Memories of WLC trip will not soon fade for Spencer contingent
In July of 2019, a group of us from the Spencer FFA Chapter took part in the National FFA Organization’s Washington Leadership Conference in Washington D.C. The group consisted of Leonardo Rodriguez, Zach Endreas, Cortney Zimmerman, Matthew Clark, Shane Bauer and our Advisor Mr. Zimmerman.
We started the trip by flying out from Milwaukee and into the Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport. For three of us, it was our first time flying and we got excited when we felt the rumble of the turbines as we sped down the runway and into the air. We looked out the windows over the vast fields and trees. Slowly, farms and fields turned into cities and suburbs, as we got closer to D.C.
After we landed, we took a trip out to Ocean City, Maryland, where we swam in the ocean and visited Assateague Island. We collected seashells and enjoyed miles of sand. On Assateague Island, we watched the wild horses and finally stopped for supper at the Assateague Island Crab House where we enjoyed great seafood including learning how to peel a crab.
The next day we drove to Annapolis and visited the United States Naval Academy. We toured a portion of the grounds, learned about the academy’s history and got a picture with the statue of their mascot. Then we hit the metro to get into D.C.
The next day we started our conference sessions and visited Arlington National Cemetery where we visited John F. Kennedy’s gravesite and watched the changing of the guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. Later, we took a night tour of D.C. sites including the Lincoln Memorial, Korean War Memorial, World War II Memorial, and the Marine Corps Memorial. The size of these monuments was beyond impressive. You gain a greater understanding of our history and sacrifice by the men and women that have gone before us.
On the last day, we got to tour the United States Capitol, visit the Smithsonian National Zoo, Smithsonian Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Museum of American History, the National Cathedral, the Air Force Memorial, and the Pentagon Memorial. At the State Capitol, we had a private tour of the capitol building with Representative Sean Duffy’s assistant. We walked through the house office tunnel, admired the rotunda, and looked at the statues of Dwight D. Eisenhower, Andrew Jackson, Ronald Reagan, and Thomas Jefferson.
We visited the National Zoo and saw the pandas and elephants. At the Museum of Natural History, we saw fossils of dinosaurs from tyrannosaurus rex to a stegosaurus. In the Museum of American History, we saw some iconic movie props like Dorothy’s ruby red slippers and Tim Burton’s 1989 Batmobile. In the national cathedral, we admired the awe-inspiring architecture and beautiful stained glass windows.
Through this whole experience, we created friendships that we never thought would stay with us as much as they actually do. We rode the metro for the final time on our way to the airport. We had the best time of our lives and those memories we made will stay with us for the rest of our lives.
