College of the Ozarks to take all students on "CitizenTrip" to Washington, DC

It’ll be a trip for every College of the Ozarks student to remember, as traveling to Washington, D.C. will soon be an education requirement.

"Being a student of College of the Ozarks has really broadened my knowledge of what it means to be a citizen of the United States," Andrea Lowry said.

That patriotic education at College of the Ozark is stretching beyond campus. College President Dr. Jerry Davis says every student will soon be required to visit our nation's capitol.

"We are trying to make the best citizens we can and we think this will add to it," Dr. Davis said.

The Citizen Trip will be a general education requirement for seniors.

"[We will got to] the monuments, Smithsonian, we'll go to Arlington," Kandice Riley explained.

While the college has taken patriotic trips in the past, this will be the first that's required of all students.

"It's not cheap, but we have lots of donors around the United States that pay for things like this," Dr. Davis said.

Not only will they visit places like the capitol building and the White House, but they'll also learn from some very special people.

"To walk the same halls and go in the same rooms as all of our former presidents and our current president," Lowry said.

"[We will have] a visit with a World War II veteran at the World War II memorial," Vice President of Patriotic Activities Dr. Marci Linson said.

However, it is certainly not only during this trip that students learn about the sacrifices made for our country. Students say this is something they learn about daily at College of the Ozarks.

"Military science, classroom study," Dr. Davis explained.

He says it's about giving students an appreciation of patriotism and our nation's past.

"Understand why it's important, not that it's just history, it's still relevant today," Riley said.

150 students will leave for the program's pilot trip on Monday. They'll tour D.C. for two days.