A Hero Like a Hurricane

A Hero Like a Hurricane “Im your RA Katrina, like the hurricane,” she had said when we first met. It sounded strange, a bit intimidating even. Stranger still was her first piece of advice, a warning to shave our heads while were still young. She was blunt, yet not offensive; confident, yet not arrogant. Even when she didnt speak a word, her presence was always unconsciously pronounced and obvious. Her enthusiastic words of encouragement and acts of selflessness, even the smallest ones, became a source of great inspiration and helped to broaden my opinions.During conversations, Katrina usually got very quiet, subliminally signifying to us that she was trying to analyze everyones opinions and personalities. She always had the last word and concluded every conversation. Her presence and humility always were clearly prominent.I still remember one night when I foolishly locked myself out of the dorm at midnight and had no other choice but to ask for Katrinas assistance.2005-8-25 Hurricane KatrinaAlthough she had just awoken, her response was swift and she quickly made her way three floors down to the far side of the building to retrieve a spare key. Perhaps she was just doing her job, but there have been other occurrences where other RAs were not as selfless and ignored their students to gain some sleep.Next year, Katrina is fulfilling her dream by joining the Peace Corps, traveling to Africa, and shaving off all her shoulder-length red hair. Her selfless goals to better the environment and her determination to achieve them, inspires me to make similar goals. As her last piece of advice, Katrina hoped to inspire us further, telling us to never waste our “one wild and precious life.”My admiration for someone only seven years older than me grew not only because of her selflessness but also from...