Hurricane Katrina Narrative

On August 29, 2005, my home was destroyed. Hurricane Katrina had made her arrival. I remember the howl of her rattling winds as I sat in my uncle’s house in Baton Rouge. I watched her violent tears fall from the darkened skies. Unbeknownst to me, the levees were bursting, filling my childhood home in St. Bernard Parish with over ten feet of water. My family’s temporary displacement became permanent as Hurricane Katrina flooded New Orleans. Everything we had come to know was no longer, forcing our lives had to begin anew. Building a new life from the ground-up was a challenge, but it taught me to cherish my family, to appreciate the little things, and to see the beautiful rather than the gruesome. The one thing my family

Ten years ago, the Katrina victims at Dutchtown Primary School were called to the office. Each of us was given a handmade pillow and a letter. That night, I laid my head on the pillow, and ever since, I have slept with it every night. A single cushion covered in ordinary fabric has become my most valuable possession. It has followed me through many moves and has continued to be there through my late-night laughs, cries, frustrations, and thoughts. The hard-work and compassion of the maker is embodied within it. The overwhelming appreciation I feel when I look at this ordinary act of kindness is something that cannot be

Participants are required to obtain a minimum of ninety hours in a healthcare environment. I spent numerous hours wrapping, stretching, and icing athletes before and after practices and games under the supervision of the school athletic trainer. Before the end of my first year in the program, I was encouraged to apply to be a volunteer at the Baton Rouge General Hospital. That summer, I worked for a few hours every Wednesday in the oncology department. Even though the job merely entailed answering phone calls and bringing ice water to patients, I thoroughly enjoyed what I was doing. With the support of the Allied Health sponsor, I applied to be a medical science student at the University of Louisiana at Monroe President’s Academy the following summer. Through this program, I participated in college-level labs and professional externships specifically tailored for students with my interests. I was challenged to apply the knowledge I learned through solving a hypothetical pandemic with a group of other students. This experience showed me that I do have what it takes to be successful in the medical