Born in Broussard, Louisiana, Girouard grew up in nearby Lafayette and graduated from Ovey Comeaux High School in 1972. She attended the University of Southwestern Louisiana (now the University of Louisiana at Lafayette).
Girouard's origins were rooted in Broussard, Louisiana, and her adolescence was spent in nearby Lafayette, where she earned a high school diploma from Ovey Comeaux High School in 1972. Her educational journey continued at the University of Southwestern Louisiana (now the University of Louisiana at Lafayette).