Imagine running for your life, thinking of your family and future, praying that you are one of those who make it down the stairs, out into the streets, while smelling ash and smoke or being terrified that your city was next. Twenty-four years ago, this was the fate of thousands on September 11, 2001.

This day marks a moment in American history that changed the nation forever.

While none of the attacks happened in California, this day changed the lives of every single American. Through developments in airport security, school lessons and citizens’ daily lives, America continues to remember this tragic day.

United Airlines Pilot Brandon Falzon, husband of NDB math teacher, Kathleen Falzon, flies the same route as Flight 93, one of the planes involved in the 9/11 attacks. “Every time you walk out that door, you’re exposed to threats that you wouldn’t otherwise be exposed to at home,” shared Falzon.

He shared that, since 9/11, airports and planes have undergone big changes with, for example, the installation of bulletproof cockpit doors.

It is essential to remember the sacrifices of brave heroes, whether they were firefighters or community members and the patriotism that united people. It can be hard to imagine a time when America was united, but Humanities Teacher Wendy Connolly reminded students how New Yorkers came together then by showing the documentary “Operation Boatlift,” in which hundreds of boats saved people stranded in Lower Manhattan.

“When we study history, we remember the people who made an impact. Maybe some of these people didn’t make an impact on the greater country, but they were members of families, and they had jobs and friends. They made impacts on their communities,” said Connolly when asked why she shows this film.

Connolly is not the only teacher on campus who dedicates a class to 9/11, thus keeping the memory of the tragic day alive among students and honoring the legacy of those who died