ALUMNI HURRICANE KATRINA REFLECTION: Blessing in Disguise
By: Brice Miller, Guest Writer
August 18, 2025
Twenty years later, Hurricane Katrina remains the most impactful unplanned pivot of my life.
With all the upheaval, I was focused on three things at the time: providing the utmost sense of normality for my family, not letting the devastation and things I could not control break me, and I was determined to complete my master’s degree.
My professors at Xavier University of Louisiana provided the best possible guidance and focus. They were truly pillars of strength and support during the most challenging time of my life. Through our weekly emails, a focus on assignments and professional development, and “check-in” phone calls, they ensured my professional and academic focus was ascertaining that degree. And together, along with the unwavering support of my amazing wife, we did it.
Earning my master’s degree shifted the entire trajectory of my life. I transitioned from music and cultural education into the fields of intercultural communication, diversity, equity & inclusion, and community engagement. My work in community engagement at the University of Alabama (UA) led to a plethora of awards, which led to a wealth of opportunities, including consulting. The exposure led to administrative offers at UA, which required a doctoral degree.
Today, I’m not only the first college graduate in my family, I’m also the first to earn a Ph.D.
As devastating as Hurricane Katrina was for my family and I, it was the most profound pivot in my life, and Xavier University of Louisiana played a monumental role in that transformation.
