FABIUS, N.Y. (WSYR-TV) — Most everyone who was alive for 9/11 has an “I remember where I was” moment.
“I had actually just started teaching here at Fabius Pompey,” Matthew Neuner, Mr. Neuner said to his students. “I was literally in my sixth day here.”
Did Mr. Neuner know at this moment, that that would become the history he would teach?
“It didn’t immediately set in because there was so much unknown at that moment of ‘why was this happening?’” Mr. Neuner said.
23 years later Mr. Neuner is still at Fabius Pompey teaching history. Only now, he’s teaching something he experienced as a history lesson to students who weren’t alive yet.
“You know our students right now weren’t alive at that point but the more that you can share stories of the people that were there or bring in stories from their parents or other loved ones that can start to allow them to develop or understand a history behind it,” Mr. Neuner explained.
Mr. Neuner teaches history so it’s not doomed to repeat itself, but also, in 9/11’s case, to share the stories of heroism by the first responders, those in the trade center, and those on the planes.