Elia Zedeño was born in Cuba and entered the United States in 1971. She was in the North Tower on September 11, having just completed 21 years working there as a Financial Analyst for the Port Authority of NY and NJ. Having also survived the 1993 WTC bombing, Elia has learned that survival goes beyond the act of merely escaping disaster. For her, the aftermath of survival becomes the greatest challenge. Through her work with the Steering Committee she tries to demonstrate by her example that the process in healing really does exist. Elia also volunteers her time to lead tours for the WTC Tribute Center. She likes to say that through the tours she tries to "remind people of the great damage and pain our actions can bring about when we close our eyes to the infinite number of choices." Elia currently serves as the Corporate Secretary of the WTC Survivors' Network, and has been a member of its Steering Committee since 2003.Click here in order to read about Elia's story of survival in the first chapter of Amanda Ripley's book The Unthinkable: Who survives when disaster strikes - and why.
And here's a video of Elia in Profiles of Intolerance, a documentary featuring extraordinary individuals who survived unimaginable conditions of intolerance.
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