SHOSHONE, Idaho — Shoshone 9th-grader Phoenix Owens was selected for a top prize for his winningvideo essay. Out of sixteen destinations, Phoenix picked the Statue of Liberty, and in a whirlwind tour, got to see some of New York City's most treasured sights.
- America's Field Trip offered students nationwide a chance to win a trip by submitting a video essay answering the question "What does America mean to me?"
- 75 Students from 27 States & Territories were awarded field trip experiences at iconic American landmarks as part of the nationwide scholastic contest.
- America250is a nonpartisan initiative working to engage every American in commemorating the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence.
(The following is a transcription of the full broadcast story.)
“I thought mostly of freedom, because America is pretty much freedom,” Phoenix Owens told Idaho News 6.
Phoenix had high hopes when he made a video essay about what America means to him.
“I took me several dozen tries to get the voice right,” Phoenix said. “And I thought the LEGO pieces would just go together no matter which way i put it on. Wrong!”
"Another freedom we have is the freedom of speech,” Phoenix says in his video essay. “We don't have to say something just because someone wants us to say it. We have the freedom to say whatever we want to say."
Owens was one of the entries picked for the top prize in the nationwide "America's Field Trip' contest.
The whole event is part of the America250, a multi-year celebration of the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence.
Phoenix and his mom Ashley had a choice of sixteen iconic American destinations, and Phoenix picked the Statue of Liberty
“Then we went to the crown, got a group photo, saw a bunch of sights. It was really cool,” Phoenix said.
I asked Phoenix what was going through his mind when he stood in the Statue of Liberty’s crown, looking out.
“Just how awesome it was, how exciting,” Phoenix said. “I was still getting over the fact that I was there, and it was not a dream.”
Other stops on the whirlwind tour included a visit to grand central station, the federal reserve, as well as to the bank of New York, a 240 year old institution.
"This is just going to be the most amazing thing that will ever happen in my life ever,” Phoenix said.
On top of all the excitement of being in the big apple, phoenix was really stoked about getting there. He wants to be a pilot, and as it turns out, this was his first flight on an airplane
“We had a bunch of turbulence so they had everybody strapped down and it was super fun to have the plane tossed around a little bit,” Phoenix said. “I liked it.”
