Since she was a child herself, Mistie P. Lasseigne, PhD, knew that when she grew up she wanted to work with children in some meaningful capacity, having always enjoyed being around kids including as a teenage babysitter. These enduring sentiments, along with retaining a childlike spirit, have translated into successful academic and professional careers for Dr. Lasseigne, who has dual executive director roles – of early childhood initiatives and of Little Colonels Academy – at Nicholls State University, where she received the Teaching Excellence Award in 2019.
With Dr. Lasseigne’s oversight, Nicholls State University in Thibodaux, Louisiana, is partnered with two local parishes to establish Type III Child Care centers within local, at-risk communities. Through ongoing outreach, Dr. Lasseigne and her team seek to expand this newly developed initiative to include future training for early childhood educators and provide extensive, early childhood support to area child care centers and parishes. She also is a certified trainer with Louisiana Pathways and holds key professional memberships with the National Association for the Education of Young Children, the Louisiana Early Childhood Association, and Child Care Association of Louisiana.
Parallel to fulfilling her lifelong career dreams, Dr. Lasseigne cites her most significant, persistent accomplishment as reaching out to families who lack access to high-quality child care. She provides resources and assistance, helping them to complete subsidy applications, identify centers with available openings, and expand access for children. Gathering invaluable experience from her previous positions at Nicholls State University, Dr. Lasseigne spent six years as an assistant professor for the Birth To Five Early Intervention Program, in which she taught freshman, sophomore, and junior-level courses after working as certification counselor for a year. Additionally, she served on the National Accreditation Committee and on other internal, decision-making committees; as a supervisor and mentor to student teachers and residents; and as a field observer of students’ various required clinical experiences.
Dr. Lasseigne’s academic preparation included earning a Doctor of Philosophy in curriculum and instruction and early childhood education from Louisiana State University after securing a Master of Education in the same areas of study from Nicholls State University, where she also completed a Bachelor of Science in education, Birth to Five Early Intervention. Foundationally, she earned two Associate degrees, one in general studies and the other in early childhood education, from Louisiana Technical College.
Dedicated to her family, Dr. Lasseigne – who is a wife, mother, stepmother, and grandmother – credits her success to the immeasurable love and inspiration from her parents and is the first in her family to attend college. She is thankful to her husband for his great encouragement and to her professors, who played a crucial role in motivating her to pursue a master’s degree and offered unwavering support throughout her academic journey.