Nearly two dozen students from Richmond Hill High School traveled recently to the nation’s capital and witnessed the workings of the United States government along with pieces of the nation’s history.
Members of the RHHS Young Republicans Club spent four days in the city exploring museums, national monuments, the Capitol building and much more on a trip in early April.
“It was definitely a lifetime experience I’ll never forget,” club member Kayla Smith said. “You know, growing up in Georgia and to see the city and the Metro and see monuments you’ve only see in movies is really cool.”
Smith and several other students, including Montana Dean and Stephanie Miller, were visiting the city for the first time.
Miller said she enjoyed the trip and felt Washington was “classier” than several other larger cities she has visited.
“People were just more respectful there and the streets weren’t trashy at all,” Miller said. “It was just a higher standard and the people were really nice and very helpful.”
Dean said she enjoyed the trip because it reaffirmed her desire for a career in government.
“It was a different experience for me because I want to be in government one day, and I want to be in Washington, D.C.,” she said. “So to see it made me want to be more involved in government so that one day I can get there.”
Other students on the trip, like Bayley George, Ken Luke and Ryan Morrissey had been to the nation’s capital before but agreed traveling with friends brought a new perspective.
“It was more exciting being with friends rather than family,” George said. “When we were leaving (for Washington), some of us didn’t know each other. But by the time we got back, we were all friends.”
Club adviser and social studies teacher Russ Carpenter said he was very proud of how well-behaved the students were.
 “We take this for granted in a small town, but the behavior of these kids was great,” he said. “We didn’t have any problems. I’ve said this before, but I would take these kids anywhere.”
George was among several students who got to go onto the floor of the U.S. Congress and help cast a vote with Rep. Jack Kingston, R-Ga. She said the vote was related to gun control.
Kingston’s office also set up a tour of the Capitol building, Carpenter said.
“Kingston’s office gave us an intern and she was our personal tour guide,” Carpenter said. “His office set it up and it was the best tour I’ve ever done there.”

Read more in the May 8 edition of the News