September 10, 2026 / 8:29 PM EDT
/ CBS News
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Every September, the school bells ring for the first time, and my mom, Patty Lewis, pulls out her speaker. Blasting her favorite '80s music, she welcomes students to the Adam J. Lewis Academy — a school named after my dad, her husband, Adam, who was killed in the attacks on the World Trade Center in 2001.My dad grew up in a one-bedroom apartment with his father in the Bronx, New York, attending the public elementary and middle schools in the area. His athletic talent earned him a scholarship to The Dalton School in Manhattan, where he was given the educational opportunity that changed his life. It shaped his belief that education was the ultimate equalizer: No matter where you come from, a strong educational foundation can create a level playing field.He took that opportunity and ran with it. From Dalton, he went on to Hamilton College, where he met my mom, and eventually began his career at Keefe, Bruyette & Woods, a financial firm located in the Twin Towers.When the family grew to four children — Reilly, Sam, Sophie and me — my mom stepped away from teaching to raise us. My dad, an ever-present father, commuted back and forth from New York City to Connecticut, making sure we always felt seen, heard and cared for. Providing for his family meant everything to him, and he understood that his own educational opportunity had made that life possible.
