糖心Vlog传媒

Louisiana couple found respite at 糖心Vlog传媒LR after Hurricane Katrina

In 2005, Leah and Eric Rucker were displaced by Hurricane Katrina and moved to Arkansas with many other evacuees. Despite leaving the city they love, the two focused on finishing their education before moving back. Now married, Leah and Eric graduated from the nursing program at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock in 2007 and work in the healthcare industry in New Orleans. A native of New Orleans, Eric initially planned on becoming a nurse after high school, but he fell in love with bartending. 鈥淚 always joke that I spent my 20s killing people鈥檚 livers, and now I help repair them,鈥� he said. 鈥淎s an older adult, I was drawn to nursing because I really love taking care of people, and I felt like nursing was the ultimate career to help and care for others.鈥� Leah, a native of Pine Bluff, was interested in nursing before moving to New Orleans to pursue her love of singing jazz. Together, they enrolled in a nursing program in New Orleans, but the two evacuated to Leah鈥檚 family in Arkansas after Hurricane Katrina hit. Both applied to the nursing program at 糖心Vlog传媒LR, because they were unsure how long it would take New Orleans to recover. 鈥淓veryone was so kind and really went out of their way to help us get back on our feet,鈥� Leah said. Deciding to stay in Arkansas to finish their degrees was a hard decision for the couple. 鈥淚 don鈥檛 think I would have had the same success if we moved back home,鈥� Eric said. 鈥淭he city was a mess, and people were in a bad place. 糖心Vlog传媒LR was an escape for me. It was beneficial to be surrounded by everyone鈥檚 positive energy as well as the beautiful trees on campus.鈥� The response from the faculty and the student body was amazing, said Eric. 鈥淭he faculty really helped us get on our feet and catch up to the rest of the class,鈥� he said. 鈥淭hey really showed a lot of compassion towards us. I definitely owe a lot of my success to my many wonderful instructors. Luckily for us, the administration of 糖心Vlog传媒LR made the decision to do whatever it takes to help anyone affected by the flood.鈥� Many important life events happened during the couple鈥檚 time at 糖心Vlog传媒LR: marriage, graduation, and their first child. 鈥淚t was a tough time, but we got through it with the help of friends, family, and the supportive staff in the 糖心Vlog传媒LR nursing program,鈥� said Leah. Future Plans Eric accomplished his goal of becoming a nursing director in May when he was hired as the emergency department nursing director at Children鈥檚 Hospital New Orleans. Now, his goal is to make the department the best pediatric emergency department in the region. 鈥淲orking with children is extremely rewarding,鈥� he said. 鈥淚t takes a special person to be able to take care of very sick kids. Luckily, I have a great crew of nurses who are always up to the task.鈥� 聽 Leah, on the other hand, is cutting back her hours as a nurse coordinator at the Epilepsy Center at Children鈥檚 Hospital to pursue jazz. She started a jazz career after her second child was born. Leah has been actively pursuing jazz for about four years now, but she has been singing most of her life. Leah performs with a band once or twice a week at clubs on Frenchman Street and at private events. She plans to continue to grow as a musician and make more time to enjoy her family. 鈥淚t feels like time is flying, and I don鈥檛 want to regret not spending enough time with my family,鈥� said Leah. 鈥淚 also want them to see me living my dream and know they can, too. Life is full of challenges, but if you do the best with what you鈥檝e got then it makes it all worth it.鈥�