There are many ways to describe Renada Broussard — first-generation college student, drummer, band and marketing manager, dance teacher, daughter, sister, mother.
But it’s the last three that mean the most to her.
Family is everything for Broussard. They are the network that supports her, the role models who inspire her, and the motivators who keep her moving forward.
In late 2020, when Broussard was ready to build on her associate degree in business, the COVID-19 pandemic was still severely impacting day-to-day life.
She looked to online degree options for a way to balance earning her bachelor’s with being a full-time mother to her young daughter Arianna.
“I was trying to find a way I could stay with my daughter and still get my degree as well as do my work with our family band and businesses,” says Broussard. “I needed the flexibility that online programs afforded me.”
With a clear vision of what she wanted, Broussard recognized it when she found it.
“I did a lot of research online. I knew what I was wanting to do, and UL Lafayette matched up what I needed,” she says. “The University was one of the highly ranked business online programs for the bachelor’s degree.”
And so, with support and encouragement from her family at every step, Broussard started classes to earn her BSBA in Management online and finished in under two years, graduating in Fall 2022.
Dedicated, Motivated, and Focused
Broussard says she was uniquely prepared for online learning from her educational background.
Her parents, Gerald Sr. and Lisa Broussard, had opted to homeschool her through the Abeka Academy program for her primary education.
“I think that's why online was a good fit for me, because I was homeschooled,” she says.
Still, the autonomy and responsibility of online learning at the university level challenged her to grow.
“You have to be dedicated, motivated, and focused,” she says.
“I think 100% online kind of prepares you for the real world. It prepares you for work because you have to learn how to make a schedule, and you have to learn how are you going to execute this assignment.”
To keep herself accountable, Broussard would read over the syllabus on the first day of each class and make a checklist with earlier deadlines than necessary.
“Something that’s due the 27th, I want to execute it by the 25th, that way it gives me a little time,” she says. “It’s going to push me to do it instead of procrastinating.”
Dr. Ronald Cheek’s Management 445 class especially stood out for Broussard.
“He gave us the information we needed, made the assignments fun, and gave us direction,” she says. “He gave us the tools we needed to do well. Not too much. Not too little. He gave us just enough.”
Among Broussard’s top motivations in the management program online was the chance to learn the complexities of effective quality management.
“The instructors make it so you can see what goes into being a good boss,” she says. “From learning personalities and how to communicate as a leader, there’s so many steps and building blocks.”
The first big chance Broussard got to test her leadership and management abilities came when she spearheaded a 2022 summer camp at Acadian Village.
"I put the whole presentation together, I was making sure everyone was taken care of, making sure all the events were held on time," says Broussard.
The camp, , which translates to "The Summer of Cajun Music," focused on Cajun music and Cajun history.
Cajun arts and culture, it runs very deep with my family, she says.
So deep, in fact, that her family’s Cajun band worked with the summer camp as well.
The family — including 5-year-old Arianna — performs together as Gerald Broussard Jr., the Cajun Cowboy & the Stirrups, with younger brother Gerald Jr., out front with his accordion, Gerald Sr., on steel guitar, Lisa on bass, and Broussard on drums, as well as serving as band marketing manager.
“We play around the Acadiana area and East Texas; we play lots of benefits. My parents always taught us the importance of giving back to the community,” says Broussard.
While Broussard essentially wanted her degree to improve the quality of opportunities she can access in her career, she also hopes it fortifies her ability to represent her family’s band in unique spaces.
“As a woman in business, I was motivated to earn my bachelor’s degree to have a more solid standing in the business world,” she says.
Celebrating Together
As a first-generation college graduate, Broussard made a big splash with inductions into two honor societies, Phi Kappa Phi and Tri-Alpha, and an Outstanding Graduate nomination through the B.I. Moody III College of Business Administration.
But it was celebrating with her family at the Tri-Alpha cording ceremony that brought into focus all she had accomplished.
“My mom, my dad, my brother, and my daughter were watching me receive my cords and it started to sink in, like ‘I did it!’ Something I’ve always wanted to accomplish,” she says.
“I wish I could put all their names on my degree,” she says. “Without them, I could not have done this. They always believed in me and pushed me and lifted me up.”
Broussard is committed to ensuring the same for her daughter.
“There was a moment I took my cord off and I put it on my daughter, because she is the reason I’m doing this. I want her to know that she can do anything she puts her mind to. Anything is possible.”