Princeton University

When Ian Auzenne ’10 received a phone call from his mom on April 1 saying he had been accepted to Princeton, he thought it was an April Fool’s joke. “When she read the letter and Admissions Dean Janet Rapelye’s name at the end, I realized it was no joke. I’m a natural procrastinator, but I put the postcard confirming my acceptance in the mail the next morning.”

Auzenne, who grew up in Lafayette, Louisiana, was introduced to Princeton through the inaugural LEDA Leadership Enterprise for a Diverse America Scholars Program summer session in 2005. “It's a summer I’ll never forget. The program was an eye-opening experience for a kid from South Louisiana who had never been that far away from home by himself. It may sound trite, but learning about other people’s experiences and perspectives showed me just how big and diverse our country and our world are, and I’m grateful for having that opportunity.”

Auzenne jokes that he “majored in WPRB 103.3 FM” at Princeton, where he honed his craft in radio broadcasting. “WPRB set the course for my professional career by opening doors I never imagined existed, from DJing to anchoring newscasts to handling sports play-by-play.”

After graduating with a bachelor’s in politics, Auzenne returned to Lafayette, where he worked for 12 years in local television and radio, both on air and behind the scenes. He's now at WWL Radio in New Orleans, working “in the nation's service” through local journalism by keeping communities informed and highlighting outstanding citizens.

Off air, Auzenne encourages students to try new experiences. “You can always bring your degree back home, but you’ll at the very least have seen a small slice of the world and, hopefully, met others who will have helped to shape your view of the world.”

Today, Auzenne is proudly standing up for Princeton and higher education. “If we are to continue advancing as a people, we need Princeton and other universities to continue their work in the sciences and in the humanities, whether it’s finding cures for cancer and other debilitating diseases, finding ways to protect our environment, or figuring out the inner workings of human nature. I will always stand up for learning. I will always stand up for knowledge. I will always stand up for Princeton.”