Leonville Elementary School teacher Katelyn LeBlanc died in a car crash on I-49 in St. Landry Parish on Sunday. The school confirmed her passing in a Facebook post that read, “She loved her students wholeheartedly and poured herself into helping them learn, grow, and feel valued each day.” One of her former students, Andre Champagne, said she was a pure soul.
“She taught me English as a sophomore, and she was just known for having such a kind heart,” Champagne said. “She always made sure that her students were okay, even outside of the classroom.”
Champagne said LeBlanc was a beloved mentor in the tight-knit Leonville community. He said she made students look forward to coming to class each day.
“She probably welcomed so many students into her classroom, and she was such a trusted person that you could go to,” he said. “And now a lot of kids won’t have that same resource.”
Champagne says LeBlanc’s guidance as an English teacher helped him become a professional sportswriter. More importantly, though, he says she taught her students life lessons like patience and prepared them for life beyond the classroom.
“She just taught us, ‘hey, life is going to throw you a lot of things and you’re just going to have to respond to it,’ and that really stuck with me,” Champagne said.
LeBlanc’s four daughters attend Leonville Elementary.