Sept 11, 2001, was a hard day for Americans. Sixteen years later, Coppell High School students and teachers still remember where they were.

Here are a few stories of where people were when the event happened:

CHS senior Emily Elliott

Where she was on 9/11: Kathmandu, Nepal

“My parents probably heard about it a span of days later just because they were on a trip doing service work. I don’t think they had access to news. Obviously, they were both pretty shocked. At the same time, I want to say a huge political figure in Nepal had recently passed away, so I think that there was some sympathy going on between Nepal, the people that [my parents] had interacted with, and the other foreigners that were from the U.S.”

Secretary (freshmen assistant principals) Christi Cox

Where she was: Lewisville, Texas

“My kids were still young, so I was a stay at home mom. I had just taken my older kids to school. I had a son in high school, a daughter in elementary and a 2-year-old daughter at home. I had taken them to school and I was at home watching the news as it happened.

It was happening in real time as I was watching it. Just shock and afraid of what was going to happen next. I called my husband at work and he suggested that I go get my kids from school since everybody was so unsure of what was happening.

I picked up my kids at school. I also went and got gas because I was afraid that gas prices were going to skyrocket, which they did. I remember I paid 88 cents a gallon for gas that morning. It has never been that low since then.”

Senior Cristina Gomez

Where she was: Coppell, Texas

“My mom was supposed to be going to work: she was at Philadelphia that time. My dad had no idea the twin tower incident was happening until my aunt, she’s part of the FBI, called. She was like ‘where’s Josie (my mom)?’ My dad was like, ‘She’s supposed to be at work. I think she’s in [Washington D.C.]’ My aunt then said, ‘You need to tell her to get out right now.’ My dad turns on the TV to see what was happening. Right when he turned it on, the second airplane hit. He was like ‘this was totally not an accident.’

They finally got a hold of my mom and she was like ‘I’m stuck here and they won’t fly out.’ My mom was working at Verizon at the time. Verizon sent over a bus, maybe two or three weeks after the attack. She didn’t get home for a month. It took forever. It was a traveling nightmare.”

Art I and II teacher Elsa Reynolds

Where she was: Coppell, Texas

“I was at home visiting because I was in college. It was during break since school started a few days afterward. It was actually my birthday and I was flying back that day, or supposed to fly. I was stranded here for a few more days.

My birthday was weird a few years after that because everyone was remembering and here I am inside celebrating my birthday. It did make me more aware of my surroundings. I’m not just going about my way and not paying attention. I guess it makes you more aware. Also, I think it brought people together. You are watching out for people and not just in your own little world.”