Source: DANIEL SLIM / Getty
Southwest Airlines gave a group of lucky first graders in Dallas, Texas, a memorable field trip, all thanks to a teacher’s above-and-beyond educational efforts.
The airline shared a short video on Instagram Nov. 12 explaining how it celebrated first-grade teacher Sonja White’s dedication to the classroom. In October, the educator went viral with a TikTok of a make-believe trip to Mexico she planned for her students.
The narrator of Southwest Airlines’ Instagram post noted that White’s students and all the other first graders at Trinity Leadership Cedar Hill got to take a “special tour” of their airplane hanger and headquarters in Dallas.
The children got an up-close look at the airline’s flying vessels and information on plane maintenance and how aircrafts fly. A noteworthy and heartwarming moment was when the kiddos boarded one of the planes — a first-time experience for many of them.
A flight attendant greeted the students, and each got their own set of wings. While on board, the first graders built tiny airplanes and heard from a female pilot “who told them always to follow their dreams and stay true to their hearts.”
After the plane tour, the field trip’s next stop was the main headquarters building. The Trinity Leadership students received a warm hello from cheering employees. They also spent time partying during a Mexican-themed fiesta where they danced to Mariachi music, ate and had playtime.
Another extraordinary moment of the day was when Southwest Airlines gifted Trinity Leadership teachers and the school’s principal two roundtrip tickets each to anywhere Southwest flies.
“These teachers work so hard to shape the next generation of leaders, and it’s such an honor to show them some love for all the work that they do,” noted the narrator.
The unique, behind-the-scenes field trip ended with each student getting a Southwest Airlines goodie bag before returning home on a school bus.
As MadameNoire previously reported, White went all out and crafted a full day of pretend travel to Mexico for her students in honor of Hispanic Heritage Month.
One of the more imaginative portions of that day was when the children boarded Southwest Airlines Flight 555 and took flight, all from their classroom seats. To date, White’s TikTok has been viewed over 4 million times and liked by over 698,500.
White uploaded a fundraiser Nov. 10 on GoFundMe to support her taking her teaching and classroom to “the next level.” It’s currently at $0 of its $1,000 goal.
RELATED CONTENT: “Texas Teacher Goes All Out For Students With Make-Believe’ Trip’ To Mexico For Hispanic Heritage Month”
