Journey of Hope (OKC National Memorial Museum) Brings Powerful Lessons to Will Rogers Junior High
The Oklahoma City National Memorial & Museum is hitting the road with its Journey of Hope, a statewide initiative traveling to all 77 counties from September 2024 through December 2025. This mobile exhibit is part of the 30th anniversary commemoration of the April 19, 1995, Oklahoma City bombing—honoring those who were killed, those who survived, and those changed forever.
Recently, over 500 students filled the gym at Will Rogers Junior High in Claremore for a powerful presentation that embodied the spirit of the Oklahoma Standard—Honor, Service, and Kindness. The room was filled with a profound sense of respect, reverence, and empathy as students listened intently to the stories shared by a survivor and a family member who lost their mother in the bombing.
The presentation carried the anniversary message, “A Day of Darkness – Years of Light,” reminding everyone in attendance that hope and resilience can emerge even from unspeakable tragedy. Students were visibly moved, asking thoughtful and heartfelt questions, and demonstrating their Great Expectations life principles such as compassion, responsibility, active listening, and integrity.
Many students reflected afterward that while their parents had told them about the bombing, hearing directly from those affected made the impact far more real. They shared how the stories of turning heartbreak into hope inspired them to apply those same values in their own lives, especially when facing adversity.
To close out the event, several WRJH Student Council members joined Memorial staff, WRJH staff, and a representative from the National Forestry Department to plant a Tree of Remembrance on campus. The sapling is a descendant of the Survivor Tree, the once-barren American elm that withstood the bombing and bloomed again the following spring. This living symbol became a beacon of hope for all Oklahomans and now stands as a powerful reminder that even in the face of darkness, life, love, and resilience endure.
Through the Journey of Hope, Claremore students didn’t just learn history—they became part of a living legacy.
