On September 11, 2001 I was on the West Campus of Valencia Community College in Orlando, FL. My first class of the day ended around 8:50am and the next one started around 9am. While students were settling into chairs in my 9am Literature class, I heard a voice, and then another, as people started speaking of the attack on the Twin Towers I had never heard of the World Trade Center before and did not know what they meant. The teacher was late which never happened. When she came in, she said we all needed to see what was happening at the towers and said class was canceled. We all piled into the commons areas where live coverage was showing the aftermath of the plane crashes in NY. The towers were still standing at that point. Most of us where in shock I think. Some were crying because they had many family and friends in New York. I saw so many hugs.

My sister and I met up somehow and went home. I don’t remember if we had called each other to leave campus early or what. Everything felt so strange, kind of frozen. I don’t remember calling anyone but I think my mom called us. At home we all watched the news all day. I remember just feeling frozen in time, watching the news covering New York, the Pentagon and Shanksville, PA. My sister and I both worked at Disney World at the time and I remember my Mom not wanting us to work that day if we were scheduled. We all wondered, what cities are next? What landmarks are next? It truly was the first time I felt fear like that, a fear for our country and the first time I felt the hate of terrorists.

So many tears were shed. We cried for all of the lives lost due to hate, for the brave men, women and youth who helped each other through debris, hijackings, grief, smoke and pain. I have never in my life seen so many random strangers hugging each other, helping each other and donating blood as I did in those days, weeks and months after 9/11. The terrorist attacks of 9/11 were evil, they were horrific and we will never forget it. September 12 was full of unity and compassion that was spreading not just around our country, but around the globe. Thank you to everyone who asked their neighbor, are you ok? Thank you to all the students who gave blood over and over again. My heart is full for the EMS workers who went to hell and back for weeks. Especially, thank you, to all who gave everything. We will never forget you.