September 11: Remembering, Reflecting and Learning 25 Years Later
For Norfolk Collegiate’s upper school students, September 11 is history. They were not yet born when the events of that day changed the United States and the world.
For many of the adults who teach and support them, however, Sept. 11 is a vivid memory.
On Friday, Sept. 11, 2026, upper school students gathered in Hackney Theater to mark the 25th anniversary of September 11 and hear firsthand from faculty and staff who lived through that day and its aftermath.
Head of Upper School Anne Claywell '88 opened the program by putting the day in perspective for a generation that knows September 11 primarily through history books, documentaries and stories from others.
“Students, you all only know this as history,” Claywell said. “Twenty-fifth anniversary seems to be the right time to talk about that day and the experiences of the people and communities that lived through it.”
Claywell emphasized that the gathering was not intended to tell students how they should feel about September 11, but rather to help them understand an event that profoundly shaped the world into which they were born.
A World Changed
The students sitting in Hackney Theater today have grown up in a world shaped by the events of Sept. 11, 2001, even if they have never known a world before it.
A World Changed
The students sitting in Hackney Theater today have grown up in a world shaped by the events of Sept. 11, 2001, even if they have never known a world before it.
Claywell reminded students of some of the changes that followed. The Department of Homeland Security was created. Airport security changed dramatically, with the Transportation Security Administration eventually assuming responsibility for screening passengers. New restrictions were introduced for air travel and more.
But the consequences extended far beyond changes to everyday life.
Claywell also asked students to recognize that the experience of September 11 was not the same for everyone. While the attacks brought an extraordinary sense of unity and connection for many Americans, Muslim Americans experienced the aftermath through fear, suspicion, harassment and violence.
“We can do two things at once,” Claywell told students — pause to remember the lives lost and the courage shown that day while also acknowledging the ways fear and grief can bring out both the best and the worst in people.
When History Become Personal
To help bridge the distance between knowing about September 11 and understanding what it was like to live through it, several Norfolk Collegiate faculty and staff members shared their personal experiences.
- Coach Jon Hall recalled being on an airplane on Sept. 11 and having his flight diverted as the country’s airspace was shut down.
- Mrs. Whitney Perez spoke about experiencing the attacks as a student and, in the years that followed, watching her brother enlist in the military.
- Ms. Madeline Gondek was an elementary school student when the attacks occurred. She shared how the events affected her at a young age, including the fear of flying that developed afterward.
- Dr. Melanie Wattenbarger was a freshman in high school and remembered watching the events unfold on television while at school.
- Mrs. Ashleigh Lassiter recalled experiencing the day as a young child and being sent home from school early to watch the news with her military family. She brought a newspaper from Sept. 12, 2001, to share with students — a tangible reminder of how the country woke up the following morning.
- Mrs. Laura Booker was a ninth grader when the attacks occurred. In the years that followed, her work brought her into contact with families and children affected by the events, including through camps designed to help children heal.
“I was a 9th grader when the world changed on Sept. 11,” Booker shared. “And I think one of the most meaningful things I got to do afterward was to be a part of something that showed me that even after terrible things happen, people can still choose connection over division, friendship over fear and hope over hate. And that's something I carry with me today.”
Remembering the Whole Story
For those who lived through September 11, the question “Where were you on 9/11?” can bring back remarkably specific memories — where they were, whom they called, what they saw and how they tried to make sense of something that seemed impossible.
But remembering history is about more than preserving the details of what happened.
It is about asking what those events can teach us.
September 11 reminds us of the fragility of ordinary life. It reminds us of extraordinary courage and service. It reminds us of the ways people can come together in moments of crisis — and the ways fear can divide us.
As Norfolk Collegiate’s upper school students listened to the stories of their teachers and considered the events and their lasting impact, they were given an opportunity to do more than remember a date in history.
They were invited to understand the people who lived it, reflect on the decades that followed and consider what they can carry forward.
Twenty-five years later, perhaps one of the most meaningful ways to honor those who were lost is to continue to learn, remember the whole story and ask ourselves what kind of community we want to be — every day.
