, who is the Lady Panthers only senior, will be missed; however, the Lady Panthers will continue to build with the returning underclassmen.
“I am very excited about the future of this program,” explained Coach Kohn. “We are only losing Brianna Johnson. I am hoping we can build on the success we enjoyed this season and have an even better season next year.”
Sophomore forward Regan McDowell averaged a double-double for the Lady Panthers this season, averaging 14 points and 10 rebounds a game. Junior Quaindra Bell and sophomore Celine Thomas, along with the freshman duo of Ra’Nya Smith and Tralyn Riley, all helped to lead a balanced offensive attack for the Lady Panthers.
“We have five underclassmen who led us this year,” added Kohn. “We finished the season with eleven girls in the program, and we hope to continue to build with those girls.”
Included in the Lady Panthers 12 wins were two overtime wins. The Lady Panthers defeated Family Christian and Catholic-Point Coupee in games that showed Coach Kohn and the Lady Panthers that they were learning to win.
Feb 5, 2021
It has been almost a year since the singing arts have been shut down due to Covid-19. Recently, Lost N’ Sound, Woodlawn High School’s pop a cappella group, had the opportunity to participate virtually in the DeBose Foundation High School Competition. Excited at the opportunity to participate in the competition, the group chose a Christmas piece that they felt could give everyone a little hope and encouragment during the pandemic.
For this year’s competition, members of Lost N’ Sound submitted their song, Silent Night, which was recorded in December 2020. The group’s submission placed first in the High School category. The performance of Silent Night, along with other performances, will be streamed live via DeBose social media outlets during the month of February.
As an ancillary resource, the DeBose Fine Arts Series – Competition is characterized by partnerships and multidiscipline collaboration designed to salute and showcase teacher and student achievement based on curriculum and studio criterion in literary, visual, and performing arts. This annual program is motivated by advocacy, supporting existing Louisiana education standards and national education initiatives. Community outreach, as a signature component of the DeBose program, encompasses qualitative enrichment to fine arts education areas. Fulfillment of school needs and curriculum objectives, coupled with the opportunity to uphold and service corporate initiatives, will afford stellar programs serving to promote the integrity and developmental needs of youth. Addressing these educational challenges fosters new and renewed aspiration benefiting under-served and under-developed talent, implemented through “hands-on/participant oriented” project initiatives.
Members of Lost N’ Sound are Jada Braxton, Eleanore Carter, Adrienne East, Jennifer Fuenmayor-Reyes, Sarah Kring, Isabella Schamber, and Devin Trim. The group is led by Ms. Klein.
