Cooper Andrews and Aspen Dail, Gateway Academy Students
On the morning of Jan. 23, 2024, Gateway students loaded the St. George Shuttle to go to the State Capitol. They joined other charter schools from around the state to celebrate National School Choice Week.
National School Choice Week is a yearly event where, during a week in January, charter schools celebrate school choice by taking part in fun activities and events. This week highlights how everyone should have an effective and engaging learning experience, as well as the options that are available in learning.
Once on the bus, the students traveled for three hours, laughing and enjoying each other’s company all the way there. The Capitol towered over the students as they arrived at its front steps. Once inside, they were amazed and awestruck by the beautiful architecture. Shortly after arriving, they began their tour of the Capitol. They walked through the Hall of Governors, watched part of a legislative session and stood under the mural of Utah history that was imprinted on the globe. 8th-grade student Roxy Carnesecca, when asked about her favorite part of the tour, said, “I really enjoyed viewing the legislative session. It was really cool.”
After completing the tour, the students made their way up the marble stairs and joined the other schools visiting the Capitol. They were greeted by the Lieutenant Governor, Deidre Henderson, who gave a speech sure to inspire anyone who listened to it. Henderson said that when she looked into the crowd of students, she could see a bright future. 8th-grade student Hannah Feree said, “She sounded like she really wanted to help us.”
Afterward, the students reconvened for a short lunch break before sitting down to watch schools perform as part of the day’s activities. The performances ranged from singing to dancing to Shakespeare to jump roping, all of which were very polished and well done. Sadly, all good things must come to an end. With the performances ending the trip, students loaded back onto the buses and headed back home.
Overall, the trip was an amazing and insightful experience. From the tour to the speech to the performances, every part of the trip was meaningful in its own unique way. It was for sure memorable for everyone who participated. 8th‑grade student Bryn Harris, when asked how she felt about the trip, said, “I loved it. I thought it was cool for us to hear the lieutenant’s speech and see the architecture. It was really cool.”
