First-Year Student Leads 9/11 Remembrance Event

Connor Brown has been a volunteer firefighter for nearly four years in his hometown of Watertown, NY. As a first-year student at Fisher, he wasted no time in these first few weeks of classes to mobilize and motivate floormates for a very special event.

On the morning of Thursday, Sept. 11, in memory of the first responders and all those who lost their lives 24 years ago on that day, Brown led a memorial stair climb in Ward Hall, inspired by climbs in which he has participated in the past in his role as a volunteer firefighter.

“I wanted to carry forward the ‘never forget’ mentality and honor those we lost on 9/11,” he said.

Originally, he and his roommate planned to go it alone. But, they decided to spread the word through Ward the night before with the goal of recruiting more students. By 5:30 a.m. the next morning, about 20 students joined them, a turnout Brown said he is “truly grateful for.” In total, the group climbed the equivalent of 110 flights of stairs in Ward Hall (11 trips up and down to the 5th floor).

“The experience was incredibly moving and filled me with gratitude. Many classmates later thanked me for organizing it and shared how meaningful it was for them to start their day in such a purposeful way,” reflected Brown.

He plans to organize the event again in the future, with more preparation and promotion to encourage more student participation.