Miracle and Jaliyah had never before been to Washington, D.C.

That changed last month when the pair of high school seniors joined other Minneapolis high school students and the Minnesota Vikings on a life-changing trip to the nation's capital, sponsored by Tradehome Shoes.

"I didn't really know what to expect … but it was a surreal experience," Miracle said. "I just felt so grateful to be there."

The Vikings have now partnered with Project Success for more than 10 years and have teamed up with the local nonprofit for five separate visits to the National Museum of African American History and Culture.

Miracle described the group's tour of the 10-story museum as "a history class, but dedicated to me."

"Not in a self-centered way, but people that looked like me, who had been through tremendous hardships but had a better future because of it, building upon that future for younger generations," she reflected. "I don't want to say it was a 'good' experience, but it was enlightening. I gained a lot of knowledge I didn't have before."

Jaliyah noted the museum's unique layout, with slavery exhibits beginning on the lowest level; as visitors tour, they move up through the building as exhibits describe the progression of African American history.

"It was very emotional, kind of breathtaking … shocking," Jaliyah said. "But it was also confirmation, like, we really actually went through this. And then for the players, for them to look like us, we're all feeling the same things. It was a very good way to connect."

Vikings teammates C.J. Ham, Ty Chandler and Aaron Jones, Sr., along with Vikings Legends Visanthe Shiancoe and Tony Richardson, joined for this year's experience. While Ham, Chandler and the Legends had previously taken part in a Project Success trip, Jones made his debut appearance.

"Going through the museum with the students … I was kind of in their shoes, learning with them," Jones said. "Even when we walked out of the museum, we all circled up and had a conversation about what we had learned, what we felt was most impactful, and we got to see other people's views. It was people from all different walks of life coming together to learn about one culture, so it was pretty cool."

Jaliyah shared similar sentiments about the opportunity to de-brief with the peers, educators and members of the Vikings and Tradehome following the tour.

She noted that processing emotions together allowed the group to once again deepen a connection.

"It was another way to confirm we all … somewhat felt that pain and understood, 'This is what our people went through,' " Jaliyah said. "And even for the people there who didn't look like us, they understood, 'This happened, and it wasn't OK.' They wanted to shed light on that and how we all should have just come together in the first place."

Jaliyah and Miracle are deeply grateful for the leadership of Adrienne Diercks, Project Success founder and executive director.

Diercks created Project Success more than 30 years ago; her passion and commitment to empowering youth and enriching their education journeys has only grown.

"Our mission has not changed — and that is to inspire young people to dream about their future, help them take steps to get there and help them gain the tools that will take them through the rest of their life," Diercks said. "I often describe it as, what if every young person, starting when they're 11, could explore, 'Who am I? What's out there in the world, and what do I want to do in that world?' Project Success provides opportunities and workshops and expeditions and certificate programs, all to help students explore those questions and answer them for themselves."

On the first evening of the trip, Diercks and the group met for a dinner. Tradehome Shoes executives there surprised the students with brand-new Nike Air Force 1s, Nike socks and backpacks.

But that wasn't all.

Tradehome Shoes also gifted each student with a $1,000 scholarship to be applied to any post-secondary institution of their choice.

Mark Jacobson, Tradehome Vice President of Store Personnel, emphasized the company's excitement in being a first-time sponsor for the Project Success trip.

"When the Vikings give us an opportunity, we know that who they partner with is somebody we'll like and want to partner with. And once we found out the details of Project Success and what they do with the youth in our community, we thought it would be the perfect thing for us to help out with," Jacobson said. "When we presented them with scholarships, the excitement that they had, it was so genuine.

"The opportunity to use it in whatever avenue they want to further their education, that would be the moment that stood out to me the most from this trip," Jacobson added. "Just a raw, emotional moment of excitement, and that they earned this through [Project Success] and had the opportunity to come to D.C., it was just such a highlight."

In addition to visiting the National Museum of African American History and Culture, the group also spent time at the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum and at the Martin Luther King, Jr., Memorial.

Jaliyah, who also is Jewish, emphasized just how powerful the entire weekend was, and Miracle called it a surreal experience.

"The Holocaust Museum was really devastating," Miracle said. "I learned a lot about the Holocaust that I didn't know before, and it was really just — I felt more empathetic leaving than I did going in … just understanding even more what those people went through.

"Looking at the [MLK] statue itself [was also] a really powerful experience," she added. "Seeing him standing there helped me imagine standing strong, standing proud and standing solidly."

Chandler reflected on his own experience that included seeing the Holocaust Museum for the first time and having impactful discussions with students at the MLK Memorial.

"Being able to end the trip there was special," he said. "[Martin Luther King, Jr.] had such a big impact on everything we [experience] today. Just to be able to see him and how they represented him with the monument, and to experience that with the kids was a special moment.

"It just showed the power of what we're moving toward in this country and how these youth can continue to develop this country and push it forward even more," Chandler added.

The Vikings and Project Success didn't take for granted the proximity of the trip to Juneteenth, today's federal holiday that honors June 19, 1865.

More than two years after President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation executive order to free enslaved African Americans, Union troops arrived in Galveston Bay, Texas, with news of freedom. More than 250,000 African Americans embraced independence by executive decree in what became known as Juneteenth or Freedom Day.

"You know, sometimes we get stuck in our own communities, our own little world, and we forget that there's so much out there," Ham said. "So many things to experience. So many things to learn."

The Vikings 2024 nominee for NFL Walter Payton Man of the Year, Ham continues to appreciate any opportunity to engage with and encourage youth, particularly those who have faced barriers in their lives, and connecting with another Project Success group allows him to do just that.

"Having an opportunity to mentor these kids is amazing," Ham said. "At the end of the day, I'm trying to soak in as much knowledge as they are. But the questions they ask, the things they're thinking about, they're not things I was thinking about at their age. So to see the growth and maturity they have [is impactful].

"Knowledge is power. I just reiterated to them that knowledge is for the rest of the world; it's not just for you," Ham added. "So, you gain this knowledge and then you use it to teach others — and they all want to do that. It's just a great opportunity to be there with them and learn together."