Ada Dolch

  • Survivor, Family Member
  • ASL

Lower Manhattan high school principal who spearheaded student evacuation while fearing for her sister, employed by Cantor Fitzgerald on the North Tower's 105th floor. 

2023 Digital Learning Experience Video - Ada Dolch (ASL)

Ada Rosario Dolch ASL

This story was filmed as part of our 9/11 Anniversary Digital Learning Experience, which introduces students to first-person accounts of the 9/11 attacks. Participate in our 2024 program by completing this registration form.

Teaching Guides

Find tailored questions below for teaching this story.

As you listen to Ada’s story, consider the following questions

  • What did Ada do when she arrived at school that morning? What made her realize something was wrong?
  • How did the students and teachers get home that day? How did their actions demonstrate cooperation?
  • How did people show care and support for Ada and her students after 9/11? How can you show support and care to people in your own community in times of crisis?

As you listen to Ada’s story, consider the following questions:

  • Describe Ada’s morning—what did she do when she arrived at school? What made her decide that it was time to evacuate the building?
  • Describe her journey from the World Trade Center to Brooklyn. What steps did Ada take to ensure that her students and teachers made it home safely?
  • What do you think Ada means when she says it was important for her students after the attacks to realize that they were now part of a history that had to be told? Why is it important to continue telling the story of 9/11?

As you listen to Ada’s story, consider the following questions:

  • Describe Ada’s morning when she arrived at her school building. What information was she able to gather about what occurred at the World Trade Center?
  • What ultimately made her decide that it was time to evacuate the building? How did she and the other teachers coordinate their movements?
  • What steps did Ada take to ensure that everyone made it home safely?
  • What do you think Ada means when she says it was important for her students after the attacks to realize that they were now part of a history that had to be told? Why is it important to continue telling the story of 9/11?

Additional Resources

To view the walkie-talkie Ada used on 9/11, visit Inside the Collection. You can also learn about her sister, Wendy Alice Rosario Wakeford, who was killed on 9/11, by visiting the Memorial Guide. To hear more first-person accounts from those directly impacted by 9/11, return to the DLE Archive.