Hurricane Katrina: Five Years Later

August 27th, 2010

It’s hard to believe that this weekend marks the 5th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina and its devastating effect on the Gulf Coast, particularly Louisiana. Even harder to believe is that people are still working to rebuild their lives today. The BP oil spill, as disastrous as it was, is not in the same category of devastation as Katrina.

Five years ago, college students were gearing up for classes at Louisiana schools like Tulane University and LSU. However, Mother Nature had other plans, and so freshmen were forced to flee to their home states, where many colleges and universities opened their doors to the displaced students. While some did transfer back to their original schools in Louisiana the following year, others never returned to the Gulf Coast, no doubt wondering what their academic lives would have been like had Katrina never reared her ugly head.

The start of a new school year will always be a bittersweet time for students, faculty, and staff on the Gulf Coast. We wish them all the best of luck this year and every year. Perhaps some of their strength can rub off on the rest of us.

--The CollegeBound Network

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