On May 9, at 6:15 in the morning, the senior class gathered in the Padua parking lot. They were all in their sun dresses, ready for a day in Washington D.C.! Fresh from the excitement and sisterhood of prom the week before, the class was feeling unified as they embarked on their trip together.

Once they reached D.C., the first stop was the Vietnam Memorial where the students etched the names of some of the soldiers on the wall. The students had read The Things They Carried for their literature classes, which relates to the Vietnam War.

After a short time of walking around the memorial the girls boarded the buses and headed for the Smithsonian Mall. The girls had the entire afternoon to explore the Smithsonian Museums and participate in a scavenger hunt, if they so desired. Some girls went to the Natural History Museum, some went to the Air and Space Museum, and some just laid on the lawn to enjoy one another’s company and take the time with their sisters. Senior Brittany C. said that, “The trip to D.C. was something that I will never forget. I have been to the Mall before, saw all of the museums, and visited the Vietnam War Memorial before, but there was something very different about this trip.  I experienced everything I learned about in history in that one day and it was a wonderful experience.” After studying aspects of D.C. and our national history all year in the government classes, and literature classes this was the perfect location for the girls’ last trip together.

After a day of exploring it was time to go home. All of the girls had a great time! Everything went smoothly and it was a great way for the girls to celebrate the end of their high school career together.