by Xypher Pino

Over 20 GC students, staff and faculty visited Washington, D.C. for a couple of days during Spring break thanks to the generous support of donors at the Kontoor Brands Foundation of Greensboro and North Carolina Independent Collges and Universities (NCICU) iBelong program.

The Office of Student Success and International Programs at Greensboro College organized this journey for students to experience the culture and learn about the history of Washington, D.C. “It was nice having faculty and staff there who genuinely cared about making it a good experience for us,” said junior wrestler Ivan Benitez when The Collegian asked about his experience during the trip.

For many of the students, this was their first time visiting our nation’s capital – and what an adventure this group had: they visited notable government buildings in the area such as the U.S. Supreme Court, the Library of Congress, the White House, finishing off with a tour at the U.S. Capitol; visited the Washington, World War II, Korean War and Martin Luther King Jr. monuments; stopped by at various recreation facilities such as the National Gallery of Art and the Black Broadway, which was made extra special with the tour guidance of GC alum and author Briana Thomas; and had many more unique experiences such as seeing the President’s motorcade up close and dinners at classic restaurants in the area.

Numerous international students were part of the student group that went to Washington, D.C., with one of them being freshman Zak Gumaya. Originally from Baguio, Philippines, Gumaya expresses his gratitude to Greensboro College for providing him with the opportunity to study abroad and be involved in fun experiences such as this trip.

“Whether it be a new country or even just visiting a new state, going to new places have been, and always will be, the best way to learn outside of the classroom,” said freshman Zak Gumaya when asked how this trip has contributed to his experience as an international student.

Both Benitez and Gumaya agreed that the highlight of this experience, besides visiting Washington, D.C. itself, is being able to create memories and enjoy the trip with fellow GC students. “We had great conversations and unforgettable laughs throughout the entire trip. Getting to hangout with other students outside of the class definitely made this experience so much fun,” said Benitez when reflecting on the most enjoyable and memorable part of the trip.

“I remember when a group of us played ‘UNO!” back in the hotel and we just had a fantastic time as we joked around over food. It was super chill and many memories were made. Moments like that made this trip so fun and connected, especially keeping in mind that most of us did not even know each other at the start. These moments are the kinds of things that stick with you even more than sightseeing sometimes.”

Greensboro College once again expresses its gratitude to the Kontoor Brands Foundation and NCICU iBelong for creating this experience for its students: The Kontoor Brands Foundation is a community resource for those struggling with food insecurity, housing and education opportunities, and one of their main goals as an organization is to empower students and educate the leaders of today and tomorrow; the NCICU iBelong funds Greensboro College’s Lion Walkers, a mentoring program for male students of color that exposes its members to mentorship opportunities, cultural experiences, career options and much more. Without these two organizations, this powerful experiential learning experience beyond the classroom would not have been possible.