LaredoBuzz.Com

Five Cigarroa Middle School students raised over $9,500 to take part in the Smithsonian Institute’s Student Travel Educational Tour Program (SSTETP).  Crystal Diaz, Cande Rodriguez, Jackie Gomez, Kristine Medellin, and Carlos Bouchot took a class trip over the summer to Washington D.C. and New York City to experience history first hand.  

 The SSTETP provides the best educational travel experience for students.  The tours are operated by EF Education First, the world’s largest private education company.  The program allows students throughout the country the opportunity to explore our nation’s greatest achievements in art, history, science, and culture.  The SSTETP offers class trips to Washington D.C., New York and other cities across the nation for students interested in history and social studies.

 The Cigarroa Middle School students along with Jose Olivo, Cigarroa Middle School class sponsor and Magdalena Medellin, Cigarroa Middle School parent sponsor, spent five days in both the nation’s Capitol and the Big Apple.  The group had the opportunity to visit some of our nation’s most historical landmarks.

 While in Washington D.C., they were able to go inside the U.S. Capitol, visit the White House, World War II Memorial, Lincoln Memorial, Washington Monument, Vietnam Memorial, Korean War Memorial, Union Station, Iwo Jima, Fords Theatre, Mount Vernon, Home of our first U.S. President and his grave site.  They also visited the FDR memorial, Arlington National Park, where thousands of our fallen heroes are laid to rest, including the grave site of former President John F. Kennedy, Robert Kennedy, Boxer Joe Louis, Audie Murphy and the estate of General Robert E. Lee.

 In New York, the students continued their history lesson as they visited the tomb of General Grant, The Dakota Building, where John Lennon was shot and killed, and World Trade Center (Ground Zero).

 The students also had time to enjoy some of New York’s biggest attractions such as Central Park, Times Square, Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island, Wall Street, St. Patrick’s Cathedral, 5th Avenue, Trump Tower, Rockefeller Center, and NBC studios.  The group was also able to see the filming of an upcoming movie “The Best and the Brightest,” and attended an off Broadway play.

 “We were able to visit historical sites that allowed us to gain firsthand knowledge that we would never have learned in class,” stated Jackie Gomez “We learned a lot of fun historical facts about American History that books never mention.”

 Over the summer, the students and their sponsors held several activities including a plate sale and selling McDonald and Krispy Kreme Doughnuts value cards to help raise the funds needed to participate in the student travel class trip. 

 “The kids worked really hard to collect the money to take this trip,” said Jose Olivo. “All the hard work was definitely worth the life learning experiences the kids gained.”