Carol Trosclair and Dr. Brian Campbell joined Discover Lafayette to discuss the David Trosclair Memorial Scholarship in Kinesiology at UL - Lafayette.

Carol is well-known in the oil business and has been a Petroleum Landman for over 30 years. One of the most active women in our community, she is passionate and filled with the love of God and others. As you will hear in this interview, she is absolutely the best salesperson you'll ever encounter! "She could sell holy water to the devil himself," according to her close friend, Dr. Brian Campbell.

Dr. Brian Campbell serves as the coordinator of Exercise Science in the School of Kinesiology at UL – Lafayette. He is the faculty advisor to the Kinesiology Professionals Association. He met David Trosclair while teaching him, and recounted his admiration for this talented, modest young man who scored perfect scores in his classes. "David loved kinesiology because it involved a specialized experience in biomechanics and orthopedics and allowed him to help people maintain and recover mobility and provide exercise prescriptions.

After the tragic death of Carol’s son when he was a Senior, David Trosclair, in 2010, Carol and Brian established the David Trosclair memorial scholarship in Kinesiology to acknowledge his academic achievements. There are over 1200 kinesiology students at UL-Lafayette yet very few scholarships are offered to the students. As Carol recounts, "what an honor, but there was no money! We had to raise it to fund it."

David Trosclair tragically died in 2010. His mother, Carol Trosclair, and his kinesiology professor, Dr. Brian Campbell have worked to fund a scholarship in his name so that his legacy will continue.

In the first year of fundraising, Carol wanted to hold a car wash and enlisted the kinesiology students to assist. She realized she would never be able to get the students up at 9 am on a Saturday to wash cars. Plus, you never clear much money working a traditional car wash. So she went down to Todd's Car Wash and spoke with the owner, Todd Lemaire, asking him to partner for one day to raise funds for the scholarship. Lemaire generously countered and offered the whole month of September to allow $10 ticket holders to access his $25 car wash.

Carol was told by UL that if she raised $10,000 it would establish an endowed scholarship, if she raised $50,000 there would be a plaque placed in Martin Hall. They raised $11,990 the first year by preselling tickets. Todd Lemaire did not ask for any reimbursement for his expenses the first year, and still has not to this date on any of the annual fundraising efforts.

Kermit Duhon, of The Travel Machine, saw press coverage on the memorial scholarship. He called Carol and gave $150 to purchase tickets for his employees to get the premium car wash at Todd's Car Wash. With a bit of encouragement and salesmanship from Carol, they eventually "Sir, we don't just have a handout, we have four hands out. There are 1200 students in kinesiology with very few scholarship options. Won't you please sponsor a customer-designed vacation for two designed by Travel Machine?" Kermit agreed and his travel agency has partnered with this popular fundraising drive annually.

To date, over $600,000 has been raised in endowed and non-endowed scholarship monies to honor David Trosclair's memory. The Vacationing for Scholarships has been a huge success, all due to community support for this meaningful cause, Carol's passionate fundraising efforts, and generous supporters such as Kermit Duhon and the Travel Machine, Todd Lemaire and Todd's Car Wash, Tropical Smoothie, Roly Poly, Great Harvest Bread Company, Reve Cofee, and Judice Inn!

Carol Trosclair,