Students at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley are reflecting on what Sept. 11 means to them.

Some say they first learned about the attacks in elementary or middle school through videos, classroom discussions and stories from family members who lived through it.

For some, those personal connections made the weight of that day feel very real.

"I can't even imagine what he felt seeing all these people firsthand, terrified, and just seeing all that. I don't know how he coped with that because I'm sure he saw a lot of national tragedies and a lot of people just hurting," UTRGV student Alana Flores said.

Flores said her grandfather volunteered with the American Red Cross and helped respond to 9/11 after the attacks.