Hillar Moore III:
Since Hillar Moore has started the BRAVE Institute, crime has gone down significantly since it was founded in 2012.
Moore is associated with different organizations including BRAVE (Baton Rouge Area Violence Elimination) and the Crime Strategy Unit.
BRAVE is an organization that Moore started in where he has gotten a lot of criticism from it. When he started with the organization, some people referred to it as “hug a thug” but over time people started to respect it and the criticism began to die down. He started BRAVE because statistics were showing that young juveniles were getting involved in serious violent crimes. BRAVE has not only had a big impact on Moore’s life but on the lives of other as well. Due to his program, he has taken many people off the street and transformed them into the good people that they are today.
The other organizations that Moore is involved in is the Crime Strategy Unit. This unit uses crime data and geocoding to identify crime patterns and trends in targeted areas.
Moore believes in the stuff that he does because he believes in second chances. That follows when his dad gave him a second chance when his life seemed to be taking a turn for the worst. The circumstances of his life is what turned him into the man he is today
Moore, the third of seven children, is a District Attorney for the state of Louisiana. He is involved in many organizations that have changed his life for the better.
Before he became district attorney, he was involved in many things. When deciding what college he wanted to go to, it was clear that LSU was the right choice for him. He said that he wanted to come to LSU for two reasons: 1. To get a good education is law studies and 2. To get away from his parents.
He wanted to pursue a career in law because it interested him widely and it didn't involve math. When he graduated from college he became a DA investigator. He was the youngest in the country to pursue this occupation at the age of only 20.
After staying at that job for 11 years he then went to law school and became a criminal defense lawyer.
After doing that for 16 years he then became what is now his current job as the District Attorney for Louisiana. Currently he is in his 2nd term and hopes to be reelected again in the next 4 years.
Debra Coltharp:
Debra Coltharp, a horticultural enthusiast, has devoted her life into keep the campus of LSU a plant friendly environment.
Every morning at six AM, Coltharp starts her day tending to the plants, removing dead limbs from streets. Most parts of her job involve pesticides and other chemicals in which she doesn't like to use.
“ You really can't do this job without chemicals,” Coltharp said. “I don't like to use them, but the process of plant growth is much greater than using natural materials.”
Coltharp’s job is not easy especially when there is 2,000 acres to tend to and only 33 people helping. She pointed out that sometimes during the summer, they stay till about 8-9 at night working with the plants. Most of the plants that she tends to includes herbs, algae, vegetables, and fruit. Although, what she does comes at a price and a big one too. Usually, it costs her tens of thousands of dollars to provide for the campus’ well being.
Working outside most of the time does have physical impacts on someone. With Coltharp, she uses enormous amounts of sunscreen to stay away from the sun's powerful rays. Summer is her least favorite time to work because of how hot it is.
“I love working in the winter,” Coltharp said. “The winter is also a bad time for the plants to nourish but it's better than being out in 90° weather.”
Without her grandfather making her work in the garden most of her life, she would not be doing what she does today. She highlighted that most of her success is due to her grandfather and she thanked him for the determination that she picked up from him. Coltharp plans to retire within the next few years and she is in the process of training the next persons that will tend to the campus. Coltharp is very passionate about what she does and it will be very hard to leave the place she loves.
Kenneth Miles:
Kenneth Miles has devoted his life to helping student athletes graduate and help make life decisions that will affect them in the long run.
Miles lives by one motto: Be a man to others. He explained this because if you are a man to others, then you have impacted their life for the better. He also stated that success doesn't happen with one person alone. That is why he started helping others because he knows that these athletes need someone to look up to like a parental figure.
Miles hopes that over the next couple of years, his work will change more lives and improve them. He is devoted to helping others and he has done a magnificent job in leading others in the right direction.
