Survivor Stories: Shawn Simons and Alvaro Llanos

Episode 104

Survivor Stories: An Interview with Shawn Simons & Alvaro Llanos

In this special Survivor Stories episode, we step away from case analysis and into lived experience.

We’re joined by Shawn Simons and Alvaro Llanos, two survivors of the Seton Hall University dorm fire—a tragedy that claimed three lives and forever changed many others.

This is not a retelling of the case.

This is what it was like to be there.

Shawn and Alvaro share their memories from that night, the moments leading up to the fire, the chaos that followed, and the long road of recovery in the years since. Their story is one of survival, resilience, and the lasting impact of a fire that should never have happened.

In the years since, they have dedicated themselves to advocacy—sharing their story to promote fire safety awareness, encourage resilience, and help prevent tragedies like this from happening again. Through their outreach efforts, they’ve worked to improve fire safety on college campuses and ensure that the lessons from Seton Hall are not forgotten.

Out of respect for our guests and the weight of their experience, this episode is presented without mid-roll interruptions.

We’re honored to share their voices with you.

Follow Shawn and Alvaro on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alvaroandshawn/

Book Shawn and Alvaro to speak or hear more about their story: https://www.alandshawn.com/

Find the book of Shawn and Alvaro's experience and recovery on their website or purchase on Amazon: https://a.co/d/0hnK67Ae

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Inner Sanctum Acknowledgments:
Eternal gratitude to our Inner Sanctum patrons, Melanie Curtis, Jenny Mercer and Laura Pisciotta, for helping us bring light to the stories others would rather leave in the ashes.

Listener discretion is advised.

Background music by Not Notoriously Coordinated 

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