Home Care In Princeton, LA

April 23, 2024 at 9:55 pm CDT

PRINCETON – The La Salle-Peru girls soccer team likes to share the wealth when it comes to scoring goals.

That was their ticket to success Tuesday evening at Bryant Field in Princeton. Five players scored in a 6-1 nonconference win over the host Tigresses.

“I’m proud the way my team has been playing, making combination plays. And proud seeing different girls score goals, which is a pleasure to see,” L-P coach Christen Pappas said. “We don’t want one girl out scoring goals. I think we are an unselfish group. They work hard. They work unselfishly from end to end.

“Yesterday we scored eight goals against Ottawa. Tonight it was six. Tomorrow we’re going to hopefully keep this ball rolling.”

Abigal Poole led the Cavaliers (9-6-1) with two goals, and Nica Hein, Vicky Tejada, Litzy Lopez and Danice Scoma added one each.

Center mids Lopez, a senior captain, and Vicky Tejada, a sophomore, like the team game the Cavs are playing and said it makes them a better team.

“I just love how we all connect and understand each other and support each other,” Tejada said. “Unlike other teams when they scream at each other when they can’t do something right. For us, we support each other and accept our mistakes and get better. I really like that. It makes it more fun.”

“Every game is something new,” Lopez said. “I feel like we all have our turn scoring, and it’s nice that it’s not just one player. It’s a team effort.”

Lopez’s goal came late in the first half to give the Cavs a 5-1 lead.

“It felt good,” she said. “I saw the opportunity, and I just took it. I was hoping for the best.”

Scoma, who also had two assists, capped the scoring with a goal with 12:03 left in the second half.

Freshman Olivia Sandoval scored Princeton’s lone goal of the night in the first half.

Princeton coach David Gray, whose team fell to 5-10-2, was much more pleased with the Tigresses’ second-half play than their first.

“We made some tactical adjustments, which helped defensively,” he said. “I think we also did a better job holding the ball up front in midfield. A little possession can relieve some pressure, too.

“I think we responded from the first half disappointment and gave them a little better stuff in the second half. I think you go home feeling a little better about your performance when you can respond and give them a match, for sure.”

Gray said the Tigresses’ lack of converting their chances, as it did in a 0-0 tie Monday at DePue, hurt them again.

“I think we had a lot of times we got behind their defense and then we find the goalie or we miss-kick and it goes out,” he said. “That’s something we need to work on, because I think we got behind them a lot tonight. We created a lot of those opportunities to get on goal, but we just don’t have that finishing quality right now.”

Pappas said the Cavaliers are adjusting well to their new 3-5-2 lineup, which she said can be difficult.

“It’s because I trust my defenders so much. They work hard. They don’t stop,” she said. “They’re getting more comfortable protecting the middle more and letting outsides be, which is a tough way to play, but it creates discipline within each player.”

Ramón Martínez de la Guardia serves as the current Ambassador of the Republic of Panama to the United States of America since June 2022.

In his role as Ambassador, Mr. Martínez has focused on strengthening the bilateral relationship between the United States and Panama, advocating for stronger commercial, political, and cultural ties between both nations. As a result of his leadership, Panama was selected to be one of the seven countries that the United States will partner with to build a more resilient, secure, and sustainable global semiconductor value chain under the CHIPS Act of 2022.

As a distinguished member of the Bloomberg New Economy Trade Council from 2021 to 2022, he coordinated a unique alliance that enabled Panama to host the inaugural Bloomberg New Economy Gateway event in Latin America. The program centered on Latin America’s economic future, with a particular focus on broken supply chains and the lingering effects of the pandemic.

Prior to his appointment as Ambassador, Mr. Martínez served as the Minister of Commerce and Industry of Panama since July 2019. In this capacity, he met his counterparts and executives from several countries in different regions of the world, particularly Latin America. He actively promoted the development of strategic industries, expanded local and international trade, and concentrated on the attraction of foreign direct investments.

With a dedicated focus on empowering Panamanian citizens, Mr. Martínez created a Commercial Intelligence Office within the Ministry to provide resources for his exporters to uncover opportunities and benefits within treaties, free of charge. Similarly, he inaugurated the “National Program of Industrial Competitiveness” with its first project aimed at enhancing the capacities of numerous small agro-industrial businesses in different provinces of Panama. His term is marked by his creation of 7 new Free Trade Zones and the establishment of 51 new multinational companies in Panama.

Mr. Martínez played a pivotal role in reactivating the economic resurgence of Panama amidst the Covid-19 Pandemic. This impact was notably realized through the ratification of Free Trade Agreements with three key allies: United Kingdom, South Korea, and Israel. During his term, he also developed a Special Regime for the Establishment and Operation of Multinational Enterprises that Render Manufacturing Services (EMMA). This innovative framework was created to propel Panama as the ultimate destination for nearshoring.

With a strong academic foundation, Mr. Martinez earned his Law and Political Science Degree from the Santa María la Antigua Catholic University in Panama, followed by a Master of Business Law from the University of Minnesota Law School. His educational pursuits continued as he completed a Master of Business Administration from ADEN Business School and EUNCET Business School of Barcelona. As a distinguished lawyer with over 18 years of expertise in Commercial and Corporate Law, Mr. Martínez has guided countless national and international companies spanning an ample commercial portfolio. He was counsel of an important commercial and financial group in Panama, and his practice has primarily targeted retail trade, wholesale trade, representation of global brands, special economic regimes, real estate.

Ambassador Ramón Martínez de la Guardia currently lives in Washington D.C. with his wife, María Alejandra Cargiulo, and their two children.

March 19, 2024 at 8:49 pm CDT

PRINCETON – La Salle-Peru softball coach Randy Huebbe had been treating sophomore ace Taylor Vescogni with kid gloves coming off tendinitis in her shoulder.

Those gloves came off Tuesday.

Vescogni went the distance, pitching out of a bases-loaded, one-out jam to preserve a 7-4 win over host Princeton at Little Siberia Field.

She allowed four hits and four walks while striking out nine. It was the first game Vescogni, who did her day’s work on 70 pitches, was given the clearance to throw her curveball.

“I didn’t come out the strongest as usually I have been, but I thought I made my way through the game and I worked through it,” Vescogni said.

In the seventh inning, “I just had to really focus in and focus on every pitch and every pitch mattered,” Vescogni said.

“I just had to really focus in and focus on every pitch and every pitch mattered.”

The Cavs staked Vescogni to a three-run lead with two runs in the top of the sixth inning. Sophomore Brie Ruppert, who was just cleared to play coming off a concussion, smacked an opposite-field, leadoff home run. Karmen Piano followed her path for an RBI double to make it 7-4.

“I’m super proud of her,” Vescogni said of Ruppert. “We really made adjustments in the game, hitting the pitch where it was pitched, and we got some nice contact and scored runs when we needed to.”

Vescogni retired six straight heading into the bottom of the seventh and retired the first batter, freshman Kyrra Morris, on a groundout to third.

Then things got a little more interesting. Slap-hitter Caroline Keutzer reached on a two-base throwing error. Makayla Hecht was hit by a pitch, and Keely Lawson walked for the third time to load the bases.

Vescogni got freshman cleanup hitter/pitcher Avah Oertel to hit sharply to shortstop Ava Lambert, who fired to catcher Addie Duttlinger for the forceout on Keutzer at home for the second out of the inning.

“That was a big help saving that run,” Vescogni said.

Vescogni struck out the final batter to earn her third win of the season for the Cavs (3-1).

“I don’t know if she could have done it earlier in the game the way things were going. But she did find it, and that’s why I stuck with her because I could see her making the adjustments out there,” Huebbe said. “I told her I was proud of her the way she gutted it out. A lot of pitchers would have had their heads down, but she wasn’t. She’s just like, ‘Give me the ball,’ and I’m proud of her.

“Remember, she’s only a sophomore. She doesn’t look like a sophomore. She doesn’t act like a sophomore, but she’s only a sophomore. And she hits the heck out of it, too.”

With their bus still warm, Callie Mertes singled in L-P’s first run of the game and scored on a wild pitch to give the Cavs a quick 2-0 lead in the top of the first.

That lead didn’t last long as the Tigresses struck for two runs on no hits in the home half to tie the score at 2.

The Tigresses took a 3-2 lead without another hit in the third when Lawson drew a one-out walk, stole second and scored on a bunt by Oertel.

The Cavs came back with two runs in the fourth on a double by Lambert and a RBI single by Vescogni to go up 4-3.

Princeton got that run right back in the home half of the fourth to tie the game at 4. Ellie Harp singled to left, stole second, took third on a wild pitch and scored on Sam Woolley’s groundout to short.

Vescogni led the Cavs with a 3-for-4 game at the plate. Piano (RBI), Kelsey Frederick (RBI) and Ruppert (2 RBIs) each added two hits.

Izzy Gibson went 2 for 3 for Princeton, including a deep double to left in the second inning.

Despite the loss, their first after opening the season with two wins, Princeton coach Jhavon Hayes was pleased with her team’s play.

“I thought we played a pretty darn good game. We held our own, top to bottom,” she said. “We’re jelling as a team. Just had a couple miscues, but we’ll get that back. We were confident the whole game. They have each other’s backs. We have nothing to hang our heads about. It’s a good team and we played a great game.”

Huebbe was impressed on what he saw from across the field with the Tigresses.

“I want to give them credit. They came to play. We didn’t. Sometimes we don’t. They’ve got to understand that. People want to beat L-P and they’ve got to show up,” he said. “Thank God we got it figured out before the fifth inning.

“[Hayes] had them ready. She had them really ready. I think she’s doing a heck of a job.”

Have any La Vernia High School students left their hometown after graduation to study at an Ivy League institution?

Barrett Eddlemon is!

The 2023 La Vernia graduate will head to New Jersey June 16, to prepare to play football for Princeton University and attend the Princeton School of Public and International Affairs to study finance before pursuing a law degree.

“I’m interested in what goes into making the laws that solve our modern day problems, as well as how we can rewrite old policy to be relevant for today,” Barrett told the La Vernia News.

After earning accolades as a La Vernia Bear left tackle — three times All-Area Team, Academic All-State, 3-Star Football Recruit, San Antonio Sports All-Star, and more — Barrett didn’t lack offers from prestigious universities.

In addition to Princeton, the 18-year-old received offers from Harvard and Yale universities, the University of Houston, Baylor, Columbia, Dartmouth, the U.S. Air Force Academy, University of Pennsylvania, Howard and Fordham universities, the University of Texas at San Antonio, and others. He was particularly interested in Princeton, the University of Houston, UTSA, Harvard, and Yale.

His parents, Kevin and Michelle Eddlemon, both graduates of the University of Texas Health Sciences Center at San Antonio, weren’t surprised by the attention from recruiters, but it was hard to believe Barrett was being recruited by multiple Ivy League universities with extremely low acceptance rates, said his mom.

“We hoped Barrett would choose a school where he could play football, but most importantly graduate prepared to support himself while making a good living,” Michelle said.

What made Princeton his choice?

“Princeton is home away from home for me,” Barrett said. “The emphasis that is set on recruiting Texas kids out of state is second to none, and the people at the university are some of the best people you will ever meet.”

The offer to attend Princeton and play football came during a scheduled Zoom call with Princeton’s offensive line and recruiting coaches.

“I cried, but tried to hold back the tears … as I did not want to embarrass Barrett,” Michelle confessed. “These were tears of joy and pride for our son to have the opportunity to attend one of the top-ranked universities in the country. It was a dream becoming a reality for Barrett.”

While some of the other universities offered scholarships, this isn’t the case with Princeton. “Ivy Leagues do not offer scholarships,” Barrett said

He has, however, received a university grant, and Princeton has an extensive alumni network that “is passionate about giving back and assisting current students” with their needs, Barrett said. One way they do this is through paid internships, which cover most — if not all — of the cost of tuition. He plans to work in various internships while he studies, “to gain real-world knowledge, as well as to aid the cost of attendance.”

His parents will help, too.

“We told both of our sons that we have worked hard our entire lives and sacrificed throughout the years to save money for their education,” Michelle explained. “When Barrett was making his decision between ‘full-ride’ offers at state universities vs. Ivy Leagues, we told him to not factor the cost into his decision. We will continue to make sacrifices to support his decision to not take a ‘full-ride’ option.”

She’s hopeful the time management and critical thinking skills he’s cultivated while attending La Vernia High School — in addition to football, which he’d played since seventh grade, basketball, and baseball, Barrett participated in BPA (Business Professionals of America) and served as Area 3 president — will stand him in good stead, but his parents don’t expect his time at Princeton to be easy.

His mom also expects he’ll face some adjustments in New Jersey.

“No Whataburger locations in New Jersey, dirty laundry, and a clean room may be a challenge for him, too!” Michelle said. She also anticipates he’ll get a little homesick, and will miss his younger brother, Derrick, “as they have become very close in their older teen years.”

“Being away from my family and adjusting to life without them will be the biggest challenge for me,” Barrett confessed, adding, “My parents are my biggest role models; they have sacrificed everything to place me in the position I am [in] today. Without them I wouldn’t be anywhere near where I am today.”

Being from a small town like La Vernia doesn’t mean you can’t attain big dreams. Barrett’s mom hopes his achievement inspires other kids to aim high, too.

“We certainly hope Barrett’s decision inspires other local La Vernia kids to work hard, not just in athletics but in their school work too,” Michelle said. “Sacrificing some weekends and summer activities to attend skills camps can make a difference in how well the student athlete performs. Although most athletes aspire to make it into the professional circuit, the reality is that it is a very small proportion of athletes [who] make it that far; never lose sight of grades, and plan for a career outside of sports.”

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Senior Emily de La Bruyère, who is majoring in the Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs and pursuing a certificate in Chinese language and culture (external link), has been awarded the 2016 Michel David-Weill Scholarship to pursue a master's degree in international security at Sciences Po in Paris.

The scholarship is awarded each year to one American student from applicants at 30 top U.S. universities based on literacy and scholastic achievements, capacity for critical analysis, demonstrated history of leadership, and proven commitment to the community.

Last summer, de La Bruyère, who is from New York City, had an internship at the U.S. Embassy in Paris, an experience she said led her to realize that "no one country's take on foreign relations is ever entirely right."

De La Bruyère, who speaks fluent French and conversational Mandarin, is interested in broadening her understanding of international relations, with a particular focus on China.

"I hope to make Sino-American relations my life's work," said de La Bruyère, who plans to enroll in Officer Candidate School and serve in the U.S. military after her two years in Paris.

She said her Princeton studies, especially her independent work, have prepared her to study Chinese and Taiwanese legal development in a specialized way at Sciences Po. In 2014, she spent the spring semester in Taipei conducting research for her senior thesis on Taiwanese constitutionalism. This fall at Princeton, she assisted in teaching a Wilson School task force on Chinese law.

She also has been an intern at the U.S. Naval War College researching Chinese surveillance and reconnaissance capabilities.

Before coming to Princeton, de La Bruyère spent a summer in Beijing studying Mandarin and a summer in Shanghai working as an au pair. As a Princeton student, she also spent time in Hainan and Sichuan, studying Chinese and volunteering on a farm. She also has volunteered on a farm in Dordogne, France.

Among her extracurricular activities, de La Bruyère is captain of the varsity cross-country team; a Princeton Writing Center fellow and journal editor; and a peer academic adviser.

She has published articles on foreign policy and national security issues in print and online venues and is working on communications and marketing strategies to help launch a French tech startup.

"Through the Michel David-Weill, I will add the French perspective to my American one; develop from an undergraduate China-watcher to a policy specialist and China expert; and I hope, move from student and athlete to scholar and officer," de La Bruyère said.

Martin Flaherty (external link), a visiting professor of public and international affairs, met de La Bruyère in a junior Policy Task Force at the Wilson School. The project — "Promoting the Rule of Law: Is There a Role for the U.S.?" — included presentations at the State Department and the White House. "Emily's performance was spectacular throughout," Flaherty said, including "a genuine star presence in her oral presentations, leading up to what could only be characterized as command performances" on Capitol Hill.

"Emily's fluency in French and familiarity with Paris having worked at the embassy would all but guarantee she would thrive at Sciences Po, one of France's leading social science universities," Flaherty added. "As for the subjects of security, China and the rule of law, I can think of few people in the country who could claim a better foundation for pursuing these areas."