Where History Meets Possibility: A Washington, D.C. Expedition
Through a longstanding partnership with the Minnesota Vikings and the Wilf family, Minneapolis students explored history, identity, higher education, and future possibilities.
“This experience will never leave me.”
That’s one of the reflections most often shared with Adrienne Diercks, founder and executive director of Project Success, as students gather near the Washington Monument at the end of the organization’s annual Washington, D.C. expedition.
Each spring, 11 students nominated by their high schools travel to the nation’s capital through a longstanding partnership between Project Success and the Minnesota Vikings, as well as, more recently, Tradehome Shoes.
Throughout the week, students visited Howard University, the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, the Holocaust Memorial Museum, and many of Washington, D.C.’s most iconic landmarks. Each experience created space for students to reflect, ask questions, and deepen their understanding of themselves and the world around them.
The expedition traces its roots back to the opening of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, when Project Success first brought students to Washington, D.C. to experience this historic moment firsthand.
For the 2026 trip, students visited Howard University early in the week, where the campus was alive with celebration as graduates, families, and friends gathered to mark an important milestone. Surrounded by generations of accomplishment and possibility, students caught a glimpse of what their own futures could hold.
For Sumaiyah, an Edison High School student, the visit was especially meaningful.
“Howard was so beautiful,” she reflected. “Just seeing so many Black people graduating with their bachelor’s, master’s, and doctorates inspired me to keep pushing toward what I want to do.”
Another student described the experience simply as “Black excellence in action.”
The group also received a private curator-led tour of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture before it opened to the public. Alongside Minnesota Vikings players, legends, executives, staff members, and community partners, students explored stories that honestly examine our nation’s history, from enslavement and injustice to resilience, innovation, leadership, and achievement, while reflecting on how that history continues to shape the present.
For many students, the experience created space for personal reflection.
Bella, a Southwest High School student, found herself seeking a quiet moment to process everything she had experienced.
“I walked by myself for a little bit and really sat down and thought through everything I had been seeing throughout the day,” she said.
Reflection is an important part of every Project Success expedition. Throughout the trip, students gathered to discuss what they were learning, how it connected to their own lives, and what it might mean for their futures.
“What’s always the most powerful is when we gather by the Washington Monument and share our reflections,” said Adrienne. “Those conversations are often where students describe the experience as something they’ll carry with them long after they return home.”
The week also provided opportunities for students to connect with Minnesota Vikings players, team leaders, ownership, and staff in meaningful ways.
For Sumaiyah, one memorable moment was meeting Vikings Owner and President Mark Wilf and his son, Andrew.
“It made me realize that, at the end of the day, we’re all people,” she said. “We can all come together and form a bond.”
For Mark Jacobson, Vice President of Store Personnel at Tradehome Shoes, those moments are what make the partnership so meaningful.
“Every year we do this, I get to see the insides of Project Success and what the organization stands for,” he said. “These students leave thinking about the ways they can affect the world.”
One of the week’s most memorable moments came during a special dinner with Vikings representatives and Tradehome Shoes. Students learned they would each receive a $1,000 scholarship to support their postsecondary goals, along with new Nike Air Force 1s and backpacks.
Jordan, an MSP Online student, remembers the surprise vividly.
“I see shoes. I see the backpack. I’m like, okay, it’s nice,” he said. “And then they come with the scholarship. Now I’m really stunned.”
For Sumaiyah, the announcement was almost impossible to process.
“I didn’t even have words,” she said. “I was so shocked. I was so happy, so blessed. I went to bed with a smile on my face that night.”
Bella reflected on the opportunity with gratitude.
“I’m very grateful to Tradehome Shoes for giving us that and giving us this opportunity,” she said.
While the destinations and experiences were impactful, many students said the relationships they built throughout the week were what made the trip truly special.
“It was definitely nerve-wracking going into it at first,” Bella reflected. “But being together and exploring D.C. helped us build really strong connections and have a really good trip.”
For Sumaiyah, those connections became one of the trip’s most meaningful takeaways.
“It felt like family,” she said. “Even though we’re not family, it truly did feel like family, especially when we would have our reflections about everything we did each day.”
By the end of the week, students returned home with more than memories. They returned with new perspectives, new friendships, and a deeper understanding of our nation’s history and a new confidence in the futures they’re building.
“This trip was one of the most life-changing experiences in my life,” Jordan reflected.
And while the museums, campuses, and monuments leave a lasting impression, Adrienne believes the true impact lies in the relationships built along the way.
“You can’t even put into words how powerful that is,” she said. “Every single trip, students, adults, and players say the relationships we build are one of the highlights of the experience. And that’s priceless.”
