The PLA Spring trip to Seattle was truly a highlight of my time thus far in the Presidential Leadership Academy. As I remarked to several friends after returning to Penn State, the spring trip was a perfect blend of “touristy and professional.” Not only were we lucky enough to see the most famous sights Seattle has to offer, such as the Pike Place Market and the Space Needle, but we also had the privilege of conversing with fantastic speakers from Blue Origin, Avanade, and Amazon. In this blog, I’ll be sharing a quick – and admittedly haphazard – recap of my experiences visiting Seattle, as well as some of the insights I gained from the trip.
One of the first things that stood out to me occurred before we even landed in Seattle. During the flight safety presentation before we departed from Chicago, I noted the flight attendants saying that, in case of an emergency, passengers should put on their own oxygen masks first, before helping anyone else. This even applied to parents putting their own masks on before helping their kids. Although this instruction goes against any good parent’s teachings to always help others, it does illustrate the lesson that in some situations, it’s better to take care of one’s own needs before addressing the needs of those around you.
A rather interesting occurrence took place while my roommate and I were looking for a place to eat dinner during our first night in Seattle, when we walked by a marijuana dispensary. As he and I discussed later, although we both knew that marijuana had been legalized in Washington for several years, it was still shocking for me to come across a legal establishment freely selling the drug. It was hard to ignore the entirely different culture that people living in Seattle follow as compared to us on the east coast, especially as it related to recreational marijuana.
I was also shocked by just how many homeless people I saw as we traveled across Seattle. Before going to Seattle, I had no idea that, of the major American cities, Seattle has one of the highest homeless populations. However, during our Duck Tour, the guide pointed out some of the work that the city has started to help curb this issue, such as the FareStart restaurant/organization which helps employ some of the city’s homeless citizens.
Finally, something else which I noticed again and again during our time in Seattle was how nurturing the city is for new businesses, especially those in the technology industry. Our time at the Founders Co-op at the University of Washington was a prime example of the city’s nurturing nature toward tech startups. However, this supportive atmosphere toward tech companies makes sense considering the fact that some of American’s most successful companies originated in Seattle, including Microsoft, Boeing, Amazon, and Starbucks Coffee.
I think it’s also remarkable just how variable the city of Seattle is. For example, one day we were touring one of the country’s most historic and iconic farmers’ markets at the Pike Place Market, and the next day we were watching modern jetliners being crafted inside one of the world’s largest buildings. The whole trip felt like one awesome juxtaposition after another.
Overall, the spring trip to Seattle was truly a blast, and it opened my eyes to some very important and real issues that are faced by people living in the opposite corner of the country. However, above all, I am thankful for the free time that was built into the agenda because it was during these times, while exploring the city, that I was able to learn more about my fellow PLA members, and get to know them better.
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