Land of Opportunity

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TR'VEL LYONS

Tr\'Vel Lyons

Videos

A Displaced New Orleanian attempts to find his footing in a new city

Like Marcio and Elza, displaced New Orleanians like Tr’Vel Lyons also struggle to find community and solid footing in new and unfamiliar places. We follow Tr’Vel from his middle school graduation in 2006 in Los Angeles through his high school career. As a high school student in Los Angeles, Tr’Vel is committed to taking advantage of what he sees as greater educational and economic opportunities away from New Orleans. However when he pays a visit to his hometown for the first time since Katrina, he becomes keenly aware of the price he’s paid by being away from beloved friends and family.

Where is he now?

After graduating from Westchester High School in Los Angeles in 2010, Tr’Vel was awarded a Gates Millenium Scholarship, which provides Tr’Vel with full tuition payments for all of college and graduate school. As of September 2010, Tr’Vel is a Freshman at UCLA, and he says that he wants to major in Philosophy. His mother Debrah Tanner, is returning to New Orleans in 2011 after living in California since Katrina.

You can read Tr’Vel’s high school graduation speech by clicking here.