Orem, Utah – September 16, 2026.
It has been 25 years since four airplanes crashed; one of which was Flight 77 that crashed into the Pentagon. 9/11 has changed countless lives, including a Jean Dunkay. Jean was an American Airline flight attendant and often flew on Flight 77.
“I was flying with American Airlines for 15 years before 9/11 happened.” As a flight attendant, she would have to go out of town for a couple days. She befriended two other flight attendants, Kena and Jennifer Lewis, who later became her best friends and supported her. At the time, Jean was a young mother in a difficult marriage. She said, “As much as I wanted to hold on to the marriage it was not gonna happen.” Jean needed to find a way to support her children and be home at night. “I knew I couldn’t fly anymore, and I needed a new career …a friend of mine suggested I go into dental hygiene.” Jean said, “This is where you are going to see that it was meant to be.”
This is when the miracles started pouring in, Wake Tech started its first dental hygiene program in September 2001, her schedule made it where she wasn’t flying on Flight 77, and she was able to see her friends. The last flight she flew on was August 31st, 2001, in Dallas, Texas. She ran into Ken and Jennifer at the airport. She said “It was a miracle that in the huge Dallas airport I was able to see them” 12 days later, Flight 77 crashed. “Looking back, that was my goodbye hug.” Following 9/11, the airline offered flight attendants a two-year leave of absence. Hygiene School was two years exactly. It was finally possible for her to be a hygienist. What once was impossible financially suddenly became achievable in this hard time.
When asked how she managed to get through, Jean said, “I just put one foot in front of the other”. Today, Jean continues to be a light and helps those around her. She has enjoyed a long career as a dental hygienist and often goes kayaking with her dog. Jean is an example of resistance and gratitude, continually finding hope after tragedy.
