NEWS RELEASE

Contact: David West (west@nsula.edu )
News Bureau
Northwestern State University
Natchitoches, LA 71497
(318) 357-6466

11/15/2004

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

NATCHITOCHES- Aimee Gallien is the type of person who never expects to be rewarded for doing the right thing. But a recent visitor to Natchitoches felt a simple thank you wasn't enough after the Northwestern State University student went out of her way to correct a mistake.

Gallien, an elementary education major from Flora, was working at a Georgia's Gift Shop on Front Street shop on a Sunday afternoon and assisted two tourists who were in the shop. When ringing up a transaction, she gave the customer change for a $10 instead of a $20. Neither of them initially noticed the mistake, but Gallien did when she was totalling receipts at the close of business. The NSU student then contacted the store owner about the mistake and set out to find the customer. She found them the next day and was able to return the money.

One of the tourists wrote a letter to Northwestern president Dr. Randall J. Webb, praising Gallien and enclosed a check for $200 to help her with college expenses.

"Learning to be responsible for one's actions and behavior is part of getting an education," said Webb. "It is so impressive that Aimee fully accepted responsibility for an unwitting error and responded in such a caring way. It is an honor to this university to have students like that."

Gallien remembered that the tourists were planning to tour the Cane River plantations the day after they visited downtown Natchitoches. When she found them, Gallien had no idea what kind of reaction she would receive.

"I thought she would be mad," said Gallien. "I didn't know how to approach her and tell her. I explained what happened and they were so nice. I was so glad to see her because I felt bad about what happened.
"I did not expect any kind of reward for what I did. She was a sweet lady and I wanted to get her money back to her. It just goes back to what my parents taught me to do. I felt better once she had her money back."

Gallien plans to graduate in two years and hopes to become a teacher. Two of her aunts are teachers, Terra Barnes, a pre-school/special education teacher at North Natchitoches Elementary, and Janice Ebert, a keyboarding teacher at Natchitoches Central High. A cousin, Melanie Martinez, is a fifth grade science/social studies teacher at East Natchitoches Elementary.

"I worked in day care for two years and knew that I loved kids, so teaching was the thing I decided to do," said Gallien. "When you are able to teach something to another person, it's wonderful. You get a rewarding feeling that you cannot get any other way."

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