Before Hurricane Katrina struck the Gulf Coast, John Guillory said he was a senior at Southern University who had no idea what was in store for him after graduation. Formerly an aspiring sportswriter, he admits he was "just getting by" to graduate.

"I was doing basically nothing, just taking classes," Guillory said.

Although he was a mass communications major in his four years at Southern, he never wrote for the school's newspaper.

Seeing the impact of Hurricane Katrina, Guillory said, gave him a change of heart when he saw the affect his stories could have on the community. It was then that Guillory decided to join the newspaper staff.

He wrote his first story for The Southern Digest after Hurricane Katrina when Sharika King, Miss Southern University, made a $10,000 donation to the school.

"I wanted to be a sportswriter, but I started to like the general assignment stories," Guillory said. "Sports to me is just entertainment and I wanted to be involved."

Having graduated, the 23-year-old Eunice, La., native said he will continue his education at Southern, seeking a master's degree in mass communications. He will serve as news editor at The Southern Digest next semester.

"I've seen a lot of people waste their talents," Guillory said. "I think I've come a long way and I'm glad I'm making a contribution."

JOI GILLIAM