Trip to Washington, D.C. is Unforgettable
Arriving back home late Tuesday night after a once-in-a-lifetime two-day trip to Washington, D.C., a group of 30 Huntington High School students is anxious to share details of their experience with anyone who will listen
The teenagers were invited to the nation’s capital by First Lady Michelle Obama to help celebrate the donation of her inaugural gown to the Smithsonian National Museum of American History. Last year the students sent Mrs. Obama inaugural gown designs they created for her. Deeply touched by the gesture and the obvious hard work that went into them, Mrs. Obama invited the group to attend what has traditionally been an extremely private and exclusive event.
In her remarks at the official ceremony, Mrs. Obama welcomed the Huntington contingent. “I have to also do my part in recognizing our very special guests, the students and the teachers from Huntington High School, who made the trip all the way from New York to be here,” the First Lady said. “You all please stand so we can see you. Now, there’s a special reason why I invited these students here. They sent me this book of beautifully designed inaugural gowns of their own creations, and I had so much fun looking through all the designs. You all are obviously a very talented and beautiful and handsome group of people. And I am so pleased to be able to share this special day with you. You make us proud. And thank you for the gifts.”
One of the highlights of the journey came when the students were able to personally meet Mrs. Obama and pose for a group photo with her as Secret Service members looked on. The Huntington teenagers said it was “impossible to describe” the feelings generated by the experience.
“At an advanced viewing of Mrs. Obama’s gown on Monday, we were really able to see why she selected Jason Wu’s design,” wrote Huntington senior Stasa Doscas and junior Marie Clifford for the White House website’s blog. “The gown has a simple structure, but much intricate detailing. The First Lady described her gown as ‘a masterpiece, simple, and elegant.’ When viewing the dress up close you can see the waterfall-like train, which cascaded from her back to the floor. The color was simple but had a different effect when the crystals were added.”
Ms. Doscas is headed to the Savannah College of Art and Design and Ms. Clifford is an artist, musician and aspiring historian. The pair and the rest of the traveling party, was at times awestruck by what they encountered. “The experience has been very inspirational for us and we are honored to be part of this historic event,” the two students blogged. “As we heard Mrs. Obama speak today and viewed the first ladies’ gowns, we couldn’t help but feel her vision and passion.”
Smithsonian Museum staff members emphasized how “remarkable” it was for the Huntington group to have been invited “to witness something that none of the employees have ever been able to see,” said Joan R. Fretz, district director of fine and performing arts. “They said the whole town is talking about the event. Hundreds of Americans will line up for hours on Wednesday to see what we saw the day before when the entire museum was closed. This is also the opening of the new First Lady exhibit. We were the first to enter. It’s simply overwhelming to have this opportunity.”
The Huntington students, along with the fashion program art teachers Amy Worth and Kristin Singer, participated in various mentoring sessions at the Smithsonian, met with Mr. Wu, as well as famous designer Tory Burch, and went on a private tour of the U.S. Capitol building.
“The museum staff was impressed by the questions the students asked and how beautifully they were dressed,” Mrs. Fretz said. Huntington graduates and college fashion majors Kate Ackerman (Univ. of Delaware) and Akeem Muhammad (Fashion Institute of Technology) joined the current high school students in Washington, D.C. for the event.
“We learned through Mrs. Obama and the two designers that motivation will make you successful and that you must believe in yourself to prosper,” wrote Misses Doscas and Clifford. “We are extremely thankful for being given this chance and it really was a dream come true. Today she helped us become part of history by being the first high school ever invited to this ceremony and it will be recorded and remembered forever. We left behind our book of designs which has also become part of the First Ladies Resource Collection and may someday be on display. We will always remember today and the wonderful opportunities we were given. We are committed to meeting her expectations in our own lives and someday inspiring the next generation to come.”
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