As a Muslim teenager in 2002, my life has changed greatly throughout the past year. Being exposed to different viewpoints let me grow and understand people better. Thinking more seriously about my faith and my community helped me feel like part of a larger group. The attacks on Sept. 11 had many results that directly affected me and my life.

The morning of Sept. 11 was just the same for me as the other 300 million people in the United States that day. Most of the day was spent in denial, shock, or fear. I feared for Muslims everywhere, expecting the worst after the attacks. The time after the attacks felt tentative, almost wary of anything and everything around me.

As a result of the attacks, a number of ideas, perspectives, and emotions have entered my life. When attending a summer camp session at Kansas University this summer on international relations, I came in contact with others who harbored and expressed opinions directly opposite my own. I, of course, grew from this situation. I learned through these interactions that these attacks and events shaped and affected different people from around the world. I take this knowledge with me as I venture out into the world where, surely, I will meet these perspectives again.

As a Muslim high school student in this day and age, one must take care. I have learned not to let my faith interfere with my studies, although the subject has come up numerous times, as it did before the attacks on the U.S.

The attacks on Sept. 11 affected us all, no matter what characteristics we hold. My life has especially been changed, fortunately, for the better.

Sarah Elbayoumy, 14, Lawrence