Dear Editor,

I would like to take the opportunity presented by Mark Lamb’s recent letter to the editor and by Bob Payne’s recent column to publicly congratulate my fellow Loyola alumni for all of the hard work that they have put into the re-building of New Orleans.

In the year that I spent in New Orleans following the storm, the number of Loyola graduates that I had the opportunity to serve the devastated city with consistently impressed me. I have seen many recent Loyola graduates turn down lucrative and promising opportunities elsewhere in the country in order to stay in New Orleans and be a part of its rebuilding.

Our university’s graduates have poured all of their time, education and talent into working in the political, charitable and entrepreneurial sectors of the city. While a student at Loyola, I felt very proud to be part of a university with such high standards for academic achievement and social service. However, the pride that I felt then has been far surpassed by the pride that I now feel to be counted among such an impressive, dedicated and hard-working group of alumni. Congratulations, Loyola.

Ellennita Muetze Hellmer A ’04 Katrina Aid Today Case Manager Catholic Charities of Central Texas