First-grade teacher’s mock trip to Mexico for students turns to reality thanks to airline

Southwest Airlines surprised Mrs. Sonja White and her first-grade students with a free field trip. In October, White transformed her classroom into a mock Southwest plane and ‘flew’ her students to Mexico in a video that quickly went viral.

According to a statement, employees and management of the airlines who were tagged in the video admired White’s commitment to inspiring her students. After getting in touch with White, Southwest Airlines started planning a real field trip for her class to visit the company.

First Officer Tayvon Snowden and other staff members greeted and welcomed the first-graders as their buses pulled up. They learned about various facets of airplane maintenance and operation at the Dallas Maintenance Center, where their field trip started.

Following that, the students boarded a Southwest Boeing 737 MAX 8, which was a first for the majority of them. They enjoyed a snack while on board after being welcomed by a few flight attendants.

Captain Nancy, a Southwest Pilot who has long participated in the airline’s distinctive Adopt-A-Pilot program, educated students about aviation and Southwest Airlines. The group took photos in front of the plane and had the opportunity to witness planes take off from the hangar at Dallas (Love Field).

The students then went to the Southwest Headquarters building, where the crew surprised the first-grade teachers and principal with two round-trip tickets to anywhere Southwest flies as a thank-you for their support of the youngsters.

Employees of Southwest also threw a fiesta for the students, complete with a mariachi band and Mexican food for lunch, because White brought her class to Mexico for her pretend trip.

Meanwhile, White appeared on the Jennifer Hudson Show, and Southwest thanked her for her dedication to her students by donating $10,000 to her school.

In the course of the interview, White revealed that Southwest had extended an invitation to all seventy of her school’s first-graders to attend a field trip at the Corporate Campus in Dallas, Texas.