Franciscan Missionaries of Our Lady University will recognize four alumni and one community member at its annual Fête des Fidèles fundraiser held at The Estuary at The Water Campus on Thursday, Feb. 10.
Annually, since 2008, FranU has recognized alumni and community leaders who exhibit the highest professional standards and a Franciscan-inspired commitment to service.
Rising Star Alumni Award
Alicia Vick received the Rising Star Alumni Award. She is a physician assistant working at Baton Rouge Urology Group. She is a dual FranU graduate with a Bachelor of Science in Biology, Human Medicine in 2018 and a Master of Medical Science, Physician Assistant in 2021.
Service and helping others are at her core and she steps up to serve in any capacity needed. She started with service to the country as a combat medic in the Army and has provided service to the community with post-Katrina medical help, post-flood rescues, wounded warrior house builds, marathon medical help and hosting Chilean exchange students.
Vick has two publications for her collaborative work at Pennington Biomedical Research.
Shining Star Alumni Award
Sarah Goncalves received the Shining Star Alumni Award. After graduating from Our Lady of the Lake College (FranU) in 2008 with an Associate of Science degree in Radiologic Technology, she worked at Earl K. Long Medical Center. She volunteered her time as a clinical instructor to FranU students rotating through the facility.
When a job opportunity in the Radiologic Technology Program at FranU became available in 2012, the students wholeheartedly asked to consider hiring Goncalves as a faculty member and were thrilled that she agreed to come back to teach at her alma mater.
As an instructor, she incorporates prayer before tests and a Scripture of the week for the students to reflect on. There is also weekly journal assignments that encourages her students to share their concerns, goals or ways to improve as a clinician.
Distinguished Alumni Award
Sisters Marlene Robichaux Colter, Class of 1961 and Margaret Robichaux Rome Class of 1962, received the Distinguished Alumni Award. Both attended Our Lady of the Lake School of Nursing and enjoyed their time as nursing students living and learning in Bethany Hall next to OLOL Hospital overlooking Capital Lake.
After graduation, Colter worked as an OB/GYN nurse at OLOL Hospital. For most of her career, she served as an occupational health nurse at Borden Chemical and Plastics. Eager to teach, she took on busy positions at the Safety Council of Baton Rouge, Woman’s Hospital, and ITI Technical College later in her career.
Rome was part of the first nursing class to be enrolled in a 27-month program. Her early nursing career at Our Lady of the Lake included staff nursing in many different units: Gynecologic Surgery, Coronary Care, Emergency Care and Recovery Room. Eventually, she assumed the hospital’s blood donor coordinator role, where she was instrumental in converting the blood donor program from a pay model to a 100% voluntary donor program.
Franciscan Impact Award
Dr. Redfield E. Bryan received the Franciscan Impact Award. He has been a board-certified Urologist since 1971 and has practiced medicine in Baton Rouge for 30 years. He retired as an instructor in the Department of Urology at LSU Medical School in 1997. Bryan is a 1962 graduate of LSU School of Medicine. He held his internship at Charity Hospital in New Orleans for one year and completed residency training at Charity Hospital in New Orleans from 1963-1967.
Through his many years of engagement in the University and the Franciscan Missionaries of Our Lady Health System community, Bryan demonstrates the Franciscan core values. He has served to support the mission of both the healthcare and educational ministries of the Franciscan Missionaries of Our Lady.
Bryan was inducted into the 1985 LSU Hall of Distinction and also received Catholic High School’s Golden Grizzly Award.