An opportunity to grow as students visit Washington, D.C.

Several LRHS students recently seized the opportunity to experience the nation’s capital, gaining irreplaceable memories and a newfound respect for America in the process.

Many of the students agree that meeting members of Congress was a highlight of the trip.

Tessa Jantz explained, “My favorite memory from the trip was meeting such influential individuals in our country’s government Representative Cathy McMorris Rodgers, Congressman Dan Newhouse, and Speaker of the House Paul Ryan.”

Megan Buriak said of the impact of meeting with America’s leader, “I loved the experience of going to the capital and meeting with some of the most powerful people in the country.”

Jantz continued, “I was so impressed by the fact that we were able to be in their presence and ask them questions ourselves.”

Self-empowerment was a direct result: “It made me feel like I could do anything,” Buriak said.

Favorite destinations on the trip included the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, Arlington National Cemetery, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation headquarters.

The experiences not only provided the chance to learn about American history, but allowed students to learn about themselves as well.

For Pake Taylor, speaking with political leaders proved life’s unpredictability and the subsequent necessity of seizing opportunities: “From everyone we talked to, whether it was our state senator Patty Murray or a FBI agent, none of them had a plan to end up where they are today,” he said.

Making his inspiration evident, Taylor added, “They just started opening doors and followed them to wherever they went to.”

The magnitude of the experiences was not lost on Cameron Weber, who explained, “Being in the same boundaries as many of our greatest leaders, the people who speak for us, was life changing.”

Granted, creating personal connections to political leaders helped place the role of government in perspective.

Lacey Miller reflected, “It changed the way I see people in power, they are real people just like you and me, and they keep their priorities straight.”

Overall, she added, “It gave me a better respect for what they do.”

Finding his own inspiration in the diverse population, Chandler Widman explained, “Meeting the different people and how they all had different walks of life really stuck with me and will forever.

“This was a life changing opportunity and I was very fortunate to be a part of it,” Widman continued.

Angalina Vallone, helping to organize and chaperone the trip, was impacted by the opportunity just the same: “Each day provided something that robbed me of breath, be it the scope of the buildings, my proximity to historical places and people, or the energy of the American political system.”

“Yet,” she added, once again placing it in perspective, “all of these things don’t exist without the service and sacrifice of the service men and women buried at Arlington.”

Certainly not many people from Washington, D.C., know many people from rural eastern Washington, and the trip provided the opportunity for students to make a first impression.

“I have been to pretty big cities, but Washington, D.C., seemed to outdo all the others,” Weber explained of the size of the area in comparison to home.

“It was awesome being there representing a small, agriculturally based town in such a huge, magnificent city,” she reflected.

Similarly, Buriak said, “It felt amazing to represent a high school that I love. My community has been so generous about this trip and to go over there and represent not just the high school, but the surrounding communities…”

Comparing her experiences with her life at home, Buriak added, “It made me feel proud of who I am and who this town has raised.”

Gratefulness is a shared emotion among the group: “I am grateful I live and work in a community that saw the importance in this trip,” Vallone emphasized.

The irreversible impacts of exposure to American history, paired with the inspirational opportunity to see part of a diverse world, caused growth in the character of LRHS students.

“This trip allowed me to see young people flourish right before my eyes,” Vallone explains, concluding, “They grew more confident, more mature, and more open to the world around them. Each student on that trip represented themselves and our school in a manner that made me proud to be part of LRHS.”