By Mark Ambrogi
Mary Robison was getting ready for her New Augusta South Public Academy fourth and fifth graders to arrive when the first plane hit the World Trade Center in 2001.
Fifteen years later, Robison invited those New Augusta students to visit her Westfield Intermediate School fifth grade class Sept. 9 to share those memories. Also attending was Dr. Sarena McKinnie, former New Augusta principal, now a superintendent in Michigan.
McKinnie had to tell the teachers to turn off the TVs as the students were coming in.
Her Westfield students prepared questions for her former students, who came from across the nation to share.
“I hope they made a bridge across the years where they have a little piece of it and they’ll carry it forever,” Robison said. “I think we have an obligation to reach across the generation and help them connect to events that shape their country.”
Robison was sitting with her husband, Scott, Zionsville Community Schools superintendent, when she decided it would be a good idea to have her former students come to her class. She decided to contact a few on Facebook and they immediately agreed to return.
This class had a special connection to the 9/11 attacks. Robison had that New Augusta class mail letters to babies, who were born on Sept. 11.
“When we mailed those letters off, I forgot all about it and the kids did, too,” Robison said.
The next school year USA Weekend magazine did a cover story, featuring some of the letters. The students were honored by Indianapolis Mayor Bart Peterson as well.
“Those letters Mrs. Robison had us write to the babies really helped me focus on what’s good in our country,” said Becca Baker, now an organizational psychologist at the Pentagon in Washington, D.C. “I remember the overwhelming unity that came after 9/11 and not the bad things. I think our country being a good place to live and protect is something I became passionate about.”
Danny Gronde, one of Robison’s returning students, did two tours with the U.S. Army in Afghanistan.
“I knew from 9/11 that I was going to join the military, there were no ifs, ands or buts,” Gronde said. “I told every teacher that until the day I graduated. Seven days after I graduated, I was in basic training.”
