This year’s Cornerstone Scholarship Banquet was held on June 5 at the River Parishes Community College United Way of St. Charles Campus.
This year’s Cornerstone Scholarship Banquet was held on June 5 at the River Parishes Community College United Way of St. Charles Campus.
This article is brought to you by Cornerstone Chemical Company, LLC.
Cornerstone Chemical Company, LLC celebrated the power of education and the promise of the next generation at its annual Cornerstone Scholarship Banquet on June 5, reaffirming its deep commitment to community development and workforce readiness across Jefferson Parish.
The banquet, held to honor recipients of the 2025 Cornerstone Scholarship Program and Louisiana Youth Seminar Sponsorships, showcased the company’s strong belief that investing in students is key to strengthening the region’s future.
“There are 47,000 children in Jefferson Parish, and we’re honoring you,” said Jefferson Parish School Board Member Derrick Shepherd in his remarks to students. “Be kind, be present, and be grateful.”
Jacques Byrd, Cornerstone Vice President of Site Development told recipients, “We need you because as we continue to grow and develop our facilities, we need people like you to stay at home or come back home and be a part of our Cornerstone family.”
The evening highlighted the stories of exceptional students who have demonstrated academic success, leadership potential, and a desire to make a difference through science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) careers.
Each year, Cornerstone’s scholarship initiative awards $1,000 one-time scholarships to 10 eligible local students pursuing STEM degrees at accredited universities or community colleges. The program is open to graduating high school seniors and current college or graduate students. Some scholarships are reserved for applicants who are children of Cornerstone employees, and other scholarships are awarded to applicants from nearby communities such as Waggaman, Kennedy Heights in Avondale, and Old Kenner.
“For me, after financial aid and my academic scholarships through Southeastern, this $1,000 was the last that I needed for my college to be completely paid for,” said Madison Avery, a Nursing major at Southeastern University and one of this year’s recipients.
“Tuition is definitely the most expensive part of my schooling, and the Cornerstone Scholarship will cover a decent chunk of my tuition,” added Ethan Pittari, a pre-pharmacy major at the University of Louisiana at Monroe.
Sisters Ella and Mia Guillot, both majoring in toxicology at the University of Louisiana at Monroe, expressed similar gratitude.
“With the money that I’ve received from Cornerstone and the scholarships I’ve received from other sources, I’ll be graduating debt free,” said Ella, Class of 2026. Mia, Class of 2027, added, “The scholarship is going straight to my tuition. I’ll be graduating debt free also.”
In addition to the STEM scholarships, Cornerstone supports local high school students through its sponsorship of three attendees to the Louisiana Youth Seminar, a week-long summer program focused on leadership development.
This seminar equips students with key skills such as effective communication, goal setting, problem-solving, and team building. By sponsoring participation, Cornerstone ensures that more students have access to these career-shaping extracurricular experiences, regardless of financial limitations.
“I’m really excited for this opportunity. It’s really big, and I’m eager to grow with any opportunity,” said Louisiana Youth Seminar Sponsorship recipient Emily Montufar, an upcoming senior at Joseph A. Cullier Career Center studying cosmetology.
Cornerstone believes that leadership development is critical to long-term success for both individuals and their communities. The company’s commitment to provide support for students wishing to attend the yearly summer seminar is one way it cultivates a future workforce prepared to lead in both professional and civic arenas.
The 2025 recipients of the Cornerstone Scholarship Program are Madison Avery, Jose Carmona III, Avery Folse, Aimee Guillory, Ella Guillot, Mia Guillot, Ethan Pittari, Nadia Powell, Joshua Nguyen and Madilyn Sanderson.
The Louisiana Youth Seminar Sponsorship recipients are Evan Comeaux, Emily Montufar and Cotton Stewart.
Cornerstone Scholarship Program recipients are anonymously selected by a panel of local community leaders. Louisiana Youth Seminar Sponsorship recipients are selected by leadership at their respective schools.
Applications for the 2026 scholarship cycle will open in January. With each new class of recipients, Cornerstone continues to build bridges between education, leadership, and the future of Jefferson Parish’s workforce.
To learn more about Cornerstone’s community initiatives, visit www.cornerstonechemco.com.
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