President Donald Trump’s visit to hard-hit Texas comes as grief is settling in for some of our neighbors here at home.
The president of Southeastern Louisiana University is mourning alongside so many others because he has a personal connection to the hardest-hit communities.
Dr. William Wainwright spent six summers as a camp counselor along the Guadalupe River, an area now ravaged by deadly flash floods.
“It’s tough by every means to witness what we’re seeing and knowing the landscape, knowing the area, but most importantly understanding the camp culture,” he said.
The camp where Wainwright worked is just minutes away from the all-girls Camp Mystic, which lost campers and counselors in raging floodwaters. So it has been devastating taking in this week’s news.
“Text messages first and then phone calls, phone calls from two of my friends in Texas, really trying to comprehend and understand what had happened,” he said.
He is mourning not just the loss in a special place but of a special person.
A camp director, Jane Ragsdale, who certified Wainwright as a lifeguard, teaching him how to save lives, lost her own in the Texas tragedy.
“That’s one of the hardest things to process at this time, but understanding and knowing she gave her all during her time on this earth is what gets us through,” he said.
Now he’s holding out hope of a resilient revival of a place that made such an impact on his life, reminding others of the impact we can make, too.
“We know that recovery takes time, and they’re going to come back stronger, and we know that, but just keep them in our thoughts and prayers, that’s paramount,” Wainwright said.
READ MORE:Southeastern Louisiana University’s president shares connection to Texas tragedy
