School
Contributions of a Central High Graduate
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Submitted by Gwen Lambert
Two young parents, Gwen and Paul Lambert, were looking for a quality education for their pre-school girls, Kim Lambert-Cummings and Larissia Gail Lambert. All roads pointed to Central and both were enrolled in Starkey Academy in 1985. The expense of private education taxed the income of this young couple, but like most parents they struggled to keep their daughters in a good school environment. Both of the children went from Starkey to Central Middle, to commencement from Central High School. Kim is now a substitute teacher in the Watson school district, where she resides with her husband and two fine children. Larissa, the subject of this article, has never left her lifelong home town.
Larissa entered JRROTC while in high school and earned a BA in Mass Communications from Southeastern in Hammond. Larissa had already enlisted in the Louisiana Air National Guard after graduation from Central High, thereby paying her way through school. She studied martial arts at Jackson Park at age six and is now a fourth degree Master teaching Central’s youth the discipline martial arts brings to a young mind. As a result of her efforts my autistic grandson, Brandon, is a black belt teacher, one of his students is my granddaughter, Rebekah, she has acquired the rank of red belt and will one day be a black belt as well.
Larissa trained with the 159th Tactical Fighter Wing in Belle Chase at the Joint Military training base. She is an Aerospace Propulsion Mechanic on Louisiana’s premier fighter aircraft the F15 Eagle. In addition, she found the time to attain a supervisory rating in the Air Guard’s Aerospace Communications program.
Larissa had not reached her full potential with these accomplishments. Lara’s dream, flying the F15 was not to be. Less than perfect vision took that dream away. Undaunted, Larissa applied for and was accepted to the Officer Training School at Maxwell AFB in Alabama, completing the required course of study, she was commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant in the Louisiana Guard on March 8, 2013, and her first salute was rendered by her proud, retired, enlisted Father.
Larissa’s story continues as she makes plans for study to attain her Master’s Degree to enhance her further advancement in the Louisiana Air Guard.
Larissa is now assigned to the 159th Force Support Squadron, Operational Readiness Officer. Larissa was called to active duty for the 9/11 Twin Tower attack, during hurricanes Katrina and Rita, and has been assigned to the Governor’s Office of Emergency Preparedness and Homeland Security. She has served in this capacity under two governors.
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