Makayla’s Eye-Opening Experience on the DC Trip

By Makayla Keeney

I  think most people know how incredible and life-changing travel can be. However, what I never fully understood until now was how travel doesn’t have to be overseas to be impactful. Traveling has always been eye-opening for me, but through my travels to Washington DC and through studying cultural policy and arts advocacy, I was able to take on a new way of thinking about arts and culture in America.  

Each day in DC was full of experience, education, and exploration. The city is rich with culture, which makes sense, as it is one of the largest funded locations in the United States. However, there were many museums and monuments that I thought were lacking the proper representation of our country’s history and culture. Despite this, the arts scene in DC is an inspiring one. It was for me anyways. It reminded me how successful you can be by pursuing a career in arts and culture.

In DC, I discovered that the reason I want to pursue a career in arts in culture is because the arts are what inspire people. I realized that I want to help people be better versions of themselves, and therefore help the world be a better place. I’ve always known that the world will always have problems but knowing that there are people willing to speak up about it through the arts was uplifting and hopeful. The trip helped me grow not just as a student, but also as a person. I learned so much about the arts, but I also learned a lot about myself and why I do what I do. 

The arts have always been a way for me to escape and be myself. Through this trip to DC, I found that culture needs to be honest. And often, honesty comes with vulnerability. Seeing the full truth of our culture and our history ran parallel with something I’ve struggling with personally. I’ve been working on being vulnerable and showing the whole truth, good and bad, rather than just the pretty pieces. I think it’s important that the arts do the same. This trip to DC inspired me to have an open mind and an open heart. The full truth of our culture is more valuable than the partial, as the bad is what we can learn and grow from.