Unintended Consequences

Not a single student that sat before me at Community this Friday was alive on September 11, 2001.  As a point of comparison, when I was in middle school, President Kennedy’s assassination was as far in the past as 9/11 was for the students that sat before me.  The difference, however, is that all BHS students - present, past and future, are connected to the events that occurred on that fateful Tuesday in 2001.  During Community on Friday, I helped them understand their connection.

On September 11, 2001, Emily Ricard was working in finance in New York City.  While she was not working in the twin towers, her office was in the World Trade Center complex.  Fortunately, she made it safely out of harm’s way that morning, but the tragic events of that day led Emily to reconsider her impact on the world.  To make a much longer story more concise, Emily transitioned into the world of education - teaching math in Harlem for several years, then eventually, founding The Beech Hill School.

On September 11, 2001, terrorists attempted to let hatred and evil deeds change forever the United States.  Something else resulted from that day that the terrorists never could have imagined.  When Emily Ricard left her work in finance and eventually decided to found The Beech Hill School, she created a school that teaches students to value kindness, empathy, and respect.  Our students develop a strong moral compass at The Beech Hill School, and they take that with them into the world.

Twenty-five years ago, terrorists thought that their evil deeds could win the day.  Twenty-five years later, Emily Ricard’s decision to found The Beech Hill School, which has graduated over 100 students and will continue to do so in perpetuity, safeguards the notion that goodness will always prevail over evil.