A crowd gathered inside Fire Department Headquarters at 1164 Centre Street on Monday, to honor the eight Newton residents who were killed in the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. To ensure the tragedy isn’t forgotten – especially in Newton, where eight victims lived – a local nonprofit created the scholarships to encourage students to learn about the events of that devastating day. This is the first year the Newton 9-11 Memorial Committee awarded these scholarships.
The scholarship winners are first-prize winner Allison Wu, a senior at Newton South; second-prize winner Nyla Sharif, a senior at Dana Hall; and third-prize winner James Dandrea, a senior at Newton North.
Flowers were left at the Newton 9-11 Memorial on Monday, ahead of the annual commemoration held at Newton Fire Headquarters at 1164 Centre Street. (photo: Julie M. Cohen) 
The Newton 9-11 Memorial is located outside of Newton Fire Headquarters at 1164 Centre Street. (photo: Julie M. Cohen) 
The Honor Guard inside Fire Headquarters at 1164 Centre Street. on Monday, to honor the eight Newton residents who were killed in the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. (photo: Julie M. Cohen) 
From right: First-place winner Allison Wu, a senior at Newton South, and second-prize winner Nyla Sharif, a senior at Dana Hall. Behind them are Tom Mountain, who announced the award winners, and Bill Heck, a committee member who emceed the evening’s remembrance event. 
From right: Third-prize scholarship winner James Dandrea, a senior at Newton North; committee member Ginny Gardner; and Bill Heck, a committee member who emceed the evening’s remembrance event. (photo: Julie M. Cohen) 
A crowd gathered inside Fire Headquarters at 1164 Centre Street. on Monday, to honor the eight Newton residents who were killed in the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. Speakers at the annual event include the victims’ family members. (photo: Julie M. Cohen) 
Seth Bai, Newton’s director of veterans’ services, is seen speaking on Monday inside Fire Headquarters at the annual ceremony honoring those who were killed during the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks. Speakers at the event included family members of the eight victims from Newton. (by: Julie M. Cohen) 
After the terror attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, Anthony Amore helped rebuild security at Logan International Airport as part of the newly formed Transportation Security Administration (TSA). He is seen speaking on Monday inside Fire Headquarters in Newton Centre at the annual ceremony honoring those who were killed that tragic day 22 years ago. Amore praised the bravery of passengers on Flight 93, saying, “they fought for their country, too,” by rushing the cockpit of the doomed plane. Other speakers at the event included family members of the eight victims from Newton. (photo: Julie M. Cohen) 
Mayor Ruthanne Fuller is seen speaking on Monday inside Fire Headquarters at the annual ceremony honoring those who were killed during the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks. Speakers at the event included family members of the eight victims from Newton. Fuller praised city police, firefighters and EMTs for their service when reflecting on the sacrifices made by emergency workers lost on 9/11. (photo: Julie M. Cohen) 
A man played Taps at the end of the annual ceremony honoring victims of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. The remembrance took place inside Fire Headquarters at 1164 Centre Street. on Monday. Speakers at the annual event include the victims’ family members. (photo: Julie M. Cohen)
None of the winners of the first Newton 9-11 Memorial Scholarship were born when almost 3,000 people were killed 22 years ago during the deadliest terrorist attacks on U.S. soil.
Each rising senior applying for a scholarship wrote an essay after visiting the Newton 9-11 Memorial in Newton Centre — which is situated outside of Newton Fire Headquarters — describing their experience visiting the site. The winners’ essays are here: Allison Wu, Nyla Sharif, and James Dandrea.
“One of the goals of building the 9/11 memorial is education,” said Sande Young, founder of the Newton 9-11 Memorial Committee. The nonprofit “was created to design, raise funds for, and install a memorial to the tragedies and heroes of 9/11 in Newton,” according to the group’s website.
“We need to understand the lessons that can be learned from [9/11] and to appreciate our first responders,” said Young. “These are important things that need to be taught.”
“The impact of the attacks and lives lost should never be forgotten, and that starts with the education of students to keep the legacy alive,” said first-prize winner Allison Wu.
“All of the people who boarded those flights had families who cared deeply about them, had life events that they were looking forward to, and had been wrongfully killed in the incident,” wrote Wu, who was awarded a $1,000 scholarship. “To me, it is a reminder to treasure the life that we have, to live in a way that will be meaningful and impactful, and to appreciate our loved ones while they are still around.”
She praised the design, writing, “The part that really connected with me was seeing the real time events written out on the steps of the memorial. Seeing the hours that led up to the event made the entire experience more intense and made seeing the names of victims even more devastating.”
A timeline of what happened that day is carved into the memorial, written in a straightforward manner. Visitors learn that eight Newton residents “just like them … got up that morning, boarded an airplane … and were gone,” said committee member Ginny Gardner.
“This memorial acts as a source of information, but is an expression of art open to interpretation,” wrote Sharif, who was awarded a $500 scholarship.
During her visit, Sharif reflected on her own family, and how the events of 9/11 continue to reverberate.
“I come from a Muslim family. For many years my family and I were seen as a threat. In elementary school I was told I could be the next terrorist and how I must have similar morals as the 9/11 hijackers,” she wrote. “Visiting the memorial allowed me to find comfort in my identity as a young Muslim woman; it allowed me to let go of the shame I felt sitting in my fifth-grade classroom as the social studies teacher talked about terrorism, and I made heads turn.”
All three seniors also wrote about those who were killed and the deep sadness felt by loved ones left behind.
“The unimaginable amount of terror and pain the victims and their families had to go through are unfathomable for someone in my position,” wrote Sharif.
Gardner said the memorial illustrates “life is fragile.”
Moved by the tragedy, Dandrea, who was awarded a $500 scholarship, concluded his essay with a wish: “May comfort and peace be brought to the families of the deceased, and may those who died rest in peace.”
“Our world changed that day. We can’t hide that,” said Gardner.
For more information on the Newton 9-11 Memorial Committee and scholarship, visit https://newton9-11.org/
A Boston Marathon runner raised funding for the nonprofit which was used for the scholarships. Donations to fund future scholarships may be made by check written to the Newton 9-11 Memorial Committee and mailed to treasurer Jan Huffman, 27 Indiana Terrace, Newton 02464-1314.
NewTV Coverage of the 9/11 Commemoration cermony:
