Reflection Day 2: The White House & Nando’s

Our day started at the White house. We were able to actually take pictures inside the White House which was amazing. At the White House I learned that to become a secret service member it takes hard work and commitment to serve the president of the United States. I was also informed that John Adams sent a letter to his wife which was retrieved by the government and was so powerful and peaceful that it was engraved in the fire place of the state dinning room and is repeated by each president before each meal. As I walked by the rooms in the White House we learned about each rooms significance and admired the one of a kind paintings and furniture.  What caught my attention was that Benjamin Franklin’s portrait was the oldest painting in the white house and is located in the green room. The White House tour was powerful to me and I would love if more youth could visit.

Next we headed over to the World Bank . I learned that the World Bank helps to reconstruct other countries and  when countries need help they come to the IMF for assistance. They have over 16000 staff members working and they are involved with over 160 countries worldwide. The IBRD and the IDA help with the foreign countries that need money to establish their economic status again.  Dr. Jim Kim is the president of the World Bank. And their mission is to reduce poverty by 2030 to 3%. The World Bank defines poverty as- lack of food, lack of health, lack of home, lack of water, lack of education, lack of work and future. The total worth of the World Bank is 60 billion dollars. They are doing great work and they are making a great difference in the world.

Our next destination was to Georgetown University. The Georgetown campus was amazing and under construction during our visit. There is quite a bit of diversity at the school but I hope that more African Americans will be able to attend the University in the future. They also have great financial aid for their students so that they won’t have to pay that much for their tuition. Our last destination of the night was to Nando’s a restaurant that served great Portuguese food. The service was amazing and  Ms.Regina was not lying about the quality of the food. I also had a chance to have a great talk with David Thomas who is an alumni from Saint Mary’s High School, Howard University and EOYDC. He gave me great tips about creating a game plan in college and I and I will also try to implement this game plan in my last year of high school. I took his number and I will be contacting him soon. Thanks again for the trip Southwest, Baba Chris and Ms.Regina for the opportunity.

-Willie Scott

Brittany and Bo

Today I woke up very anxious and excited to go the White House. I started my day by eating a big breakfast down stairs. I ate eggs, bacon, potatoes, and toast. The staff at the Marriott and the restaurant were very welcoming. After we ate we went upstairs and began to get ready to go to the White House. It was everything that I expected, secret service everywhere and a bunch of special pictures. I was very excited to enter the White House and learn so many things. One thing that I learned in the White House was that in 1901 the secret service got selected to fully cover the president. I also learned that over 200 events are held in the dinner room annually. After the White House we went back to the hotel room and got ready to go to the world bank. I learned that countries around the world make up the World Bank and they also sell bonds to invest money to lend to low income countries. We made the trip to Georgetown University where I was well informed that the school is diverse in religion and people. People of all religions can come together and talk about everything at the meditation center. Lastly, we took the metro to Nando’s and ate there, the food was very good. Overall, I had a very fun and educational day.

-Dominique Parker