On Jan. 20, students in the World War II and the Twentieth Century (WW2) class got to see what they’ve been learning first hand when they visited the Holocaust Museum and Learning Center in St. Louis.

“It puts everything in perspective. We talk about it in class but seeing it in person changes everything. You hear about the stories of the Holocaust but the moment I walked through that door, everything seemed different. The difference was shocking to me,” Adhurim Canhasi, junior , said while talking about the trip.

WW2 teacher Brian Corrigan said he encourages students to go on the trip for many reasons. He said students often have a “moment of shock” when they attend the event.

“It’s always a good learning experience for the students. It’s an incredibly powerful experience for them and it’s great to see,” Corrigan said.

During the field trip, students heard from Rachel Miller, a Holocaust survivor. Both Corrigan and Canhasi mentioned that her speech was inspiring.

“She was incredible and showed us that it’s not just something in the past. Some have to live with this for the rest of their lives and that’s scary,” Canhasi said.

The speaker wasn’t the only incredible part of the trip. Koby McCollum said his favorite part was looking at all the artifacts on the tour.

“My favorite part of the trip was the tour. It was incredible and I was lucky to be able to go,” McCollum said.

The trip got cut short after a mishap with the bus, prompting the students to return earlier. Corrigan said that even though the trip ended early, he feels that students learned and saw a lot; however, he wishes students had more time.

“I would have liked for the students to have a longer visit at the museum. There are so many cool items to see,” Corrigan said.

Jan. 27 was Holocuast Remembrance Day, and WW2 students will continue to learn about the Holocuast.