BOLTON — Under the awning outside of Nashoba Regional High School are rocks painted with the names of the 206 victims of the September 11 attacks with ties to Massachusetts. 

The rock garden was made possible by two Lancaster residents, Margot Sonia, a 17-year-old senior and Madison Oxnard, a 14-years-old freshman. 

“I think it is just wonderful that we are able to bring our community together to continue this legacy of kindness that was started by the first responders that rushed into the buildings that day,” said Oxnard.

The girls are both part of Project 351, it’s a non-profit organization that partners with schools throughout the state to select one 8th grader from each municipality for a yearlong service project. 

“The youth are selected by their hometown educators, their teachers and principals who look for the unsung heroes in the community and nominate them to Project 351,” said Lacey Upton, a senior program manager with Project 351. “At the end of their ambassador year, they can choose to stay on with us in high school as alumni leaders.”

Sonia is an alumni mentor whose been working with Oxnard, who is in her ambassador year at Project 351.

Even though Sonia was born two years after 9/11 took place, she said it’s impact has transcended generations and increased the resiliency of the populace.

“The adults around us and everyone who was alive on that day has some sort of story and some connection about what they were doing and who they knew there. It was a day that changed the world,” said Sonia. 

“I think there are a lot of messages we can take away from it including the resiliency of the country and the world that day and all the people who rushed in to try to help people.”