Ada Dolch

  • Survivor, Family Member
  • Audio Description

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 (Audio Description)

Ada Rosario Dolch AD

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.