Educating the Children of Katrina

I was in New Orleans in July of 2005. I still remember the daunting heat as I traveled from to and from the convention center and around the city with the Beta Club members. I never imagined that I would have students from that city in my own classroom in the near future.
My school received several Katrina victims. One particular young lady was assigned to my homeroom, and to my second period class. While it was a touchy situation, and she had lost her home, her belongings, and had to relocate to another state, she still shared her story with us. My class, myself too, was surprised at the stories that she shared with us. It helped develop a comfort level and a sense of belonging. Not only had it affected her, but numerous family members as well. This young lady was very brave to share her plight with the rest of her classmates. She hoped to go back to New Orleans, but remained with us throughout the rest of her eighth grade year. She made the best of her year there in spite of what she had been through. She became a teacher herself; a teacher of overcoming tragedy.