New 4-H agents to oversee Avoyelles program

The Avoyelles Parish 4-H program is now under the direction of two new agents who will oversee the activities of the parish organization.
Ann Soileau, a Bunkie native and Amy Andrus, an Evangeline Parish native, are the new Avoyelles 4-H agents for the Central Region 4-H team.
Soileau attended St. Anthony of Padua Catholic School and graduated from Bunkie High. She began her college career at LSU in Alexandria transferring to McNeese State University where she received her BS in Elementary Education in May of 2008.
She taught both second and third grades at Bayou Chicot Elementary for 14 years.
She volunteered as the junior high cheerleading sponsor and also began a school newspaper.
In 2018, she earned an add-on certification as a mentor teacher. Through her many years of teaching, she helped her school grow through the many grants she wrote and assisted in writing. She moved to Bayou Chicot when she married her husband, the late Brian Soileau.
Ann has developed lifelong cherished memories with family and friends throughout Evangeline Parish.
Although Bayou Chicot has become her home, she is proud to have family ties to Avoyelles Parish.
When she is not working with the youth she enjoys relaxing outdoors through fishing, kayaking, camping, hiking and gardening.
Soileau’s goal as Avoyelles 4-H assistant extension agent is to help the youth of the parish build and further develop their life dreams.
Amy Andrus graduated from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette with a bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education.
She was an elementary school teacher in Texas for four years and in Louisiana for 13 years.
During her career as a teacher, she earned add-on certifications in English as a Second Language and as a mentor teacher.
In addition to being an educator, she has also been an active volunteer in the Evangeline Parish 4-H program and in Girl Scouts.
She has been married to Jean Andrus for 20 years and they have two daughters, ages 15 and 11. She loves the outdoors, especially camping, hiking, and kayaking. She travels as much as possible; often visiting state and national parks.
Andrus is excited for this new career and the opportunity to engage with and educate children outside of a traditional classroom setting.