Recently shooting an assignment for @911memorial, I spent the day photographing students from Utah with their parents as they experienced the 9/11 Memorial & Museum for the first time.

The students had the opportunity to learn more about the events of that day with the Museum’s knowledgeable and friendly education department staff, watching video presentations, listening to lectures, handling artifacts, and recording their feelings and observations.

Students examine a piece of rendered steel excavated from Ground Zero.

Perhaps the most striking to me was the difference in the reactions of the parents and the students as they toured the Museum. To a person, the parents were decidedly moved as they re-lived the events of that harrowing day. The students, however, were more reserved and absorbing a great deal of information they may not have even known. 

As I watched this, it occurred to me that the students had not yet been born on 9/11/01. Yet, like me, every parent knew where they were, and exactly what they were doing when they first heard the news that a plane had struck the North Tower. 

That still feels like yesterday. The 9/11 Memorial & Museum is a must-see for anyone visiting the New York City area. For tickets, to schedule tours, and to inquire about educational opportunities for students and parents, please visit www.911memorial.org for more information.