We all thought it would be a fun day when the teacher rolled in the TV cart. For a room full of 7 and 8-year-olds, that rickety stand usually meant a break from regular lessons, a chance to relax, maybe laugh. But this day was different. We were about to watch history, the Challenger Shuttle carrying the first teacher into space. For days, we had been building up to this moment, talking about the bravery of the crew, especially the teacher, a hero we could relate to. The excitement was intense, filling every corner of the room.

Then, in the blink of an eye, everything changed. The shuttle exploded on live television. One second, there was excitement, and the next, a burst of destruction that left us staring in silence. The room, once filled with chatter and smiles, went cold and still as we tried to make sense of what we had just seen. Our teacher quickly turned off the TV and wheeled it away as if that could somehow erase the shock of it all. But there were no comforting words, no explanations, no way to process the tragedy we’d just witnessed. This moment was almost too much for a classroom of kids who barely understood the world.

For a group of 7 and 8-year-olds, seeing something so devastating without any guidance on how to feel or what to do was overwhelming. It taught me early on that sometimes pain is something you’re expected to carry alone. There was no conversation, no space to express our confusion or sadness. The silence that followed the explosion, both in the room and in ourselves, became the unspoken way I learned to cope with trauma: quietly, with no outlet, simply moving forward as if nothing had happened.

But from that silence, I’ve since found my purpose. That day, watching the Challenger and facing the silence that followed taught me how isolating trauma can be. It’s one reason I try to be there for others, offering the listening ear I never had back then. I know I may not have all the answers, but I’m here to help find them and to be the support I needed when I was young. Trauma shouldn’t have to be carried alone.