I think the best way to honor their legacy is through service to others. Most of us won't face the challenges they did, but we all have opportunities to make a difference, whether that's helping a neighbor, mentoring a student, volunteering, or simply leading with integrity. Small acts of service strengthen our communities and carry forward the spirit they demonstrated.

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Christina Sirna, DNP, RNC-MNN, PHN, CLC

What do you think is important for people who were born after 2001 to understand about September 11th?

For those who were born after 2001, I think it is important to understand that September 11 was more than a historical event. It changed how we viewed the world and our sense of safety. It also changed everyday life in lasting ways, including how we travel and the security measures that are now simply part of our lives.

I was pregnant with my first child at the time, and she was born just a few months later. I remember the fear and uncertainty I felt, wondering what kind of world I was bringing a new life into. Like so many others, I can still remember exactly where I was and what I was doing that day.

Although it was a horrific time in our nation's history, I also remember the incredible unity that followed. Americans came together with compassion, patriotism, and a shared sense of purpose. Twenty-five years later, I hope younger generations understand both parts of that legacy: the tremendous loss and sacrifice, but also the courage, unity, and compassion that followed. It continues to remind me how proud I am to be an American.

How can we honor the legacy of those who responded to September 11th through acts of service in our own communities?

We can honor those who responded on September 11 by remembering that service does not always require a grand gesture. It can be found in helping a neighbor, caring for someone in need, serving our communities, and simply being willing to step forward for others.

This is especially meaningful to me because members of my own family have served as fire department captains in Kansas City, Missouri. Their service has given me a deep appreciation for the commitment and sacrifices first responders and their families make every day.

One of the greatest lessons I remember from September 11 was how Americans came together. We can honor those we lost and those who served by carrying that spirit forward: serving others, caring for our communities, choosing compassion over division, and remembering that there is far more that unites us than separates us.

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Andrew Whitford, EdD, MSc

Assistant Professor of Criminology 

What do you think is important for people who were born after 2001 to understand about September 11th?

When the attacks happened, I was living and working in Canada. The first indication of the problem was a radio broadcast that reported a plane had hit the World Trade Center. All of us in the office imagined some kind of tourist plane and a small impact with some loss of life.  As we gathered around a television, we thought we were watching a replay of a passenger jet hitting the first tower, but we were actually watching the second plane, live, hitting the second tower. Several minutes later, the reality set in. Canada was in shock just as America was. Before 9/11, terrorism was something that happened far away. Most of us would never be impacted by its terrible reality. I struggled to understand it. The world changed for everyone after that day. That is the reason it is important for the new generation to understand it. It was life-changing, much the same way Pearl Harbor was life-changing for previous generations. I don’t believe this generation has yet to experience a similar soul-shocking event. It is therefore important to honor and recognize those involved. The victims, their families, the law enforcement that ran towards the scene, and especially the firefighters who ran into the scene. Be grateful and be involved when you think about your community helpers. Whether it is a teacher, nurse, doctor, police, firefighter, etc., be gracious and understanding, and when they need your support, give it. Take time to reflect on the price of our freedom, and when you are lucky enough to be in a position to help others, help them, just as those who ran towards the devastation were so generous in making the ultimate sacrifice in pursuit of helping others.

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Amanda Quantz, PhD

Professor of Theology

What do you think is important for people who were born after 2001 to understand about September 11th?

It is tempting for U.S. Americans to think of our country as a self-contained democracy and the gold standard for a moral society. On September 11, 2001, I was doing research in Florence, Italy. I went to a coffee shop to make a call from a payphone at 3 p.m. local time. All eyes were on a small TV in the corner. It was the height of the tourist season but by 5 p.m. most of the stores in Florence had posted notes on their doors that said they would be closed for business for the next few days in solidarity with the United States. They made a financial sacrifice because they knew we needed their moral support. In the town squares they listened for people who were speaking English and expressed compassion in small ways. Italians witnessed our vulnerability, saw themselves in our reflection and responded in the moment. In 2026, those of us who live in relative safety are being called to care for our vulnerable neighbors. Nationality, race, and immigration status are accidents of birth. In the midst of a national crisis an ocean away, Italians responded to strangers with love. Today our country’s ethical challenge is to resist false ideas about superiority and practice compassion that might involve a sacrifice.

How can we honor the legacy of those who responded to September 11th through acts of service in our own communities?

Acts of service can be ordinary or extraordinary, but most occur in everyday moments. On 9/11 some of my family members lived on John Street, three blocks from the World Trade Center. As a young adult, one of my cousins opened the front door of his building just as the first tower began to collapse. A few feet away was a woman running from the site. Instead of slamming the door at the moment of catastrophe, he intercepted her and pulled her into his building. While the result was extraordinary, his action was ordinary. He simply reached out to her rather than pull back. What might happen if we reach out just a few feet beyond our comfort zone? How might an ordinary act of service become the difference between sadness and joy, community and isolation or even life and death for a friend or stranger?

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Adrianne Ford, PhD

Associate Professor, Marketing and Management Program Director

What do you think is important for people who were born after 2001 to understand about September 11th?

The September 11, 2001 attacks brought us together as a country. I can remember seeing pictures of survivors covered in dust from the fallen towers and realizing that their race, color, and age were indistinguishable. The dust made them look alike.

Bottom line - the attacks were equalizers. The day’s events didn’t discriminate. If you were an American, flying on American or United Airlines, working in the Pentagon’s or the Twin Towers you were a target.

The day’s events affected everyone. Rich, poor, New Yorkers, citizens from other states and countries were on the highjacked planes, working in the Twin Towers, Pentagon and first responder units. Everyone suffered.

As a result, patriotism hit an all-time high. No one blamed God, instead, everyone began praying and serving Him – serving each other again.

Men and women volunteered for military service as a viable career pursuit.

9/11 wasn’t just a singular event or point in time. It was a game-changer. Being at war became normalized. Travel irrevocably changed. As a result of the 9/11 attacks, none of us can park outside of the airports anymore. We’re all subjected to TSA security checks and the now routine 2-to-3-hour advance check-in requirements. Liquids are scrutinized, and I can no longer carry my nail file in my purse.

9/11 was so impactful, I remember it every time I fly because everything is different now. For example, I no longer can walk a family member all the way to the gate, watch them board the plan and sit at in the chairs watching the plane taxi down the runway, take flight and disappear into the sky. My loved ones can surprise me at the gate when I return home standing there greeting me as a I disembark with hugs. We now drop each other off and keep it moving.

Everyone born after 9/11 inherited this new form of travel.

9/11 shaped all of our lives.

Those born before and after 9/11/01 alike endure TSA scanners, metal detectors and bag checks.

Hopefully we learned from it so that we’re now less likely to be caught unaware ever again. That stated, we can’t grow complacent. We must forever remain on high alert with our heads on a swivel thanks to 9/11.

No, people born after 9/11/01 didn’t experience it but they live in the shadow of it every day. The Department of Homeland Security was created to protect us. Created to proactively scrutinize active terror threats in defense of our great nation. So far…. So good. I pray we don’t relegate it to a distant event and memory but keep it top of line because we can’t afford to grow comfortable or complacent without crossing the line of paranoia because enemies of the state may very well be among us now – same as then.

Today, the country is more terror conscious than it was before 9/11 out of necessity. Terrorism is impersonal, cruel and absolute. For this reason, none of us can ever forget 9/11/01. If we do, we dishonor those who lost their lives.

How can we honor the legacy of those who responded to September 11 through acts of service in our own communities?

Firemen and first responders ran up 100 flights of stairs in the Twin Towers each carrying 20+ pounds of fire hose past Tower employees who were quickly evacuating both buildings. They died in service and lower Manhattan and the outer Burroughs lost almost the majority of the police force and fire departments.

Passengers on Flight 93 died thwarting a terror attack presumably aimed at the Nation’s Capital.

We owe it to God to live appreciably, with gratitude and with intentionality. We should never take anything for granted because life is precious. Wars, natural disasters, financial pandemics, disease, chronic illnesses, and potential terrorist attacks are the cruel visitors none of us want to experience. Because life can change in a blink of an eye. We owe it to ourselves, and to our families, friends and communities to never grow complacent, judgmental or distant from the pain of others.

We all should give generously from the treasures of our time, talent and other resources to help those suffering through the ravages of tragedy as members of God’s family. Jesus told us to love and to obey God and to love our brother as we love ourselves. We must.

I pray that everyone born after 9/11 at least internalize all they learned from the COVID pandemic because it’s the closest event they have to put context with the 9/11 events. The biggest lesson all of us can remember from 9/11 and even COVID is to honor God and to never crave or expect business or life to return to business as ‘usual’ because life irrevocably changes with life-changing events. The key is to wisely move forward with reverence while honoring those we lost.