Amanda McElfresh

amcelfresh@theadvertiser.com

Lafayette High students, faculty and alumni are mourning the sudden death of longtime teacher Alicia Gauthier.

Gauthier, 50, died Monday after becoming ill during one of her classes. She taught American history and biology and was a teacher in the school's gifted program.

Gauthier spent 28 years with the Lafayette Parish School System, and had taught for the past 15 years at Lafayette High.

"Her dedication and commitment was felt by all here at our school," Lafayette High Principal Patrick Leonard said in a statement. "She was a very talented teacher and her students always came first."

Rodolfo Espinoza, who worked closely with Gauthier as her department head, said counselors met with students and staff throughout the day Tuesday in the school library.

"It's a sad day," Espinoza said. "You lose a friend and colleague and one that was so good at what she did and well-respected by everybody, well-liked by everybody. I never had a cross word with her in 15 years. She was passionate about the responsibility to her students."

Espinoza said Gauthier was also never afraid to speak her mind about academic issues or school governance, often beginning her comments with the phrase "Maybe it's just me, but...."

"You would really hardly ever talk to her without her speaking out and being passionate about just having a desire for a common sense approach to running schools," Espinoza said. "That was really a constant with her."

Gauthier also formed long-time bonds with several of her students, including Aundrietta Broussard, who graduated from Lafayette High in 2004. Broussard said Gauthier taught her American history, biology and world history, and was also her homeroom teacher for several years. The two remained close, and Gauthier even attended Broussard's wedding about six months ago.

"She really cared about the student as a whole. She really took the time to understand us and what we needed in the classroom and what our goals were outside the classroom, or our future goals," Broussard said. "She taught us more than just history. She was really a mentor in how to be successful, how to be organized, how to be punctual, how to be an all-around good person. She was always on your side. She would always go to bat for you."

Even though Gauthier's classes could be challenging, Broussard said she never heard a student say anything bad about her.

"There's no student that has ever walked in to her classroom that doesn't have a fond memory of Ms. Gauthier to share," Broussard said. "Beyond being a great educator, she was just such a character. We were blessed to have the opportunity to learn from her."

Melinda Mangham, who taught with Gauthier for several years in Lafayette High's gifted program, said Gauthier had a knack for knowing when students needed extra support.

"She was really about developing the whole person, more than just the student in the desk. They knew that she was there for them," Mangham said. "Whatever the situation, she was so good about knowing about kids that really needed help and she would find the person to help them. She just had that little extra something that's more than just the words in the textbook."

Mangham said she received an email Tuesday from one of her former students who was so struck by Gauthier's passing that she wanted to tell Mangham about the influence she had on the student's life.

"I think that's kind of Alicia's gift to us, that some of us are receiving those kind of comments because of her," Mangham said. "I've had a couple of students call me and say they wanted to do something at the school for her. They want something that says she made a difference in my education."

Funeral arrangements are pending at Martin and Castille Funeral Home.