As a veteran and career educator, Wesley Locke knows the importance of student travel.
Locke’s been taking students to Washington, DC since 1999, meaning his connection to Super Holiday Tours goes back nearly 25 years. Now principal of Spring Creek Charter School in Paisley, Florida, he was recently able to travel with students for the first time since before COVID.
We chatted with Locke about his February trip to DC and a special moment he had with a student.
Can you give us a brief history of your role in education?
I have been in education since 1995, beginning my career as a high school band director with both Eustis High School (1995-96) and Umatilla High School (1997-2000). I then moved to Spring Creek Charter School and served as the Pre-K thru 8th Grade music teacher. In these roles, I organized several trips for different groups of students. My first experience with taking students to Washington, DC was in 1999 with my UHS Band. I used Super Holiday Tours then, and continue using them now!
In my current role as Principal of a K-8 school, it is very important for me to make history real for our middle school students. So, in 2016, we took our first group of 7th and 8th graders to Washington, DC. Our plan was to go every 2 years, so we went again in 2018, and again in 2020. The week we returned from Washington in 2020, COVID closed down the world! We were unable to go in 2022, but in February of 2023 we took our next batch of students, and it was a great trip!
What did you get to do on that recent trip?
On our latest adventure, we were able to see the National Zoo, the National History Museum, the Air and Space Museum, and the National Archives (always a huge hit with our students!). We took a guided tour of the U.S. Capital, traveled to Mount Vernon to see George Washington’s home and farm, and toured Ford’s Theater, the site of President Lincoln’s assassination. Our students learned a great deal at the Holocaust Museum. This stop is always very eye opening and emotional for our students, and they take so much away from the experience. Our kids really enjoyed the Nighttime Monument tour, visiting the White House, Lincoln Memorial, the Vietnam Wall, the Korean Memorial, and the Jefferson Memorial. On our last morning, we were honored to have 4 of our students lay a wreath in a ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington National Cemetery. This was a jam-packed trip of only 3 days and 2 nights. But, the memories our students will keep with them will last a lifetime.
Did any particular moment stand out?
A highlight of this trip, for me, was speaking to one of our students on the bus ride back to Florida about her experience. This young lady had never left the State of Florida before. She has dealt with some very challenging problems in her short 13 years of life. When I asked her what her favorite part of the trip was, she teared up and said: “I got to see that there are better things in life than where I’ve been. I want to move to a big city now and experience life like that!” That is what student travel is all about! It gives students a glimpse of the possibilities awaiting them. I love being able to share that with my students.
Why do you choose Washington, DC as your primary travel destination?
As a veteran of the United States Marine Corps, and as a career educator, I feel it is our responsibility to pass on the history of our great nation to our younger generations. Our nation’s history is filled with soaring accomplishments and moments we would probably rather forget. However, we must show ALL our history to our youth so they can learn from our mistakes, and dream of even greater accomplishments in the future. These trips give us the opportunity to have those difficult discussions with our kids and to show them the amazing heights they can reach if they strive to be a leader.
What do you appreciate about Super Holiday?
Super Holiday Tours has allowed our students, who come from a very rural, low socio-economic background, to see what possibilities are out there for them. They make the trip planning very easy. Their staff is very flexible and able to customize our trips to get us to the places we feel are most impactful. Their online payment platform makes paying for the trips very easy for our parents. I won’t use another company!