In Their Own Words: 9-11: A Survivor Remembers | 1
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How did Sujo John and Mary end up working at the World Trade Center?
Audible subscribers can binge new seasons of Against the Odds early and ad-free right now. Join Audible in the Audible app or by subscribing on Apple Podcasts. From Audible Originals, I'm Mike Corey, and this is Against the Odds, in their own words.
On September 11, 2001, Sujo John went to his job as a marketing executive for a telecommunications company in New York City on the 81st floor of the World Trade Center's North Tower. At 8:46 a.m., American Airlines Flight 11 crashed into the building as the terrorist attack on America began.
I hear this incredible explosion and for a moment I thought my eardrums would burst. And the building started shaking. This thought hits me. What if I don't make it out of
this building? As Sujo hurried to the stairwell to start the journey down from the 81st floor, all he could think about was his pregnant wife, who worked in the South Tower of the World Trade Center.
My name is Sujo John and this is a story of how I survived the tragedy of September eleventh, two thousand one.
Today, Sujo John is here to tell his story. This is 911 A Survivor Remembers.
Sujo John grew up in Calcutta, India, a bustling city of millions, with many living in poverty. His family was middle class, and his dad worked as an engineer for a Canadian company. Despite his fortunate circumstances, Sujo says he had to face tragedy early in his childhood.
When I was about nine years of age, I watched my only sister die to leukemia. And that's when I was first confronted with this reality that there is something called death, there is something called suffering, and that no one is always promised a good day or a good life. We all had to deal with the sudden loss of my sister.
When he was about 10 years old, Sujo remembers watching the 1984 Olympics on TV and seeing American track and field athlete Carl Lewis win four gold medals. And from that point on, he gravitated towards anything and everything American. Sujo earned business degrees in India. He married his wife Mary. And in February 2001, the newlyweds moved to New York City looking for opportunity. I
came to this country thinking, wow, this is a country where dreams and dreamers collide.
Sujo was 26. His wife Mary was 25. The young couple landed at JFK in the middle of a blizzard. Sujo had never seen snow. He had $50 in his wallet and two credit cards. Their first task? Find jobs. Mary found work at Morgan Stanley as a mutual fund accountant. She worked on the 71st floor of the World Trade Center's South Tower. It took Sujo a little longer to find work. In the meantime, he accompanied Mary into the office.
My starting point in my life in New York was the World Trade Center. We would take the bus from New Jersey into Port Authority, which is right in Midtown Manhattan, and then from there would take the train, always the E train, that would take you to the basement of the World Trade Center. And so I would say goodbye to my wife and then walk around the city.
One day, Sujo happened upon a job fair in the World Trade Center complex. Network Plus, a broadband telecommunications company, invited him to do an interview with them at their office inside the World Trade Center.
My friend now, who was our HR executive, her name was Heidi. I remember her taking me to a conference room and she pulled down the blinds. And as she's pulling down the blinds, she says, So, how long have you been in America? And I said, It's just been a few weeks. And then she pulled down those blinds, and then lo and behold, was this incredible view of the New York Harbor and the Statue of Liberty. And I remember just staring at that scene. Wow, I could just work here just for that view.
Sujo started work as a marketing executive at Network Plus. Conveniently, both he and his wife Mary now worked at the World Trade Center, so they could commute together and have lunch together. They would often sit outside in the plaza between the two towers, near a memorial to the six victims of the 1993 Al Qaeda terrorist attack. Sujo loved working at the World Trade Center.
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Chapters
8 chapters
1
How did Sujo John and Mary end up working at the World Trade Center?
0:00–5:08
2
What was Sujo’s experience when the first plane hit the North Tower?
5:08–9:38
3
How did Sujo and his coworkers react and evacuate after the impact?
9:38–14:14
4
What challenges did Sujo face while trying to contact his pregnant wife?
14:14–18:35
5
How did Sujo survive the collapse of the South Tower and reach safety?
18:35–23:12
6
What was the immediate aftermath for Sujo and Mary after the towers fell?
23:12–27:39
7
How did the 9/11 experience lead Sujo to start his anti‑human‑trafficking work?
27:39–31:55
8
What lasting lessons does Sujo share about hope and purpose after 9/11?
31:55–36:36