BATON ROUGE — A day after scoring 29 points to lead LSU to a 78-41 win at Alabama, senior preseason All-American guard Allison Hightower and members of the Lady Tiger basketball team visited East Baton Rouge Parish schools on Monday as part of the team’s season-long “Grades, Perseverance and Education” (GPA) program that honors education.
The GPA program was established as a partnership between LSU women’s basketball and the East Baton Rouge Parish School System last summer. The inaugural “GPA Game” will be played at 1 p.m. CT Sunday when No. 19 LSU hosts Ole Miss in the Pete Maravich Assembly Center.
The first 1,000 fans in attendance will receive “Geaux Tigers” roll banners compliments of Verizon Wireless. During timeouts of Sunday’s contest, East Baton Rouge Parish Schools’ Teachers of the Year, Principals of the Year and Students of the Year will be recognized.
The Zooperstars, a nationally known act, will perform at halftime. Sophomore forward Taylor Turnbow and junior guard Erica Williams sign autographs on the concourse following the game.
Bookmarks have been distributed to Baton Rouge schools for free admission. If a school has not received bookmarks, they can be obtained by contacting the LSU Marketing Office at 225-578-6884 or promotions@lsu.edu.
Tickets are on sale and cost $10 for lower and prime middle seating, $8 for middle seating, $6 for upper seating and $3 for youth tickets. Tickets can also be purchased online at LSUsports.net, by calling 1-800-960-TKTS or 225-578-2184 or in person at the LSU Athletics Ticket Office.
All 14 Lady Tiger student-athletes were adopted by schools in the East Baton Rouge Parish School System last fall. Each player has been speaking to students about the values of hard work and education, taking part in panel discussions, having question and answer periods with the students and taking part in special events at the schools since the fall.
Schools participating in the program include: Highland Elementary, LaSalle Elementary, Park Elementary, Parkview Oaks Elementary, University Terrace Elementary, Woodlawn Elementary, Banks Elementary, Progress Elementary, Claiborne Elementary, Brookstown Elementary, Winbourne Elementary, Scotlandville Elementary, Mayfair Middle School and Southeast Middle School.
“As I look at what an education did for me, I would want children to understand that regardless of your background, the one equalizer is an education,” LSU head coach Van Chancellor said. “With that you have an opportunity to go out and better yourself and improve your life. We always put an emphasis on athletics but athletics isn’t near as important as education and school is.”
Hightower, a 2010 National Player of the Year candidate, spent Monday afternoon in classrooms and the gymnasium at Southeast Middle School where she addressed students on the importance of hard work and getting an education.
“It’s a joy to be around kids and help them in any way possible,” Hightower said. “It has been fun to be a part of this program. To bring smiles to their faces, whether it’s signing an autograph or talking about staying in school, makes you happy to be a part of this.”
Principal Susan Kornuta from Woodlawn Elementary, which has adopted Katherine Graham and Principal Raquel Square from Scotlandville Elementary, which has adopted LaSondra Barrett, will be guests on “The Van Chancellor Show presented by Capital One Bank” at 7 p.m. CT Tuesday. Fans are invited to attend the one-hour show at Walk-On’s Bistreaux at the corner of Nicholson and Burbank Drive in Baton Rouge.
Graham spoke at Woodlawn Elementary on Monday.
“It’s great to get out in the community,” Graham said. “For kids to see us away from the court is important. We, like them, are students. We all are trying to get an education and succeed. I have loved meeting different kids at the school and how excited they get. They look up to us.”