When I think back to my life before September 11, 2001, the person I was then feels almost unrecognizable. I was 18 and had just graduated high school in the top two percent of my class. I was studying early childhood education at a community college in Arizona and planned to become a teacher.
I was living in Maricopa County, near Luke Air Force Base, when I woke up to news that a plane had hit the North Tower of the World Trade Center. At first, I assumed it was a terrible accident. Then I watched a second plane strike the South Tower and felt a wave of fear and confusion.
I drove to campus, only to find classes had been cancelled. On the way home, I noticed there were no planes in the sky, which was strange given how close we were to the air force base. As I watched events unfold, I felt an overwhelming urge to do something.
That was when I decided to enlist in the Army. America was a very different place then. The response to 9/11 was unlike anything I've seen since.
People from all walks of life and across the political spectrum came together around a common purpose. About two weeks later, I was sitting in a recruiter's office. He asked me, "How soon do you want to go?" I replied, "As soon as you can send me." My parents were shocked.
No one in my family had done anything like it before. I didn't tell them I was considering enlisting and, by the time I spoke to them, I'd already signed up and would be leaving within a month. My mom probably cried for a week.
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