(BATON ROUGE, LA) - The Louisiana Department of Education today named its 24 finalists for the 2026 Louisiana Students of the Year competition. The honorees include one 5th, 8th, and 12th grader from each of the state’s eight BESE regions. Finalists will convene this spring for an awards ceremony in Baton Rouge and the announcement of the Louisiana Students of the Year winners from each grade.
“Congratulations to each of our finalists, who represent the very best of Louisiana’s students through their hard work, leadership, and academic achievement,” said Louisiana State Superintendent of Education Dr. Cade Brumley. “Their success reflects the strong work happening in classrooms across our state, and we look forward to recognizing these students alongside their families and educators this spring.”
Finalists for 2026 Louisiana Students of the Year are:
Grade 5
Region 1: Brix Peyton LaFontaine | Little Oak Middle School | St. Tammany Parish
Region 2: Akshay Elangovan Parasuraman | St. Rose Elementary School | St. Charles Parish
Region 3: Luke Joseph Bourgeois | Lockport Upper Elementary School | Lafourche Parish
Region 4: Sanil Savita Thorat | Fairfield Magnet School | Caddo Parish
Region 5: Jake Elliott Creel | Drew Elementary School | Ouachita Parish
Region 6: Lani Danielle Traylor | Southeastern LA University Lab School | Tangipahoa Parish
Region 7: Catherine Jane Harrison | Western Heights Elementary School | Calcasieu Parish
Region 8: Landon John Fenroy | Teche Elementary School | St. Martin Parish
Grade 8
Region 1: Robert Elton Ryals IV | Fontainebleau Junior High School | St. Tammany Parish
Region 2: Arivan Subramanian | Patrick F. Taylor Science & Technology Academy | Jefferson Parish
Region 3: Jaxon Christopher Arnold | Lockport Middle School | Lafourche Parish
Region 4: Khloe Morgan Kaufman | N.S.U. Middle Lab School | Natchitoches Parish
Region 5: Kaejha Mary-Anne Christine Stewart | A. E. Phillips Laboratory School | Lincoln Parish
Region 6: Olivia Yuyang Peng | Glasgow Middle School | East Baton Rouge Parish
Region 7: Caroline Jolie Harrison | S. P. Arnett Middle School | Calcasieu Parish
Region 8: Betsi Kate David | West Feliciana Middle School | West Feliciana Parish
Grade 12
Region 1: Beija Flor Lopes-Morgan | Mandeville High School | St. Tammany Parish
Region 2: Erron Javon Hickerson Jr. | St. James High School | St. James Parish
Region 3: William Henry Vyas | Houma Christian School
Region 4: Kang-Sahn Joshua Noh | Airline High School | Bossier Parish
Region 5: Melissa An Le | Ruston High School | Lincoln Parish
Region 6: Alex Cale Guillot | East Ascension High School | Ascension Parish
Region 7: Lincoln Trumps | Lafayette High School | Lafayette Parish
Region 8: Charles Andrew Fountain | University View Academy
In January, the LDOE named the 2026 regional honorees for Louisiana Students of the Year.
Students are selected based on criteria that measure academic achievement, leadership skills, character, and service to their schools and communities. Regional selection committees also use electronic portfolios of accomplishments, along with student writing samples and interviews to assess the communications and critical thinking skills of each candidate.
Finalists were selected among student of the year winners from schools across the state. All Louisiana schools were eligible to submit one candidate. Students compete with their peers at the school system level and may advance to the zone and regional competitions. Prior to selecting the three state winners, the state selection committee will conduct interviews and review a writing sample from each of the finalists as well as their portfolios.