Letessie Pierre’s journey across the graduation stage began with a single, life-changing step, deciding what she wanted to do with her life.
“I remember spending my time in the dialysis center, wanting this, wanting to complete my education. I wanted to attend college and pursue a Bachelor of Social Work to assist dialysis patients.”
Letessie, who is from Sunset, had been on dialysis for five years and needed a new kidney. In December of 2018, it finally happened. She received a kidney transplant from an unknown living donor; it was a huge step forward in her journey. The kidney transplant allowed Letessie a second chance at a better life.
“I had spent so long waiting, just surviving day by day, that I had to change my mindset once this miracle happened. My focus had been on my family, my two children, but now I had my entire life ahead of me.”
She wasted no time bringing her future into focus. Letessie enrolled in South Louisiana Community College from her hospital bed in New Orleans while recovering from her transplant. Just over a month later she was in class. The road was not easy, but Letessie had her goals and dreams in mind, and with the help of the SLCC community, she made it happen.
“There were setbacks. One day in class, I received bad news that my body was beginning to reject my new kidney. I was ready to give up, but I reached out to my Math 83 instructor, Mrs. Marlie Guillotte, for advice. She encouraged me and worked with me to complete all missed tests and assignments.”
That kind of support was exactly what Letessie needed. She found further support from SLCC’s Center for Minority Excellence and credits Kelita Johnson for providing one-on-one guidance.
“Ms. Kelita accompanied me to the appointment and set up math tutoring. With the assistance of my instructor and tutoring, I passed my first semester at SLCC with a 3.0 grade point average!”
Letessie has big plans for her future after graduation. She’s thankful for the critical first step in her education journey that SLCC provided.
“I needed a smaller environment to thrive, and God led me here. He had a plan for me, and I just had to listen. The atmosphere and the encouragement I found at SLCC got me where I am today.”
Letessie was chosen to share her story as the student speaker during SLCC’s Fall Graduation Ceremony on December 15, 2022. She will be transferring to LSU Alexandria in the Spring of 2023 to pursue a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology.
“I will become a social worker and my dream is to work with patients who are facing the same odds that I was once facing. I made it from there to here and I’ll help them do the same.”
Story by Leah Richard, Content Marketing Specialist at SLCC