FCHS freshmen plan spring break trip to visit college campuses in Pittsburgh

High school students may not always have an opportunity to see the world past the area they grew up in, but several students from Forrest City High School will take a trip later this month to visit college campuses in Pennsylvania.

A group of eight ninth graders at FCHS should have a broader vision of the opportunities the world has to offer after a spring break trip to Pittsburgh.

The trip was approved at a recent Forrest City School Board meeting after a presentation by Victoria Docherty. Docherty is a Teach for America Math Navigator teacher at the high school and a native of Pittsburgh. She explained the costs for the trip are being covered without FCSD funding. The funding, some by her hometown church and other donations, will pay to fly, feed and house the students for four days and nights. Docherty said the purpose is to show them the colleges in that city, which she said is the second largest college town in America.

Docherty took time out of her schedule Thursday to speak about the trip.

“The trip will last about half of their spring break,” said Docherty. “I really think this will help them understand what is out there. It is my hometown, and I want to show them some of the colleges there. The colleges we are going to see include my alma mater Carnegie Mellon University, Point Park University and the University of Pittsburgh. We will see a few sights and we are hoping to catch a Pitt basketball game.”

Docherty’s excitement about the trip is exceeded only by the students planning to make the trip. The four boys, Kindall Davis, Devin Williams, Brandon McNutt and Mardarrius Morgan, and four girls, Brittany Ivory, Sandra Hatcher, Cierra Phillips and Briana Parchman, all said they are excited about the trip. None of them have been to Pittsburgh, which is over 800 miles from Forrest City, and only Morgan has flown on an airplane.

Each of the students shared their views on the trip.

Davis said he is interested in meeting the people. “I want to interact with the people,” he said. “I hope I can learn more about myself and what I want to do.”

Williams said he is interested in seeing the colleges. “I want to find out more about college,” said Williams. “I want to go to the University of Florida, and I want to see what college is like.”

McNutt said he is also looking forward to the people. “I want to meet new people, and I want to meet Mrs. Docherty’s family,” McNutt said.

Morgan said he is looking forward to the entire trip. “I really want to go see the city,” Morgan said.

Ivory said the farthest from home she has been is Mississippi.

“It is the farthest I’ve been away from home, but I really want to see all of the colleges,” Ivory said.

Hatcher said that when she graduates from high school, she wants to visit China. “I’ve never been on a plane before and this trip will show me what traveling is like,” Hatcher said.

Parchman said she has not been too far from home either. “I’ve been to Memphis and other places around here,” she said. “I really want to take the plane ride.”

Docherty said she hopes the trip will inspire the students to work hard at school, graduate and go on to college.

Docherty added that donations for the trip are still welcome and can be made by contacting the office at FCHS or by calling 412-759-6552.