T3 Students are Recognized at the Washington DC Capitol Tree Lighting Ceremony

Eight Wrangell High School students, accompanied by T3 Alaska Coach Heather Howe, T3 Alaska Student Engagement Lead Brian Reggiani, and community partner Brian Ashton, embarked on a transformative trip to participate in the U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony. The remarkable trip celebrated the students’ hard work keeping the tree alive during its travel across the country and introduced new opportunities, perspectives, and experiences. The eight T3 Alaska students who participated in the U.S. Capitol Tree Initiative and trip include: Ander, Andrei, Anika, Natalia, Kalee, Madelyn, Ben and Jackson.

Senator Lisa Murkowski welcomed the students and arranged a host of private tours and experiences for them while visiting DC. Thanks to Lisa Murkowski, students visited the US Capitol Building and the White House and got VIP tours of the Smithsonian Natural History Museum and the Air and Space Museum.

There were many moments on this trip that profoundly impacted the students and leadership. The U.S. Capitol Tree Lighting Ceremony was a moving experience, where representatives shared visions of hope, unity and common history to bring the crowd together. The T3 Alaska program and students were humbled to be mentioned by both Senator Murkowski and Wrangell Cooperative Association Administrator, Esther Ashton, as the lights illuminated the 80-foot Sitka spruce on the West Lawn of the U.S. Capitol.

Partnership and collaboration were key themes in the Capitol Christmas Tree Project. Including Wrangell students in the Capitol Christmas Tree project highlighted the USFS’s commitment to fostering future generations of environmental stewards. By contributing to this project, students gained a huge sense of responsibility and connection to this national tradition.

At the Congressional Reception after the ceremony, Brian Reggiani addressed the crowd to explain the philosophy of T3 Alaska – how growth mindset, technology skills and community partnerships open doors for students in Alaska to grow, be successful and contribute to the well-being of their communities and futures. The USDA Forest Service has partnered with T3 Alaska on numerous projects – isolated cabin surveys, trail mapping, Anan Wildlife Observation remote bear cameras – and culminated in the latest successfully executed project: fashioning the survival unit that fed and watered the U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree for 6 weeks as it journeyed across the U.S.

The celebration and recognition of our efforts during this trip provided powerful moments of reflection and highlighted the growth that students experienced through their participation in the T3 Alaska program.

Thank you to all the partners who made it possible for our students to participate in this project and trip to DC including the USFS, Society of American Foresters, Alaska Airlines, and Lisa Murkowski and Staff. Special thanks to the people who helped this project along the way and making our time in DC special including Victoria Houser, Claire Froehlich, Brian Ashton, Sylvia and John Ettefagh.