"To see the enthusiasm for learning as we tour is always a blessing for me to experience,” Rhonda Blaue, executive assistant to the president and chaperone on this trip, said. “Our boys represented MMA with dignity and had a fantastic time touring the most important spots in D.C. and New York City."

In Washington D.C., cadets visited and toured the …

• White House
• Library of Congress
• Washington Monument
• Pentagon City Mall
• Smithsonian Museum of American History
• Natural History Museum
• Smithsonian Air & Space Museum
• National Archives Museum, where cadets saw the Declaration of Independence and U.S. Constitution

They also saw several memorial sites, including the …

• Lincoln Memorial
• September 11 Pentagon Memorial
• Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial
• World War II Memorial
• Jefferson Memorial
• Franklin D. Roosevelt Memorial
• US Air Force Memorial
• Korean Memorial
• Vietnam Memorial
• Women’s Memorial
• Iwo Jima Marine Memorial

Cadets also stopped to pay respects to veterans at the Arlington National Cemetery. There, Cadet Ayden Garcia was able to honor his grandfather, a 27-year Navy serviceman who served in World War II and the Vietnam War.

In New York, cadets traveled via subway and toured several landmark destinations, including

• Central Park
• 9/11 Memorial at the World Trade Center site
• Financial District: U.S. Customs House
• Federal Hall
• Wall Street
• Midtown Manhattan
• Times Square
• Statue of Liberty
• Intrepid Sea, Air and Space Museum

They also saw Blue Man Group, a theatrical performance on Broadway.

To maximize the educational value of the experience, MMA partnered with WorldStrides, a student travel organization with an unmatched safety record and 50 years of experience delivering top-quality educational travel programs. The program provided a licensed guide with expertise in the attractions.