Though the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001 occurred several years before today’s high school students were born, the EMT/Fire classes at Escalon High School put on a memorial program to observe the 23rd anniversary of the events.
The student presenters did research on a variety of aspects of the attacks, ranging from the hijacked planes striking the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center in New York City to the lingering health effects on first responders more than two decades later.
Class instructors Su and Seth Davis brought the idea forth a few years ago and students in the classes now put up the displays, provide those touring the program with information and also host activities such as decorating badges for first responders or writing messages of hope on leaves to add to a Survivor Tree.
“I’ve been doing this since my freshman year and I actually had this same project my freshman year,” junior Taylor Gillihan said of hosting the Survivor Tree display on Wednesday, Sept. 11 in the school’s Performing Arts Center. “It’s fun to do it again and try to make it better than it was.”
She also said she believes it’s an important program that is offered by the EMT/Fire classes on campus.
“I think it’s so amazing that we can put this on and let other people get to know more about it because I’m sure a lot of people (students) that come in here don’t know a lot about it,” Gillihan said. “It’s just good to think that we can help people understand what happened.”
Kamari Castro, a junior, was with a group of fellow students hosting the Hero Badges table, where students could decorate badges in honor of first responders, including the more than 300 New York City firefighters who perished on that day.
“I think it’s a good process,” Castro said of being involved in putting on the memorial program. “My plan after high school is to become a firefighter.”
Groups of students touring the memorial came in to the Performing Arts Center and had a certain amount of time to spend at each station, then rotated to the next.
EMT/Fire student Katherine Romero, a senior who serves in a leadership role with the class, was pleased with the way the display came together.
“I think they’re (student presenters) handling it pretty well; it’s nice because this is not only an opportunity to just learn about 9/11 but also for their skills (presenting it) and this is going to work for them later in life, I like how most of them have confidence,” explained Romero. “I’ve heard a lot of stories and I think it’s really impactful and every year I love it because I learn something new.”
For her personally, Romero said taking part in the memorial program is a good reminder to appreciate the people in your life, since there’s no way to know if or when tragedy might strike.
“I think it’s amazing because I also think of myself in this career,” Romero added of the heroism displayed by first responders on 9/11. “We should be grateful for those people … those are the people that give me hope in life, those that go above and beyond.”
