Anika Jefferson's big brown eyes and infectious smile grow even more
contagious when she speaks about her new life in Houston. You would
never guess by talking to her that her world was turned upside down by
Hurricane Katrina just a few weeks ago. Anika views her abrupt move from
New Orleans to Houston as a great adventure. After all, she's just 10
years old. "Living in Houston is awesome," she says, "I want to live here forever,
but I miss my friends and the teacher I was supposed to have this year,
and my church." While many people in her situation are struggling to adjust to a strange
new world, Anika is taking it all in stride. She has big plans for her
life, which include enrolling in acting and music classes, an
undertaking she had started back home. Anika was awarded a scholarship
to join an exclusive theater program in New Orleans when she had to pack
up everything and leave. While some children would be devastated, Anika
sees her circumstance as an opportunity to try her talents elsewhere.
She already has her eye on clubs that she wants to join at her new
school, Alice M. Harte Elementary. "I want to join the spirit squad.
It's like cheerleading," she says. With her positive outlook, Anika is an example of how one child may
triumph over family's trials. Misty Starks is a editor and writer at Texas Southern University. |
