Addison Trail students learn life lessons through trip to Washington, D.C.

From Jan. 16 to 22, four Addison Trail students had the opportunity to travel to Washington, D.C., where they visited historic sites and watched the inauguration of U.S. President Donald Trump.

The students who participated are seniors Hannah White, Jessica Bach, Timothy Deguzman and Adeline Saavedra, and they traveled through Close Up - Washington, D.C., Educational Programs.

“As seniors, this year is the finale of four years of hard work at Addison Trail, and to get to see something as large and historic as an inauguration was incredible,” White said. “This experience has definitely encouraged me to be more politically active and has made me more comfortable with that process.”

During their visit, the students saw a vote take place during a Senate session and toured several museums and memorials, including the National Museum of African American History and Culture, the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, the National Museum of Women in the Arts, the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial, the Lincoln Memorial, President Lincoln's Cottage (where Lincoln made nation-changing decisions about the Union, Freedom and the Presidency, most notably the Emancipation Proclamation) and more.

Addison Trail social studies teacher LeVonne Cescolini-Boyer accompanied the students (along with English Department Chair Amy Ferraro) and said the trip was open to all Addison Trail students in Advanced Placement (AP)/college-level U.S. Government.

Bach plans to major in political science and/or international affairs in the Washington, D.C., area, so this trip was particularly meaningful to her.

“We’re lucky to live in a Democratic country, and we can’t take that for granted,” Bach said. “Even though it can be challenging, Democracy means learning about, understanding and respecting perspectives that differ from your own. I feel very fortunate Addison Trail has instilled those values in us and has taught us about the Democratic process at an early age, so we can have a voice for the rest of our lives.”