The monotony of PowerPoints and textbook assignments can make class hard to stay engaged. To keep students involved, marketing professor Joyce Zhou invited the West Monroe Main Street Director Adrienne LaFrance-Wells to give students a hands-on learning experience.

LaFrance-Wells is an alumna of ULM and she shared about her experience revamping downtown Monroe. She also shared with students about local events they have coming up and encouraged them to get involved beyond the campus. 

“Anything that we can do to encourage ULM students to come downtown and experience what we have to offer is a good thing,” LaFrance-Wells said. 

West Monroe and Monroe recently unveiled their main street plans that will offer new restaurants, concert centers and a marina on the Ouachita River. 

LaFrance-Wells is the first visitor that Professor Zhou plans to have come to her class. She expressed that giving students a real look at people doing work in the community encourage them to keep going in their marketing studies. 

“The more they know more about the community, the more likely they want to help out with offering suggestions and putting their ideas into action,” Zhou said. “I am grateful that many community friends like Adrienne are willing to work with us on projects and open up opportunities for our students.”

The students enjoyed the hands-on learning experience and learned a lot about the opportunities the Twin Cities have to offer them. 

Sophomore marketing major Madison Jones said, “[LaFrance-Wells] described how there are so many events in the community to attend and how you could see her true passion for her job, which I strive to have after college.”

Visits like this from community members show students a pathway for them in the world after college and give them ways to get connected to their community.