the following is a cnn special report. 16 kids. >> my mom, she took a little bit of extra time getting me prepared for the day. >> the children were facing president bush and myself. >> school kids with a front row to history. >> good morning. >> when he walked in the room, i was like, oh, my gosh. that's him. >> this is actually the president, i could touch him if i wanted to reach out. >> until the unimaginable happened. >> a plane has crashed into one of the towers there.

>> innocence lost. >> join me in a moment of silence. >> he kept saying a terrorist attack, a terrorist attack. >> 20 years later. >> so you think that day affected your life, who you are today? >> not many people would have thought i would have become a cop. >> i've had my stumbles, you know, i've been to prison twice. >> it's always going to be a part of our lives. >> there was only 16 of us with him. we get to be the people that tell the story. >> tonight, their stories in a cnn special report. "front row to history, the 9/11 classroom." hello, i'm victor blackwell. most of us remember where we were on september 11th, 2001.

i was in college, and i remember clearly walking into class and seeing my professor fixated on a tv. his hand was over his mouth, and i looked at the tv, and i saw smoke billowing from a skyscraper. at that moment, that was all i knew. i also remember seeing the president surrounded by young school kids that morning. we later learned that president george w. bush got word of the first plane that crashed into the world trade center as he was on his way to visit a classroom in sarasota, florida. he was there to honor a second grade class for their academic achievements. the president of the united states. and they were star struck. then andy card walked in, and the image of the then white house chief of staff whispering to the president that a second plane had hit the world trade center, as those children watched, is still haunting 20 years later. those students are now 27 years old. and i wondered what ever happened to those kids and their teacher.

do they remember that day? how do they feel two decades later about their connection to one of the most terrifying and consequential events in american history. >> the day i discovered that the white house was coming to m.e. booker, i was sworn to secrecy. so imagine, i had to, for three months, as much as i talk. >> the earliest memory i have of that is we were in front of a black board. we're being told that our reading comprehension grade went from, i think it was a d, and then we bumped it up to a b or maybe an a. as a result of that, the

president of the united states would be coming out to visit us, so we would be congratulated. >> what we found is a good curriculum based upon the science of reading. >> president bush was pushing his no child left behind education reform bill. this was going to be a stop to meet with the students and then have a round table discussion with, you know, educators. >> when i was told i was the host teacher, i was like, this is getting real. my 16 little ones are going to be in the presence of the president, how cool is that? how special is that? it was quite a big thing. quite a big thing. >> this is the m.e. booker school, across the tracks. okay. in newtown.

we were not the popular school in the district. they did so well that president bush had to come here to see them. we didn't have to go to him. he came to us. >> why do you think you did so well? >> i think it's mainly because they wanted better for us students at the time, and they put their blood, sweat and tears into us. >> what i remember the most is just the love that was in that classroom, with my classmates, the teacher, just the whole school. >> when did you arrive? >> we arrived the night before. >> do you know why you came in the night before? >> i think he might have been having dinner with his brother, maybe. >> i found out the night before. >> and what did you think once you heard it? >> i was like, what, i was going to be in the class to read to the president, and i didn't know what that meant. >> i was definitely excited. like i was dancing around in the

living room. i was competitive so i always felt like the president's coming, i can show off my skills a little bit, i'm a fast reader. >> how was the preparation for a teacher, the president is coming to your classroom? >> it was easy because we didn't change anything we'd normally do. m.e. booker is one of the best kept secrets in sarasota county. because what you see is what we do every day. >> what time does the day start on september 11th for you? >> around 6:00 a.m. i remember loading up the press pool in a smaller motorcade and being, you know, casual. it was pretty warm that day. and the president went for a jog at a local golf course. >> tax cuts. >> not right now. i am going to talk about education though. >> i got ready at my grandmother's house that

morning, she ironed my clothes, breakfast, everything. >> my parents made sure i got a haircut, clean uniform. >> i was waiting with the press pool out on the golf course while the president was running. i got stung by a bee. and i told the doctor, it kind of hurts, he goes, okay, don't worry about it, i've got it in the medical unit on board air force one, and i have to say, i have never thought about it again. >> i was running late at the time. and the moment i got in mrs. dean's class tlrvhere's a lot m people. >> we missed like one or two classmates who weren't able to make it in time. >> and then we loaded back up and got back to the hotel, and that was a quick change, and it was time to get the press pool back into the vans.

>> when we got to school, it was like secret service everywhere. and i'm like, why are all these people here. >> they were like, we need to check your bags. when you're 7, it's like, okay, what is happening. my mom tells me that i told her the men in black were at the school. >> there were people on horses, people in cars. the funny thing is there were actually people in trees. >> they were very discreet about some things i to this day don't even know happened in my classroom, i found out afterwards. security was in the rafters. there was security in the restroom. my desk was searched, my home, my family, everything. >> the motorcade as we left the hotel was a very casual, loading up, was handing newspaper clips

out, press were grabbing laptops and cameras and things. it was a very normal start to a day with the president. >> was the president looking forward to in? >> yeah, absolutely. he was in a great mood. he would we would have a good event and then head home. >> i'm the first one in my classroom. i made sure all the chairs were straight. making sure he had his seat ready, the books are ready. >> i remember that they told us we weren't allowed to turn around because there was all of these cameras. i was very hyper. did not like to sit still. >> everybody's vying for a space to get the best angle, the best shot. >> i think we set out around 8:00 a.m. or something like that from the school.

>> we were in here talking and, you know, i'm trying to keep them entertained and we're having a good time, a normal day with the exception of why are all these people on campus, who are these people? >> this just in, you are looking at obviously a very disturbing live shot there. >> we were getting very close to the elementary school, and everyone's pagers started, you know, buzzing, buzzing, buzzing. >> we'll talk about it later. >> tonight, join cnn for a special 9/11, 20th anniversary tribute with robert de niro, and leonardo dicaprio, and performances by her, and common. shine a light hosted by jake tapper at 8:00.

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fisher investments is clearly different. >> take me back to the beginning. give me the story of sarasota. >> 1921, sarasota succeeded from manatee county. it wasn't but 10, 12,000 people in this end of the county at that time. now, this is myrtle street. this is the northern boundary of the colored section. >> the colored section? >> yeah, this is what we were. we were going to be servants. we was going to be the service employees, and that's all we got now. we have very little manufacturing, very little technical stuff. they was going to be the playground for the wealthy, and they was going to cater to

banks, sun, sand and fun. this is the story of our community. >> how has sarasota changed? >> not much. >> really? >> not much. because we are still a service-based community. we still are rather impoverished. >> when you found out the president was here for the reading. >> reading class. >> reading class, what did you think about the school, about the accomplishment and his acknowledgment? >> it was a proud moment for me. we have outstanding teachers. >> bye my love, i'll see you. >> ms. daniels is the reason why the president came because of her program, and her success. >> what's it feel like to be back this tin this room, althous different, what does it feel like? >> i started here in 1993. this is my starting school. this is my home. read, read, read, read, read.

the teachers were here day and night, reading, teaching, teaching reading, but they did the hard work, and they made the gains and that's why president bush was here to congratulate him. >> the principal of this school asked you to greet the president. >> i knew i didn't have to do anything but to say hello, shake a few hands, so i was pretty much calm at that point in time. >> when did things change that morning on the way in? >> we were getting very close to the elementary school, and everyone's pagers started, you know, buzzing, buzzing, buzzing. we get these notes from the white house situation room that a plane has crashed into the world trade center. >> the motorcade probably arrived around 8:35, 8:40-ish. >> the motorcade turned into emma e. booker. what happened once the car stopped and the president stepped out?

>> i've never seen people jump out of a motorcade all up and down the line from all the cars so quickly. and it was the president's senior aides running to tell the president what had happened. >> when he first arrived, we didn't immediately greet him at that point in time. they said he needs to take this call. >> the president comes into the hold room, everyone was trying to gather information, pages from the white house situation room were coming in with additional information. >> good morning. >> did you know by the time that he came in what had happened in new york? >> no, we did not. the only thing we knew was that it was something important, and something was happening. >> what was your impression? >> he was very relaxed, very reserved, but very present. >> what did you expect a president to look like or be? >> it was kind of weird. i had this kind of regal, like, expectation. i mean, i'm 7 years old so i still have a bit of an

imagination, i'm thinking a man with a crown walking in. it was nice to see that's the man that's the leader of our country, a simple man at the end of the day. >> i just remember him being very nice, welcoming, it wasn't nerve racking or he didn't seem intimidating or anything. >> honestly, what i expected. . >> i remember him standing up and greeting us, maybe shook a few hands. >> then he started talking, i think it was either to dynasty, natalie or mariah about his dogs and daughters. >> chantelle, the imagine of you with your hand over your heart, do you remember why your hand was over your heart? >> i remember when he walked in, being star struck because i was like, oh, my gosh, that's him, and kind of being like a little flustered. i've got this like cheesy grin on my face, and my hand is like over my heart, you know, when you do the pledge of allegiance, he's important, like. >> i had given him lessons on

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as the motorcade arrives, and the president comes into this room, the hold room, the pool goes separately, the press pool and goes straight to the classroom to set up in the back of the classroom, so the pool, with the print reporters and television reporters are in the back. the kids are in their chairs or on the floor in front, and then

the teacher and the seat for the president are set up in the front. >> this is my classroom. >> and he came through this door. >> this exact door. this is the door. i was sitting up here. >> okay. >> book easel, president bush's chair. >> was there a greeting that you had rehearsed with the class when the president walked in. >> no, there was no greeting. i tried to keep it as natural as possible. >> this is regal, our former principal. >> he comes to the classroom all the time to observe, but when they saw him come in with her, they were a little, is this really the president. they were very spontaneous, they knew how to behave. >> would you please stand and recognize the president of the united states. >> good morning. >> good morning. >> how are you? >> when the president walked in the classroom, like, we all kind of froze a little bit. because i'm like, oh, my

goodness, that's george bush, like, that's the president. >> describe from your perspective his mood, his energy, as he crosses in to meet the children. >> probably a little bit more serious than he normally would going into a classroom full of young kids. >> great to meet everybody. >> but what he tried to do was convey an air of calm, and excitement to be with the children, but he definitely looked like someone with more on his mind. >> this is the book that the president president read in mrs. daniel's room on 9/11. what was the lesson that day? >> everybody together. the pet goat. >> she had us get our books from under our seats and to open it up to the right page, and then of course ms. daniels would always start off by saying, get ready. >> get ready.

>> the pet go. >> and then -- and then she would tap her stick, her reading stick, and then we would start. she told us to start reading. >> get ready. >> a girl had a pet goat. >> that was a pencil. >> go on. >> just a little pencil to keep the beat. >> i don't remember, like, being anxious about reading. >> one day her dad said. >> it was like walking. we just like knew what to do, and we were like, wanted to show it off. >> a lot of people say, you know, you guys look so good and so well mannered but that was every day. ms. daniels drove a tight ship. it wasn't for the president. that was every day. >> what's behind the word said? >> comma. >> and what does that comma mean, slow down. >> we were good at it. there wasn't nothing to be nervous about. >> that was not a performance. >> no. >> they did the work and they were in front of the president, and they were holding their own.

it was authentic, and what you saw were my babies doing what we did every single day. and i felt like a proud mama. >> what was your impression of mrs. daniels' class? >> they were loving the talk by the president. if you were around them enough, you would know by the way he smiled, how much fun he was having with the kids in reading to them, so it was going really well, until it wasn't. >> and all i could see was this image of a man coming towards the president, and i'm thinking, who is this, why is this happening, this should not be happening. >> at some point, then white house chief of staff andy card walks up to the president. >> he came from the president's right, right here, isn't it. i was standing in the back with the press, and we were whispering to each other, this is odd. this is unusual. what do you think this is? >> when i saw him whisper to the

president, i knew something devastating had happened. >> i thought the way his facial expression turned and his face got red, i thought he had to use the bathroom. i don't know what's going on. >> the president's face kind of contorted a little bit. >> i was waiting for security to come and take care of the matter, but no security came. >> he kind of regained his composure, and continued on with, you know, the lesson and with us reading. >> he was supposed to pick up the book immediately and participate with the reading lesson. but he didn't. >> i could feel president bush leave the room mentally, spiritually. >> you could see he was staring off into the distance in some ways, but then trying to come back to, wait, i've got a task at hand that needs to be finished, which is i can't frighten these kids. i can't send a signal to the world. the press is filming, the tv is rolling, sound is going, he's thinking we need to finish this off, and then i need to calmly get back into this hold room,

and get more information. >> after we finished the lesson. >> please step outside. >> we'll talk about it later. >> he came back out and he shook me hand, and he said, i have to leave to go address the nation. >> coming up. >> i thought it was like us, i thought we did something wrong. >> he was gone like whoosh, really quickly. >> i unfortunately will be going back to washington after my remarks. >> and i couldn't believe that the day started so joyously and then it ended so tragically.

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did you find out before the president did that the country was under attack. >> yes, if i recall, i did. because the secret service wanted the president to leave pretty immediately, like we've got to get moving. because we don't know what's happening, and the president of the united states is obviously a target. >> i don't think the pool knew. you were in and out of this room, so you had different knowledge. the only thing going through my mind was what has happened here,

like what has happened here? >> so andy card has come in, and he's told the president, the president leaves a few minutes later to come back into this room. they're gathering information. the president's back on the phone with communicators back in the white house. >> do you remember what you're thinking? now your teacher has been pulled into another room, the president's leaving early. >> we definitely felt like something was wrong. we was just all trying to figure out what it was that was wrong. >> i do remember, like, being confused because we knew that he was supposed to be with us for the whole day, and then like ms. daniels left. something is not right. >> i needed a moment to absorb what i had been told and what i saw happening, what i found out was happening. >> two planes into the world trade center. >> u.s. officials are saying this is an act of terrorism. >> and then short remarks are quickly drafted here for him to deliver.

>> this is a difficult moment for america. i unfortunately will be going back to washington after my remarks. >> you could cut the tension with a knife. >> today we've had a national tragedy. two airplanes have crashed into the world trade center in an apparent terrorist attack on our country. my god bless the victims, their families and america. thank you very much. >> what do you do in that moment? >> i cry. i pray. and i ask why. why and how? i really needed a moment. >> we've never really seen her cry. it's like something definitely impacted more than what we know was going on. it was deeper than what we seen. >> we knew ms. daniels as loving, caring, it's a really different take from our teacher is kind of jarring. we have never seen her like

this. >> how long was your moment? >> it could have been two minutes. it could have been three minutes. but i knew i had to get back to my kids because i didn't want them to think that they had done something wrong. so i had to let them know it was not their fault. >> something in the way that you presented it to us, like, allowed me to understand that, like, the human side of it, that, like, i am not the most important person right now, like he's got something he has to do. people are hurting. he has to leave. and that's okay. and it's not our fault. >> and i think after that, that's when, you know, they cut on the tv for us. >> those americans who are looking at these horrific pictures. >> and then it all came together, like i grasped how serious it was. >> i think myself and maybe other students thought it was like a movie or something. >> it didn't look real. >> the tv was here. you took them to a different room? >> the monitor that president bush had was in his office next

door. the memory of it might fluctuate a little. after i came out of the room, i told them what happened. the pictures and the images that they saw, they might have seen them when that door was open, but the tv never came in here. i was very careful about how much i exposed them to, and what i said to them. >> that was the first day i learned the word "terrorist" too. >> we didn't know what the world trade centers were. they just kept saying a terrorist attack, a terrorist attack. >> who taught you the word terrorist? >> i had to. it was a vocabulary word that i incorporated into our vocabulary. we're talking about days later. not the same day. i had to teach them evil can happen anywhere. it can happen in america. it can happen in other parts of the world. >> sarasota was my whole world, right, and i grew up in a family

of immigrants. we're told terrorists are attacking this country. and it's a lot for me to grasp to the point that i didn't really even understand it. >> you've now explained to the students what has happened in general terms, what next happens in this classroom? >> some parents wanted to come pick their kids up. my babies stayed with me. i went outside the classroom, and i took a look at the parking lot, and it was like ghost town. >> i distinctly remember telling the press pool, we're going to have to run to the motorcade, i said i'm not kidding. i often say we have to move quickly. i'm not kidding, we have to run to get in the cars. >> we ran. we've never seen a more obedient press pool. we ran. >> i'm seeing what's going on in new york, but had no idea what was going on at the schools. i'm like, okay, what's going on

with my baby, what's going on with my baby. >> it truly feels like in a movie that you're part of, and then your son there. you know he's safe, but you're not 100%. >> when your parents came to pick you up, who remembers that first interaction with their mom or dad. >> it was just like checking on me, are you okay, i don't think they knew what to say to us. >> i did not know how to question her when i still was kind of like in shock myself. >> i didn't realize how important it was until people are reaching out to me, like, hey, you were in the class on 9/11, how was that is this how do you feel? >> up next, how does it feel to be connected to the day? >> this is something that i kind of like have been trying to work through specifically.

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sense of pride being this that day because of what happened. >> does anyone else feel that guilt? >> yeah. >> definitely. >> now i understand that people want to know how we feel, too. like they want to know our story and how we feel because we were there, and it did affect us. >> you know, i started thinking about this, what did they see on september the 11th that they carried subconsciously that will lead them to the path that they're now in? >> i love sarasota. >> chantelle was a little princess, always cute and dainty. >> that's where we got married because it's so important to me. >> my parents gave up a lot for me to like be able to go to school so i think that's a different way you feel, i'm a first generation american, and my parents probably did more than they'll ever tell me to be able to put me through that

experience. >> what does it feel like to be connected to that day? >> so i didn't realize the seriousness of it until i got older. >> mariah, quiet, go-getter. >> one, two, three. >> growing up, my dream was to be in the wnba. i have my bachelor's in exercise science. appa currently working at the boys and girls club i work as a youth development professional. i have a 6-year-old. his name is jayden, my 2-year-old roman, he's super super bright. and i just enjoy working with kids every day, making them smile, inspiring them to be better people. >> the majority of my students stayed on the right path, and they did, they followed their dreams. they accomplished things in life that they wanted to.

>> i remember as a kid saying i wanted to be a police officer. >> leonard, studious, very very concerned about others. >> i'm really into public safety. i joined the military, and then i became a police officer. >> the interaction with different people, business owners, the families, not everybody's life is the same. >> 9/11 maybe made me lean toward doing public safety work. it's a connection. i feel a part of it's like, hey, i see something related to 9/11, yeah, i was related to that too. >> the 9/11 connection, i definitely brag about it a lot. most people react like, dang, man, bro, you're a piece of history, man, like you're in the history books. i was fed with a silver spoon my whole life, anything i wanted, my mom and dad would get it for me. >> tyler, there was some hiccups

that he had to overcome. >> i've had my stumbles, you know, i've been to prison twice, but, you know, that's stuff that i did in the past, you know, i ain't proud of it. i made my own decisions. i made my bed. i laid in it. and i'm just pushing forward. >> when you open the textbook, and you see the picture of the class, i mean, we were there, right, we were there as little 7-year-olds, and we were watching that from a different perspective. it's hard to say how that didn't affect us, right. >> lazaro, sweetheart, loving, determined, just a man in a little boy's body. >> my parents are awesome, i call them every single day just to say hi, you know, good morning to them, and also because we run a business together. >> it's a dream. it's a dream, and let me tell you why because we have the best partner. i do the building, she do the decorations. this is a family business.

and we create it with so much effort, and then when you say the result, it motivates you so much to keep going on. >> it's been 20 years since that day, when you're 7 years old, you're become asked what do you want to be when you grow up, it's always something that we ask ourselves, you know, have we lived up to what we wanted to be. >> are you all's seat belts on? >> yes. >> la damien is quite the gentleman, and very protective. very protective. >> i didn't honestly think about joining the military until my 9th or 10th grade of high school. i'm actually more behind the scenes, computing data. my career to become an executive chef. didn't go as planned because once me and my wife graduated, we actually found out the day of graduation that she was pregnant with our son jayden. >> too old for this. >> he told us that he had

learned about 9/11 and when the president went to the school that day. >> how many people do you think died that day, lost their life? >> a lot of people. >> the 20-year anniversary is this year. it's a long time, ain't it? >> a real long time. we wasn't even born. >> i think i wanted to be a teacher or a lawyer because i was a social butterfly, because i was always talking and disrupting the class. >> january, my baby. sweet, very aware of others' feelings. >> i'm very very proud of her. she gave me jalen. >> you was mad when you found out i was pregnant. >> my mom is like my annoying best friend, but i love her to pieces. i currently work at metro regional youth detention center. people that think that youth

that are incarcerated that there's no hope for them, i would tell them that they're wrong. i see so much potential. >> do you all feel a kinship to one another? >> we see each other it's just like no time has passed, because i don't think i've seen my entrepreneur, serious, determined, strong. >> i always wanted my own business. i enjoyed entrepreneurship, being my own boss, making my own schedule. i also like to help other people. then also tiktok grows people tremendously. >> i help young women, inspiring entrepreneurs, start a business, and learn how to grow that business using social media. if i can just motivate one young girl, help her believe in herself, i'm happy. >> personally, i'm just proud of everyone, to see how much they've accomplished and the goals they've reached. >> we had a great teacher. it wasn't just instruction, but

it was genuine love. >> i call her ma. she was my favorite teacher because of what she did outside the classroom. she calls me probably twice a week just to check on me, just to see how i'm doing. what teacher does that? 20 years later. >> all right, i'm just about ready -- >> teaching is a passion and also a calling. i've been doing it now almost 30 years. >> good morning, my butterflies. good morning, good morning. >> miss daniels has an attitude of overcoming whatever it takes to ensure that we are going to be okay. i can do anything if i try. i teach my kids to sing, singing is a part of me. ♪ >> she always sings. >> that's natural. that's something i do all the time. we were in turmoil at that time. we needed to know that a

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made, the careers you've chosen, what you've studied, who you are today. >> i went to college in new york city. i wanted to leave sarasota after high school. new york city was the natural choice for me. >> this is every day for me. this is a part of my life. no matter where i am, there's something out there in the world that reminds me of 9/11. one of the things that we talked about wanting to do was going to the memorial there in new york. see it, touch it, be a part of it. 20 years later, it would bring closure. >> so cnn arranged to bring the students and mrs. daniels to the memorial. >> the name of this piece is "trying to remember the color of the sky on that september

morning." these are two of the pillars that were there in the building. the center tridents of the building. this was the last column that was standing. >> my prayer, lord take me where you want me to go. let me lead who you want me to lead. tell me what you want me to say, and keep me out of your way. >> these were the men and women who were running up the stairs, running into the buildings. >> it's very grounding, and everybody should go. i think it's a huge part of like our history, too. >> constructions, police department, criminal justice.

>> this is an answered prayer for me. i wanted to come to the museum, but i wanted to come with my students that were with me on 9/11. as we were looking at some of the artifacts, i thought to myself and yet we rise. even though this horrific action happened, we are resilient. we push through. we come back. >> it reminds me of your singing to your students that day, "hold on, change is coming." it just seems to me like that there's a connection from that song to that moment. >> are you aware of the reports of the plane crash in new york -- >> i had to think quick on my

feet, to sing something because we were in turmoil. ♪ yesterday a man said to me how can you smile when your world is crumbling down ♪ ♪ i said here's my story when i want to cry i take a look around and i see that i'm getting by ♪ ♪ and i hold on hold on change is coming change is coming ♪ >> i know they are adults now, but my memory is that circle with my little kids sitting there reading. ♪ hold on you can make it ♪ pigtails, ribbons. i remember everything. ♪ don't worry about a thing hold on hold on ♪ ♪ change is coming change is coming hold on ♪

♪ hold on everything will be all right ♪ we're here tonight to shine a light. to shine her light and sing hallelujah, h.e.r.