From April 9th through April 12th of this semester, 33 juniors here at WCHS participated in the annual “Junior Trip” to Washington D.C. Here are some highlights!

On the first day, the students kicked off their touristing by visiting the World War II Memorial, the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial, The Franklin Deleanor Roosevelt Memorial, and the Thomas Jefferson Memorial (All in the span of 3 hours!)

The next morning, the Junior class started off the day at Mount Vernon. Mount Vernon is the home that George Washington’s father, Augustine Washington began building for him in 1734. Here, students got to tour the mansion, visit George Washington’s memorial and burial spot, and visit the upper and lower gardens. The property is well kept and always being renovated thanks to the Mount Vernon Ladies’ Association of the Union, a private, non-profit organization that has maintained ownership of the property since 1853. 

“I enjoyed getting to see the mansion, especially the view from the front porch. It was interesting to know that I was walking the same ground as Washington all of those years ago.” -Campbell Hanson, WCHS Junior

After visiting Mount Vernon, students were given freedom to explore anywhere around the National Mall. My good friend Zoe Ratliff and I chose to visit the National Museum of African American History and Culture. This museum took 3 hours for us to get through, but it was truly one of the most interesting, and valuable experiences of my high school career.

Our last stop of the second day was the White House. Our class was not able to get as close to the property as tourists usually are, due to an important meeting taking place during our trip. Nonetheless, getting to see the White House, and be among peaceful protests and live news reports was certainly a cool experience!

The third morning of our trip was an early one for students. By 9:30, students were inside the Supreme Court building reading about its history, and even getting to see the court room itself. From there, our class got to explore the top of the Washington Monument, which is 555 ft. in the air! Below are pictures of the beautiful views from the windows at the very top. 

After visiting the Washington Monument, the junior class visited the Lincoln Memorial, and then visited the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. This was, in my opinion, the most interesting stop of our trip. “This museum is not an answer, it’s a question.” -Elie Wiesel, Auschwitz survivor.

Pictured below is a direct quote from Elie Wiesel’s Memoir “Night,” a required read in Advanced English II here at WCHS. This is displayed in the museum.

The fourth and final day, students visited Arlington Cemetary, The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, and the National Gallery of Art. (Photos displayed in gallery.)

The Washington D.C. trip was informative, but also fun and enjoyable at the same time. I am glad that I can say I have been to all of these amazing memorials, museums, and important buildings that mean so much to our country. Thank you to the administration here at WCHS, Mrs. Maynard, Mr. Hudson, Ms. Kamer, Mr. Williams, and Mrs. Elmore for making this trip possible for our class!

See ALL things D.C. mentioned in this article below!