Thirty-one students from Wayne High School spent the beginning of April on the other side of the continent in Washington, DC.
The trip, which has been in the works since the beginning of the school year, took students sophomore to senior to Washington, DC; Philadelphia; and New York City over the course of six days April 2-7. Of all the stops, the group spent the most time in Washington, DC, visiting all the memorials on Capitol Hill. Other stops included the Empire State Building and 9/11 Memorial and Museum in New York City.
The 9/11 Memorial and Museum was one of the last visits. Nonetheless, it left a print on more than one heart from the group that day.
Geneva Peterson, Wayne’s history teacher, said that stop was without doubt the most meaningful experience from the trip. “The solemn yet powerful atmosphere, combined with the deeply moving exhibits, left a lasting impact on both myself and the students,” she said.
As a teacher, it was rewarding for her to see the students making connections to what they were learning and gaining exposure to different cultures and perspectives. All her hard work paid off when her students showed newfound confidence in their real-life experiences.
Gavin Torrey, a junior who went on the trip, was also struck by the power of the 9/11 Memorial. “It was cool to see all of the old foundations of the towers and learning all of the history was super cool,” he said.
“It has made our lessons in class more interesting because we have been to these memorials,” he said, remembering visits to the Martin Luther King Jr., Lincoln, World War II, Korean War and Vietnam Veterans memorials. He said making these connections made history class more fun.
Wayne High School plans to do a similar trip every three years to allow every student the chance to go. Students and parents can look forward to another impactful trip coming in spring 2027.
– by Abbie Call
Feature image caption: The 31 Wayne High School students and their chaperones, as well as their history teacher, Ms. Geneva Peterson at the nation’s capitol in Washington, DC. The group took a 6-day trip to Washington, DC; Philadelphia; and New York City. Courtesy of Geneva Peterson.
Abbie Call – Cannonville/Kirksville, Missouri
Abbie Call is a journalist and editor at The Byway. She graduated in 2022 with a bachelor’s degree in editing and publishing from Brigham Young University. Her favorite topics to write about include anything local, Utah’s megadrought, and mental health and meaning in life. In her free time, she enjoys reading, hanging out with family, quilting and hiking with the dog she’s getting soon — fingers crossed.
Find Abbie on Threads @abbieb.call.