LAFAYETTE, La. (KLFY) — Volunteer, landman, and mother. All those words describe Acadiana’s Remarkable Women winner.
She tries to make the world a kinder place, one action at a time, and she believes that God works all things to the good of those who love Him. Her faith and positive outlook carried her through a devastating tragedy, and resulted in a cause Carol Trosclair says has become her passion.
“I’m gonna take this plaque and go get their names on it,” said Trosclair. “I do know ’em all and then there’s two more from this year that I’m going to take this plaque and go get their name on it. I know ’em all.”
People who meet Carol Trosclair know within a minute where her focus lies — the David Trosclair Memorial Scholarship.
“Because having this scholarship for David helps me,” she said. “So a little bit of David lives on through this scholarship.”
Carol’s son, David, died suddenly in 2010, months before his graduation from UL Lafayette in Kinesiology.
“David was a wonderful person, wonderful son, wonderful friend, wonderful student,” said Trosclair
After David’s passing, one of his professors contacted her, asking her if UL could set up a Kinesiology scholarship in his honor, and if she could find a way to make it happen.
“And it’s up to you to raise money for it,” she laughed, and her passion was born.
Her mission was to, at the very least, raise $10,000 to endow the scholarship. The first year, she raised nearly $12,000, the next year she took the project to the next level and developed a unique raffle with the support of local businesses.
“I said, ‘UL has this scholarship for my son, and it’s up to me to raise money.'”
To date, Carol and the students in the Kinesiology club have raised more than $600,000. What they raise, they give away to students who meet academic and service requirements, like David Frank.
“She’s awesome, she’s the best, she’s been a big blessing to my life and to everyone else’s,” said Frank.
Dr. Brian Campbell says Carol’s son was his best student. The scholarship fosters academic excellence in the students, but Dr. Campbell says Carol herself them upping their game.
“The students that interact with Ms. Carol and the students that are active in our club have a different level of confidence,” said Campbell. “It’s just like gravity.”
The scholarship fund has awarded $20,000 to $30,000 each year to worthy students like Frank. Like Trosclair says, she continues to give and she doesn’t expect anything in return.
Carol defines what it means to give. She serves on more than a dozen boards, in addition to her work on the scholarship.
“Just to make this a better place to live and work in Acadiana and in our world,” she said.
And, despite losing a child, she has found a way to stay joyous.
“They say happiness comes from purpose and she must be the happiest person on earth,” said Campbell.
Troscair believes that, even though losing David was tragic, her faith has given her the strength to make the David Trosclair memorial scholarship a success, saying “In all things, God works for the good of those who love him.”
Trosclair won $1,000 for the Lafayette Parish Library Foundation, among other prizes.
