LAFAYETTE, La. (KLFY) — A husband and wife duo at the Lafayette Parish Career Center have been honored as Teacher of the Year and Support Person of the Year, respectively.

Randy Demette, an automotive instructor, and his wife Karen Demette, an attendance clerk, were surprised by their colleagues with these prestigious recognitions.

“This is where I got my start,” Randy Demette said “I’m teaching in a shop that I was taught in and after spending 35 years as a technician, I’m back here teaching.”

Karen Demette expressed her gratitude, saying, “It was a huge surprise. It was not expected and it was very much appreciated.”

Randy Demette has been teaching at the career center for nine years, following a 35-year career as a technician. He emphasized the importance of building relationships with his students, many of whom come from challenging backgrounds.

“Some of these kids come from backgrounds that aren’t the best,” Randy said. “It’s wonderful to be there for them, to have a class they really enjoy coming to, and they know that if they have a problem, they can talk to me.”

Karen Demette, who has been at the career center for nearly a year, previously worked at Prairie Elementary. She highlighted the importance of communication and love in both her work and her 30-year marriage.

“Communication is the key. Love is the key,” Karen shared. “He’s the one who encouraged me to come over here.”

Student Sebastian Sonnier praised Randy Demette, saying, “Really he’s a great teacher. He gives me great advice. Helps us work on our own vehicles so I’m really happy he’s Teacher of the Year.”

The recognition of Randy and Karen Demette highlights the impact they have had on their students and colleagues at the Lafayette Parish Career Center. Their dedication to education and support has clearly resonated with the community.

All facts in this report were gathered by journalists employed by KLFY. Artificial intelligence tools were used to reformat from a broadcast script into a news article for our website. This report was edited and fact-checked by KLFY staff before being published.

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