The day I thought 9/11 might cancel my college entrance exam

Twenty-five years after the tragic events of September 11, 2001, I still reflect on the stark contrast between being present during a catastrophe and experiencing it firsthand. On that fateful day, I was a high school senior in South Korea, watching the events unfold on television. Two towers of the World Trade Center were engulfed in black smoke, and then another plane crashed into the second tower.

As the buildings crumbled, I felt a deep sense of fear and uncertainty about the potential consequences. However, another thought crossed my mind: perhaps this tragic event would lead to the cancellation of the college entrance exam, an important test I was scheduled to take in about two months. At that time, America seemed distant, while the exam was just around the corner.

Thankfully, my worries were unfounded, as the suneung, the rigorous national exam that heavily influences university admissions, remained unaffected. The next day, I returned to school and resumed studying, determined to pass the exam. Two months later, I sat down to take the test, just as planned. After completing my mandatory military service and returning to university, I had the opportunity to meet an American exchange student named Timothy, who hailed from New York City.