Brad Duplechain Honored with Bro. More Schaefer Faculty Award
“Today we celebrate and we honor one such disciple of Andre Coindre, who has embraced the call from Brother Martin to become the man God wants him to be, and who in turn has helped Brother Martin be the sanctuary that God wants our school to be. A true disciple indeed, the 2019 Brother More Schaefer Award recipient Mr. Brad Duplechain.” – Principal Ryan Gallagher ’00
On Sunday, February 10, 2019, the Brother Martin faculty and staff joined together for the 28th annual Brother More Schaefer Recognition Ceremony and Luncheon held at the Audubon Tea Room. This year, yet another faculty member received the annual award for Excellence in Instruction, Formation, and Witness. Principal Gallagher commented, “In his years at Brother Martin, Brad has embraced the concept of holistic education. Brad never passes up an opportunity to teach our students – he models the idea that everything we do teaches something.”
“I want to say thank you from the bottom of my heart for allowing me the privilege to humbly stand before you here today … to tell you my story … to share with you my love for Brother Martin … and to express to you my gratitude for allowing me to be a part of this community.” – Brad Duplechain
Duplechain, now in his 22nd year at Brother Martin, strives for excellence in and out of his classroom while also expecting it from his students. “I love my job. I love my status in the New Orleans community when people realize that I am a Martin guy … that I am a Brothers guy … that I am a Brother Martin guy! I will forever promote the name of Brother Martin and the mission of the Brothers of the Sacred Heart, make no doubt about it.”, said Duplechain, and it shows wherever he is. When he is not in the classroom, he can be found on the track and Farley Field as the head track & field coach. He is in his fourteenth year as head coach. He also holds a Bachelor of Science in Biology from Loyola University New Orleans. Currently, Brad serves as a Physics and Pre-engineering teacher.
“I want to say I’m so fortunate to call Brother Martin High School home and to call the greater Brother Martin community my extended family. Being a part of this has really brought immeasurable joy and delight to my life. I thank you for the past 22 years and anxiously look forward to next 3-4 decades of service to the mission of the Brothers of the Sacred Heart in New Orleans.,” stated Duplechain.
In addition to Brad’s recognition, there were several faculty members who were recognized for their many years of service at Brother Martin. Our Founders Medal recipients were Tim and Beverly Napier (Brett ’03 and Garrett ’08). Recognized for 20 years of service were Valerie Hunter, David Joyner, Jean Thomeczek, and Patricia Zimmer. The faculty members recognized for 30 years of service were Ronnie Boudreaux and Patty Larkin. Lastly, very special recognition went to Brother Neal Golden, S.C. for his 50 impactful years as a teacher and Brother of the Sacred Heart. To honor his fifty years of service, President Gregory Rando ‘77 presented Brother Neal a room dedication. From here on out, Room 205, the computer classroom that has been Brother Neal’s “home” for so many years and home to the high-quality instruction, formation, and witness of his life’s work, will be named the “Brother Neal Golden, S.C., Classroom.”
Congratulations to all of the Brother Martin faculty who received an award or special recognition for their dedication and service to our school’s mission.
