Mr. Nathan Koenig
Guest of The BEC
“The BEC’s Guests” welcomes a bright and inspiring young man as our most recent contributing writer. Trained in accounting and a graduate of Texas Christian University, the world was Nathan Koenig’s oyster. With skills in high demand, and striking a deportment of competence and accomplishment, he could have moved anywhere after college.
He came home.
Nathan, 22, explores this decision and in the process reminds us all of the remarkable culture entrusted to us.
Why I came back to Louisiana
By: Nathan Koenig
Many people wonder why I came back to Louisiana after college.
For those who don’t know me, I was born and raised in Greater New Orleans.
Growing up, my whole life centered around South Louisiana. Before college, I never lived anywhere outside of the New Orleans area, and I enjoyed growing up here. Both sides of my family have lived in or near New Orleans for generations, and most of my family still lives here.
So, you can say that my roots run deep in New Orleans.
During my senior year of high school, I decided to leave Louisiana for a brief time; I moved to north Texas and attended a university in the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex for three years.
Coming out of college, I knew that I wanted to come back to New Orleans. As much I enjoyed living in Texas, I tried my best to find a job back home so that I could move back to Louisiana. Fortunately, I found gainful employment in New Orleans after graduation—which I credit to the grace of God.
That being said, you may still wonder why I wanted to come back to Louisiana. People frequently ask me “why I left Texas to come back to Louisiana.”
Compared to Louisiana, Texas offers a lot more well-paying jobs and more fun things-to-do/activities—besides no state income tax. With these factors at play, many people view moving to Texas as a no-brainer. We all probably know someone who has moved to Texas in recent years.
Nonetheless, I have one reason why I came back to Louisiana: it’s home. The Greater New Orleans area is my home, and I cannot leave in good faith knowing that I did not try to improve the area.
Of course, South Louisiana has its flaws. Crime is absurdly high and the local economy does not offer many well-paying jobs. Nevertheless, I truly believe that there is still plenty of opportunity to improve South Louisiana.
Sure, places like Texas and Florida look appealing: better job opportunities, nice weather, better schools, etc. However, the “grass is not always greener”—as corny as it may sound. Every place has its faults, and Conservatives are going to have to battle for the future of their communities wherever they are living.
At the end of my life, I want to know that I tried my best to improve South Louisiana. God-willing, I plan on sticking it out here for the long-term, and I hope we can all enjoy this ride together.
In my humble opinion, The Big Easy Conservative has the potential to initiate a spark and help to revive South Louisiana. So, I look forward to contributing more to this community in the future.
Let’s all work to make Louisiana the best place it can possibly be for generations to come!
Nathan Koenig is an “America First” writer, a Conservative Christian, and a business professional from Louisiana. His writings have appeared on The Hayride and RVIVR. He also runs his own political blog: The Tin Can Conservative.
The BEC is grateful to Nathan. We are thrilled you have come home!