Service is a response to Loss that leads to Resiliency.
"When you are hurting, look for something you can do for someone else, no matter how small and do it. That will make you feel better."
-Susan Baer,
General Manager of Newark Airport on 9/11
Resiliency is the ability to "bounce back" from adversity.
"Reclaiming the Sky" tells the story of aviation employees in Boston, New York/Newark and Washington, DC who performed in extraordinary fashion during the national attack, one in which their industry was used as the means. The book's key theme around "service" is reflected in the comment by Susan Baer, the General Manager of Newark Airport, who said, "When you are hurting, look for something you can do for someone else."
Working in today's aviation industry can be challenging. There's Covid, along with security challenges, high traffic and more. Young Professionals, those under 40 years of age, can apply the service theme reflected in the heroes' stories as a crucial step in learning how to be resilient and perform at their peak.
The stories show how the pathway to moving forward after loss is, as Susan Baer said, to find a "purpose."
The project is conducted by the Human Resiliency Institute at Fordham University in partnership with Airports Council Int'l - North America.
In 2024, we're offering the project to aviation's Young Professionals as an expansion of the "pilot" we offered for YP's in 2023:
SPRING: a Zoom Orientation open to aviation employees under 40 who register with us. Program mechanics will be outlined, Mentors (including industry leaders as well as aviation employees from the book) will be introduced and copies of the "Reclaiming the Sky" ebook will be provided.
SUMMER: read the book over the summer at your own pace. "Reclaiming the Sky" profiles airport and airline employees in Boston, New York and Washington, DC who came to work in the morning of September, 11, 2001 expecting a normal day, only to find that "just doing my job" was to become the creed of heroes. An ONLINE workshop will be offered in August to give Young Professional participants and Mentors a chance to discuss the lessons, and explore how to apply them to meet today's challenges. Participants will have a chance to write a short essay to express what they learn.
FALL: Essay winners will be announced in early September, as part of commemorating the anniversary of 9/11. Essay winners, including first, second and third place, with cash prizes of $1000, $500 and $250, will be recognized at ACI-NA's annual conference in Long Beach, CA in late September and presented with awards.
ELIGIBILTY: Participation is open to the first 25 Young Professionals who register. Those under 40 years of age who are employees of ACI-NA member airports and service companies are eligible. You'll be asked to commit to reading the book, participating in the August discussion of the lessons and writing a 500/700 word essay.
Are you under 40 and an aviation Young Professional? Any questions about this project, contact Tom Murphy, Director, Human Resiliency Institute at Fordham University at tom@edge4vets.org.
In September 2021 a "pilot" for this resiliency project was offered to commemorate the 20th Anniversary of 9/11. For background on how the success of that pilot has led to this expansion, see this ABC News clip, also return to the HOME page.
