Back in the summertime, my now fiancé decided it was time to finally finish his bachelor’s degree.

He’d previously been accepted to a local college, but now had the financial aid in place. He’d asked his boss, weeks in advance, for permission to leave early a couple of days a week so he’d make it to class on time. The boss dragged her feet, and by the time she got around to denying his request, it was too late to withdraw from school. He had to make a choice: stay employed or go to school.

I distinctly remember watching the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina on television.

I sat there stunned by the images of death and destruction I was seeing, feeling the sense of utter helplessness wash over me.

And then I remember having to go back to my job as a newspaper reporter, and go out into the community to get the local response to the disaster. While it was difficult to put personal feelings and emotions aside to focus on writing these stories, what I saw in the community inspired me.