Valerie Lee, age 19, originally from Dallas, TX lived at Xavier University in Third Ward, New Orleans, Louisiana, and is now living at the University of Houston as a result of Hurricane Katrina. She speaks about life in New Orleans, playing volleyball, the community from which she came from in New Orleans and the decision to evacuate with friends to Beaumont from the hurricane. She elaborates on evacuating to Beaumont, attending SMU and then relocating to Houston. She details the moving process and how it made her emotionally numb. She comments on her breaking point and how the journey brought her closer to God. She mentions the struggles of other friends with FEMA and relocating after Hurricane Rita. She relates attitudes of those around her at the time and speculates about the reasons behind the hurricane, the government’s late reaction and whether God meant her to have ever gone to New Orleans.