Isaiah's Story

The historical consequences of an event as massive as September 11th are difficult to relate to young people who have no personal knowledge of the day. In 2015, as students were familiarized with the upcoming 9:57 Project trip to the Flight 93 memorial later in the school year, none of them had any first-hand knowledge of the day. Except for Isaiah.
Isaiah was born on September 11th. In 2001, he was in daycare eagerly anticipating a birthday party. Although his father ensured that his birthday was celebrated, it was done so in a subdued manner. Isaiah did not celebrate his birthday on September 11th for years, until a transformative experience with The 9:57 Project began on Veteran's Day, 2015. And what is so remarkable is not just the impact that we had on Isaiah, but the impact that Isaiah had on us. Isaiah "flipped the script."
The link below details the story of our connection with Isaiah and the power of the past to inspire the future.

Not detailed in the story is how on his next birthday, Isaiah received a series of phone calls from military veterans. The last call came from the Pentagon - from Cayton Johnson, an Army Officer on duty at the National Military Command Center - that morning. The following year, Cayton hosted Isaiah and The 9:57 Project co-founder John Hamilton for a tour of the Pentagon (pictured above). Isaiah and the two literally walked the corridors of power; all in an effort to ensure that a young man could be proud of the day he was born.

isaiah's story

THE 9:57 PROJECT