LSMSA was the best decision I ever made in my life. I came from a small town, small school, where my perfect scores and mastery of standardized testing bored me to tears. LSMSA gave me an environment filled with new expectations, new challenges, and healthy intellectual competition. Also, the classes taken at LSMSA can be articulated into college courses, so not only does it prepare you for college life, it can give you a head start on your college education! LSMSA also gives you a new family, people you will be close to for a lifetime. It builds connections, because it's an instant friendship if you run into any other alumni from the school.
I attended LSMSA and it changed my life. It may sound dramatic...it is! Though I, unlike some of my classmates, had attended a private school all of my life, including the first 2 years of high school, LSMSA opened up a new world for me. I was able to truly learn how to study, how to be independent, to develop my talents and intellect. When an individual is surrounded by other individuals who strive to be their best on a daily basis, it stands to reason that that individual will raise the bar for themselves, thus creating a highly motivated and successful environment in which to strive. LSMSA provides THAT kind of an environment. The faculty and staff are a group of the most accomlished educators and they work hard to ensure the success of those students who wish to be successful. Because I was often considered an outsider/"teacher's pet" in the schools I had attended prior to LSMSA because of the fact that I was a student who did well, I thrived at LSMSA because I was surrounded by some of the most brilliant students in the state of Louisiana. It actually felt GREAT to no longer be on top and to have to WORK to get there. There are so many criteria that must be met to be eligible to attend LSMSA and so many programs offered at the school to hone students' abilities - both intellectually and creatively - it is a hidden treasure. LSMSA deserves every dollar of support and, in my opinion, a TON more, to continue this legacy of turning out some of the most intelligent, most talented, and well-rounded students in the state of Louisiana who then bring those talents elsewhere in the state and the world. The only thing that could possibly make LSMSA better is additional funding to allow the school to offer even more specialized programs and attract even more faculty talent.
La. School was one of the best descisions I ever made. I am from a small town where girls were meant to marry young, stay primped and keep track of a pack of kids. At La. School I was given the opportunity to not only pursue math and science, but to immerse myself in the joys of art, music and theatre. Louisiana is a very old fashioned state and the La. School gives its students the chance to bloom and be ready for the world.
Louisiana School for Math, Science and the Arts is a wonderful school that nurtures creativity. I had a wonderful and beneficial two year experience at LSMSA and only wish it was a four year program.
I am a donor and alum of LSMSA. They are truly a one-of-a-kind school in our nation. If only there were more schools like this one. LSMSA fosters not only a high level of creativity, but they also nurture those students who have a strong proclivity for math and science. It is an extremely well-rounded school and challenges the best and the brightest to go as far as their aspirations may take them. If students complete all levels of a certain subject matter, they are allowed to take college courses at the neighboring NSU campus. The faculty is very involved with helping students in reaching their academic and creative goals. I remember the evening tutoring sessions available to all students. I was an actress at LSMSA. I got to perform as the leading role in several productions as well as sing and dance in the jazz ensemble. LSMSA helped me get theatre scholarships to college and today, I am a director in San Francisco, directing plays. Please fund LSMSA. The students there will be your future. When I went back for my 20th reunion, folks came from as far away as England to attend!
LSMSA is a gem! The foundation provides INVALUABLE support to the best and brightest youth in the state of Louisiana. After graduation, wherever these students go, they bring a rare combination of creativity, rationality, and intelligence. As a student, LSMSA offered me a formal introduction to dance and I loved performing for the first time ever as part of the Spring Ensemble Concert. Also, the school helped me develop photography skills through dark-room access. Involvement in the media club and was one of the best opportunities I have ever had to be able to use the tools that are so necessary to be an artist. As an alumni, I frequently attend student art showcases and am constantly amazed at the high caliber of work that LSMSA students are able to produce. This is so not only because they are achievers themselves, but because they are given the guidance, nurturing, and tools that they need. LSMSA Foundation is a GREAT non-profit!!!
I was able to take higher level arts classes than I would be able to in a traditional school environment. This school allowed me to discover my passion.
Great school with great opportunities in both the arts and math/sciences. Because of the foundation LSMSA gave me, I completed my BS with multiple honors and am now almost done with my DVM.
All I can say is WOW!!!! Without LSMSA I don't know where I would have been. I was bored at my local school and needed that extra push that LSMSA provided. Plus, when I went to college, it was like I was a sophomore. The process of leaving home was laready two years behind me and I was able to focus on my matriculation. Again, WOW!! I am already planning my 4 and 2 year olds for an experience like it. I also have friends who are mother's of children ready for such a school and always provide them with the needed positive feedback to move forward with their decisions. Thanks MOM and DAD for letting me go. I'll never be able to repay them for that tough decision.
The Louisiana School caters to students pursuing every interest imaginable, from modern physics to sculpture. The unique atmosphere allows young academics to have a chance to further their knowledge in subjects that are VERY different from one another. At other high schools, a student interested in the arts and science would have to choose one or the other, but the Louisiana School allows us to continue with both. While I attended LSMSA, I was able to specialize in advanced biology courses while pursuing a love of black and white photography ( I got to work in a REAL photo lab, developing and printing my own works). No other place in the state would allow me to enjoy both. ANYONE wishing to have a quality education, whether you have narrowed your studies to a specific field or if you wish to sample many subjects, should consider the Louisiana School. It has been the most rewarding experience of my entire life.
I am a parent of three Louisiana School for Math Science and the Arts (LSMSA) graduates and I have volunteered for the school for the past 13 years. I can honestly say LSMSA has been a significant reason for the successes my children have had in college and life. They learned to live, think, and write independently and creatively. I have continued to volunteer for the school because I feel so strongly that it offer the best education anywhere and requires all the support I can give.
I am a graduate of LSMSA and now volunteer through the Alumni Association. LSMSA enriched my life in many ways when I was a student, and the connections and lessons continue to be a significant part of my life 21 years after my graduation. I was not an arts major and honestly don't have any artistic talent. However, the arts program at LSMSA gave me a foundation for more informed appreciation of the arts. The artistic environment helped me think more creatively. I was also exposed to people who have gifts and world viewpoints that are different from mine. It's amazing to consider that 21 years later, some of those same people are still challenging me to grow beyond my comfort zone.
As a parent of a graduate of LSMSA, I have nothing but the highest accolades for the quality of education my daughter received. Her talent in dance was enhanced far more than I ever expected. She left with a much broader view of the world. She was well prepared for the university programs both in academics and in dance. While dance is not her career it continues to nurture her soul. LSMSA is responsible for laying that foundation. I can't encourage others enough to take advantage of the opportunity to attend.
Attending LSMSA changed the course of my life. The faculty and coursework compelled me to think more broadly, more critically, and more creatively. The challenging education the school provided and the sterling reputation it boasts helped me, and thousands of others like me, forge a fulfilling and successful future that likely would have otherwise been out of reach.
This high school offers opportunities to its students that simply cannot be obtained anywhere else in the state. The staff is excellent and the standards are higher even than many students will face at university.
Chemistry for the visual arts. How can you not love a school that offers a chemistry class where you learn about acidity through art preservation and get to make your own pigments? Or how about a class in which you learn where history and art collide? Leonardo da Vinci painting The Last Supper some time around when Columbus is setting sail for the Americas. Nothing sticks with you more than making connections like that. Or how about having not just a one period art class, but having sculpture, painting, printmaking and drawing? These were all the classes I had at the Louisiana School for Math Science and the Arts. I don't know what's a better testament to how well the school provided a solid arts education: the fact that I remember so many lessons 23 years later or that 23 years later, I am still a working artist.
In 1995, I left a "Performing Arts Magnet School" to attend LSMSA. LSMSA offered so many more artistic opportunities! I was able to take private voice lessons while also studying theatre and ballet - which I could not have done at my previous school, and the instruction was all first-rate. I went on to earn a BM in vocal performance and am now a professional musician. LSMSA was a great stepping stone along that path.
I was in the first graduating class of The Louisiana School for Math, Science, and the Arts. LSMSA provided me with educational experiences that simply weren't available in my hometown. Students are held to high academic standards in college-preparatory curriculum and encouraged to develop their skills in their artistic and academic interests.
Choosing to attend LSMSA was the best decision I ever made. The faculty/staff care about you as a person--not just a test score. I found my passions in life there and met my lifelong friends. I grew as an individual and discovered things about myself that make me the person I am now. I can't imagine my life without that school.
Louisiana School provides a great opportunity for students throughout the state who would not otherwise have any opportunity to explore the arts or develop their talents. Louisiana School has been able to create an environment uniquely suited to its role within the state of providing largely underprivileged gifted and talented students with the education they deserve. Were it not for Louisiana School, not only would my high school education have been very different, but my life path overall. Though I've studied many places all over the country and all over the world, Louisiana School remains one of the most perfect educational experiences I've ever had. Bottom line: It's wonderful!
I graduated from Louisiana School in 1995. The two years I spent there changed my life, all for the better. I found my voice, my social circle and most importantly (and unexpectedly) my career. I took a technical theatre class on a whim and am now a Tour Manager for the Radio City Christmas Spectacular. The arts program at LSMSA is fantastic and I credit my experience there to the many incredible life opportunities I've had over the years.