As far as Angelle DeLaneuville was concerned, she was just doing her job when she opted to go an extra mile for one of her middle school students who had fallen ill in the middle of a school year.

Kamryn Scales, then a seventh grader at St. Joan of Arc, needed a little extra help, which DeLaneuville supplied by dropping off texts and assignments and even Facetiming before video education became a thing.

Now a junior at Cabrini High School in New Orleans, Scales was given an opportunity to participate in an annual recognition ceremony to recognize a former teacher as a Distinguished Educator. She chose DeLaneuville, writing in her essay,  “When I was diagnosed with an illness and could no longer attend school in person, Ms. Delaneuville took it upon herself to come to my house and catch me up on my work every week. If it would not have been for her, I would not be where I am today and probably would not have even graduated middle school. She was much more than a teacher; she was a mentor and my personal angel.”

“I was very moved,” said DeLaneuville, who now teaches math at Riverside Academy. “I really didn’t think I did that much. I was just trying to help a student.”

DeLaneuville was one of six educators recognized during a ceremony held May 4 at the school.