Independence High School junior Adriana Randjelovic joined law enforcement representatives and community members at the Flags for Honor ceremony at Cleveland’s Edgewater Park on Sept. 11, marking the 25th anniversary of the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.
Randjelovic attended the ceremony with Independence High School Principal Matt Faska and Career Specialist Rachel Barbiaux. The annual patriotic display, organized by the FBI Cleveland Citizens Academy Alumni Association, honored local heroes, active-duty personnel and fallen service members.
Hundreds of American flags lined the south walking path on the lower level of Edgewater Park. Each flag featured a medallion dedicated in honor or memory of an individual, including fallen and active FBI agents, members of the military, police officers, firefighters, healthcare workers, teachers, coaches and loved ones.
The seventh annual Flags for Honor display opened with a ceremony at noon on Sept. 11 and will remain at Edgewater Park through Sept. 14. This year’s observance carried special significance as communities across the country marked 25 years since the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.
Randjelovic’s participation followed an extraordinary experience earlier this year when she was selected for the FBI National Academy Associates Youth Leadership Program at the FBI Academy in Quantico, Virginia. She was the only student selected from Ohio and one of just 64 students worldwide to participate in the nine-day program.
While at Quantico, Randjelovic participated in leadership and ethics instruction, physical training, and team-building activities. Her experiences included training alongside Marine personnel, completing the FBI’s Yellow Brick Road obstacle course, touring Hogan’s Alley, participating in firearms simulations and visiting the U.S. Capitol.
The experience strengthened a career goal Randjelovic has been pursuing for several years. She hopes to become a criminal behavioral analyst with the FBI and plans to study criminology and psychology in college.
The Flags for Honor ceremony gave Randjelovic another opportunity to connect what she learned through the Youth Leadership Program with the service, sacrifice and responsibility associated with a career in law enforcement.
Her participation, along with Faska and Barbiaux, also gave Independence High School an opportunity to join the Greater Cleveland community in remembering the nearly 3,000 lives lost on Sept. 11, 2001, honoring those who responded and served, and recognizing their legacy 25 years later.
