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Surviving Katrina: A New City, a New Son

Photo courtesy of Tammy Pate Tammy Pate said, "I truly love Dillard. I was not going to throw that away just because I was pregnant." She earned a B.S. in biology and aspires to be a dentist.

By Rebecca K. Roussell
Black College Wire

Second in a series on graduates who survived Hurricane Katrina.

“Graduation was definitely bittersweet," says Tammy Pate, "and I did not want the moment to end."

Pate, 22, triumphed over many obstacles to finish her studies at Dillard University and earn her biology degree.

Hurricane Katrina was only the beginning.

Pate and other family members fled to Atlanta the Sunday before Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans; two days later the levees failed, flooding almost 80 percent of the city and shutting down the colleges. However, several family members had stayed behind, and could not immediately be located, sending Pate into a panic.

Two days passed before she heard from her father, who was stuck in the attic of their home in East New Orleans.

Then Pate got a call on her cell phone.

“When I finally did talk to my daddy, I cried," Pate recalled. “(I) had not known if he were dead or alive."

Eventually, Pate’s father climbed to the roof of his house, where he waited for about 20 minutes before a helicopter rescued him. Pate's brother and his pregnant wife stayed behind, and had to be rescued, also.

Pate says she felt overwhelmed.

When it became clear that she would have to stay in Atlanta and would not be able to return to Dillard or her hometown soon, her main concern became graduating on time. Pate’s anticipation and excitement about completing her collegiate career began to drain away.

She decided to enroll at Georgia State University to make sure she remained focused. But staying focused was hard because of the adjustments she was enduring — including a major change in her personal life.

“Two weeks after I left New Orleans," Pate said, “I found out I was pregnant."

Pate registered for four classes at Georgia State University, but completed only one.

She made up her mind to return to New Orleans in January when Dillard reopened for the spring semester.

“I truly love Dillard, and I knew that I could get everything done," Pate said. “I was not going to throw that away just because I was pregnant."

Pate lived with her grandparents when she returned to New Orleans.

She took 17 hours of coursework during the first of two extended sessions offered when Dillard reopened, and completed her studies in April. Lazarus Mason II was born on May 5. Pate qualified for graduation in July.

Today, Pate resides in Atlanta with her son and fiancé. She has family members in Atlanta, Texas and Louisiana who have not returned to live in New Orleans since the storm. She and Lazarus Mason plan to wed next spring.

Pate aspires to be a dentist and plans to attend dental school in 2007.

Hurricane Katrina was both a good and bad experience, she says, reflecting on its impact on her life.

“Everything I own is gone — from baby years to present," she said. “But the good thing about it is, I had my son and I am happy he was born."

Pate knows what it means to miss New Orleans.

“I still have moments when I want to be back home, even though I know I can’t be there," she said.

Rebecca K. Roussell is a 2006 graduate of Dillard University.

Posted Aug. 29, 2006