Freedom High School seniors have had the incredible opportunity to visit Washington, D.C. and New York City for decades. This year Freedom High School's 2019 seniors embarked on their annual senior trip on May 19 and returned on May 26.

Seven seniors including Rikki Greer, Khrista McComb, Casey Luddington, Pedro Ibarra, Cameron Denham, Blake Lee Kristopher Fargo, and two foreign exchange students, Hugo Lopez from Spain and Kim DoHyun from South Korea, all left for Washington, D.C. at 2 a.m. on May 19, along with sponsors and Freedom teachers Darci Immell and Bryant Weber.

Leaving from Oklahoma City and landing in D.C. around noon, they took three taxis to get to their Air bnb, which is a different method of housing than the usual small hotel. Their Air bnb was three stories with hardwood floors. "It was by far better than a hotel," Immell said. "Everybody got to hang out; it was really nice." In the end this method of housing was cheaper than the hotel rooms the seniors usually purchase, as each senior costs around $2,400. Finding cost effective but safe methods of transportation and housing is important.

The next day the seniors embarked on a bus tour which took them all over the city to various monuments and memorials. The students experienced a close view of the White House before walking to the Washington Monument then next to the Lincoln Memorial, Vietnam Memorial, and the reflection pool.

"Then we went through all the gift shops, and the kids had a lot of fun picking out little trinkets," Immell said.

On Tuesday the seniors set out to visit various historical museums across the city. Students split up and had the chance to see the Native American History museum, the Natural History Museum where a few students saw the Hope Diamond and even traveled to the Arboretum. Other museums included the African American History Museum and the Holocaust Museum.

"The African American History Museum was three floors, we traveled down into the basement and there were no bathrooms and no windows," Immell said. "It made you feel like you were really part of the journey." Soon after, the students had the chance to visit Arlington National Cemetery and experience the changing of the guard at the tomb of the Unknown Soldier.

Most students will attest that they enjoyed Washington, D.C. much more than NYC, "I absolutely loved Washington D.C. Everything about it is awesome, and I hope to visit again," Freedom graduate Khrista McComb said. "There weren't as many people," graduate Rikki Greer said. "There was way too many in NYC, and my anxiety caught up to me."

On Wednesday the students woke up early to catch the Amtrak train to New York City, where they stayed in a hotel across the street from Madison Square Garden. The students then had seven hours to explore the city and enjoy free time. For years Freedom seniors have hired the same tour guide, Michael, who takes them to all the prominent spots in NYC. Students visited the Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island, Ground Zero, Central Park, John Lennon Strawberry Fields, Wall Street, China Town and Little Italy, and one student even visited Coney Island.

Students ate at prominent restaurants in NYC such as Fogo de Cao and Planet Hollywood, but also settled down in Chinatown and even enjoyed a classic New York hotdog. "It was nice to try some German food," McComb said, "but the hotdogs of New York were amazing as well."

The students also saw one of the longest-running Broadway plays, Phantom of The Opera, "I loved Phantom of The Opera, and it was heart-stopping with its twists," McComb said.

On the last day, the students traveled to the top of the empire state building to enjoy a view of the city, "It was a great view, very far up though," Greer said.

Freedom Seniors sitting on the grass in front of the Washington Memorial. Photo by Darci Immell

The students of Freedom High School begin raising money for this trip as early as their freshman year. Funding comes from basketball game concession stands, fundraisers and the school carnival. It is the community's support that helps them experience this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

"Freedom is a great place to grow up, but this trip helps show them that there is more opportunity out there," Immell said.