Mount Vernon Students take a trip to Disney World

Shannon Beck

“My favorite memory from the trip was going to Disney Springs. It was my first time back at Disney in a really long time. I loved learning more about the area and what it had to offer, “ said senior Evan Wilch.
For the first year ever Mount Vernon took a group of students to Disney World for J-Term. J-term is an opportunity for students to focus on one class for 10-days. Students get to take classes like exercise science, beyond Mount Vernon, musical theater, and more. There are also learning opportunities outside of school like internships, and school trips. This year the school added a new class called The Disney Leadership Experience. The first five days of J-Term students stayed in the school and learned how to improve their leadership skills. They took personality quizzes and did activities with their peers. They also learned about Walt Disney and how he made his dream of Disney World become a reality.
“I learned a lot from the leadership class we took, “ said junior Molly Louwagie. “I learned how to work with my peers and how to be a better leader.”
The second-week students headed to Florida. In Disney World, students got to visit all of the parks. In Magic Kingdom, they got to go on a behind the scenes tour of some of the rides and learn about the history of how they were made. In Epcot students got to walk around and see all of the different countries. Later that day they attended a leadership class and learned how to expand their leadership skills. They also learned about Disney leadership positions and listened to a speaker. The next two days the students got to wander on their own at Hollywood Studios and Animal Kingdom. Sophomore Lily Booth said, “My favorite ride was the Star Wars Galaxy’s Edge ride in Hollywood studios because the effects and set up were really cool.“ The students got to go to two night shows in Disney World, a firework show in Magic Kingdom and Fantasma in Hollywood Studios.
“My favorite rides were Space Mountain, The tower of terror, and Flight of Passage, said Louwagie. “I had so much fun at Disney World, I definitely want to go back again sometime in the future.”