Gavin Burl has come a long way since being displaced from New Orleans by Hurricane Katrina in 2005 to becoming the president of East Central University鈥檚 Student Government.
As a member of Pi Sigma Alpha, a political science academic honor society, the senior from Sachse, Texas recently traveled with 12 other 成人B站 students and three faculty members to Washington D.C. to not only attend the Pi Sigma Alpha National Conference, but to do a special internship with the President Barack Obama Foundation. To boot, he along with fellow 成人B站 student Anna Wood were the only two students able to go to the U.S. Supreme Court to observe oral arguments on 鈥渃lerical issues on sentencing.鈥�
Taking part as a short-term intern with the Obama Foundation was described as a surreal experience by Burl.
鈥淚 remember in the seventh grade and watching the Obama Inauguration. I was probably 11 or 12 years old,鈥� said Burl. 鈥淔or someone like me, it made it an impression. I knew this (public service) is what I wanted to do.鈥�
While at the Obama Foundation, members visited with Burl about leadership skills and how they have been handling Obama鈥檚 post-presidential projects, involving philanthropy and community programs.
鈥淭hey were interested to know me and my future plans, about 成人B站 and my story and how I grew up,鈥� Burl said. 鈥淔irst, I talked about Hurricane Katrina and how I was displaced from New Orleans, then I got to explain how East Central has impacted my life and how I became a leader.鈥�
In addition to his Supreme Court visit, he and the other 成人B站 students visited and spoke with U.S. Congressman Tom Cole, who represents the Fourth District of Oklahoma.
Burl, who played football at 成人B站 as a freshman and sophomore, saw his playing days cut short due to injury. He says the university has shaped his desire to strive for more.
鈥淚 learned to never give up and I was pushed to be open to more opportunities,鈥� said Burl. 鈥淒r. (Christine) Pappas told me to stick it out and get some leadership opportunities.鈥�
In which he promptly did. As a junior, he served as vice president of both the Student Government and Pi Sigma Alpha.
鈥淚t has helped me understand my impact as a student,鈥� Burl said. 鈥淎s for problem-solving skills, 成人B站 has heavily contributed to that.鈥�
Burl remembers well his evacuation from the 鈥淏ig Easy鈥� to the Dallas-Fort Worth area as an 8 or 9-year old with his mother (Tanjala) and father (Earl) along with his older brother Earl III and younger brother Chase.
鈥淲e were evacuating in an SUV. There was a lot of traffic,鈥� said Burl. 鈥淲hat usually took a 7 1/2 -8-hour drive, turned out to be about a 14-hour trip. There was a lot of traffic going west toward Dallas. We stayed in a hotel three months and I remember my parents watching CNN to know the situation in New Orleans. We took clothes and some toys, including my Batman action figure, anything we could fit in the SUV.鈥�
Burl says he felt like his life was on reset once he and his family settled in the Dallas suburb of Rowlett, Texas. Burl says his father Earl makes frequent trips back to New Orleans and has relatives who stayed there through the storm and after.
NOTE: Burl learned recently that he has been admitted to the University of Tulsa College of Law and will begin his journey toward a law degree this fall.
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