GU Criminal Justice Students Explore the Human Impact of History

Published: August 19, 2026

Author: Liz Dowell

For many college students today, Sept. 11, 2001, is a historical event they know only through textbooks, documentaries, and factual discussions.

This spring, five Greenville University criminal justice students had the opportunity to engage with that history firsthand through a new field study course that paired the study of terrorism with visits to key 9/11 memorials and historic sites across Pennsylvania, New York, and Washington, D.C.

GU Professor Shawn Foles on a trip designed to turn classroom discussions into firsthand encounters. The course, created by Foles, pairs studies of terrorism with visits to key memorials and historical sites.

"When I walked into a classroom on the anniversary of 9/11 one year, I realized it was a historical event for everyone in the room," Foles said. "Most of these students were either infants or not yet born when it happened. They knew what happened, but they didn't necessarily understand how it happened or the impact it continues to have."

The course was created to address more than a gap in historical understanding. In addition to enriching knowledge about 9/11, Foles also wanted to provide an alternative experiential learning opportunity for students who may face barriers to traditional internships, such as transportation, financial limitations, or other circumstances.

The semester included study of international and domestic terrorism, the 9/11 Commission Report, and extremism—culminating in visits to memorial sites.

After Commencement, the group traveled to Pennsylvania, New York, and Washington, D.C., visiting sites connected to September 11 and its aftermath.

The journey included stops at the Flight 93 National Memorial in Shanksville, Pennsylvania; the National September 11 Memorial & Museum in New York City; Arlington National Cemetery; the Pentagon Memorial; and the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial.

For Alexa Bailey, who graduated in May 2026 with degrees in psychology and criminal justice, the experience transformed her understanding of events she had encountered only through classroom instruction.

"The 9/11 Memorial in New York City impacted me the most," Bailey said. "Standing where the Twin Towers once stood and seeing the names of those who lost their lives made the tragedy feel real in a way that no textbook or documentary ever could."

Visiting the memorial sites helped Bailey connect facts with people, stories, and acts of sacrifice.

"You can read anything and everything about a topic," she said, "but it truly hits different when you see what you have read about in person."

The trip also broadened her understanding of the criminal justice field itself.

"This trip showed me that criminal justice extends far beyond arrests and courtrooms," Bailey said. "I gained a greater appreciation for the importance of intelligence agencies, homeland security, emergency management, and many others who work behind the scenes to protect the public."

For Foles, that transformation represents the purpose of experiential learning.

"We can teach concepts in the classroom," he said. "But reading a name in a report is not the same as seeing it engraved in stone, or reading about resilience compared to standing where ordinary people made extraordinary sacrifices."

As students visited memorials honoring first responders, military service members, and victims of terrorism, they found that these sites offered lessons about leadership, service, and sacrifice. These were lessons that extended beyond any textbook.

"Visiting Arlington National Cemetery and the memorial sites taught me the true meaning of sacrifice and service," Bailey said. "It showed me that leadership involves courage, selflessness, and a commitment to serving others, even when it comes at a personal cost."

For Bailey, the journey became one of the most memorable experiences of her time at Greenville University.

"This was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity," she said. "It gave me a deeper understanding of events that have shaped our country in ways that I could never have gotten from a classroom alone."