Seattle STEM Trip - Alicia Prieto

This summer I got the privilege to be selected as a student a part of FHLA (Future Hispanic Leaders of America) to go to Seattle, Washington for a STEM trip. This was my first time ever going to Washington and also my first time experiencing a trip with other students I don’t know very well. But I was excited and ready for new challenges and tasks.

This trip was very special and unique to me because I’ve never had so much fun learning about STEM and I decided what college I will be transferring to in two years, The University of Washington. So now let me tell you about all the opportunities and great things I experienced.

We visited the Boeing Center where we went on a tour and saw all the aircraft that they make. It was insanely huge and we got know how many airplanes they make in a month and how and where they make them. It’s a very safe, efficient, and expensive process. Then we visited Microsoft and got to see first-hand how the evolution of technology will never stop impressing us. There were so many prototypes and programs that I didn’t even think could exist for another 20 years. After that we took a tour of my dream school. The University of Washington located in Seattle. It was a beautiful campus and the biggest one I’ve ever been to. They offered thousands of classes that would potentially pertain to the degree you wanted to major in and they offered so many activities that you could do to participate in school. I knew after this tour that this would be the school I would attend in two years.

Of course we got to do other amazing site seeing such as the Space Needle, the Museum of Pop Culture, the Seattle Aquarium, the Science Center, and a boat tour around the harbor in Seattle. This was truly a student’s trip and we all voiced and had a say in what we did and how we spent the money we raised. This trip was more than what I had expected and I am forever grateful and appreciative to be a part of this organization and for this educational opportunity.

There’s not much I would change or recommend to better this experience. Our guides were very patient, responsible, and open minded. I can’t thank them enough for that. I wish we had more time to plan out our trip and fundraising opportunities, but this was definitely a once in a lifetime experience that I will forever cherish. Thank you Future Hispanic Leaders of America.