Mona Shores School Visit – 2019
On a beautiful Saturday afternoon on June 15, 2019 in Washington DC, 135 students and many chaperones from Mona Shores Middle School in Michigan met at Arlington Cemetery. Eric Wahlberg, a teacher at Mona Shores, arranged for the get together. This was the twelfth consecutive year that Eric Wahlberg and the Mona Shores staff conducted this special visit to our son Eric’s gravesite. Its so encouraging to see more and more students make the visit each year. Unfortunately, Eric informed us this will be his last year leading the trip but that other teachers and chaperones from Mona Shores will continue the tradition. Thank you so much Eric for taking the initiative 12 years ago and starting this tradition. We will support Mona Shores in this event as long as we are alive as it has become very important to us as well!
Everyone gathered near Eric’s gravesite to meet each other and listen to Eric’s dad (myself) speak about Eric to the students. Like previous years, I shared about Eric growing up and how he became such a selfless young man but also he was more ordinary than most of the students might have thought. I wanted them to know that they didn’t have to be a superstar to make a difference in this world. As was the case the previous years, the afternoon was a very profound and emotional experience. Unfortunately, my wife Wendi could not come this time as we are raising our 4 year old grandson Jonah. Hopefully we can bring him sometime in the future when he is older.
Most of the time was spent talking about Eric, the type of person he was and kind of impact he was having even though his time with us is over. The letters the Mona Shore students had written to Eric were very touching and heartwarming. Several students read their letters out loud. Later, I read each letter the students had written – there were close to 200!
Included below is a very small sample of the students letters as well as some of the pictures.
To the Mona Shores students, chaperones and to Eric Wahlberg, on behalf of our son Eric and his family, we want to say thank you for honoring him in this way. You have given us a precious gift by learning about Eric and his life. You are a blessing to us and we are proud to call you our friends. We look forward to seeing the Mona Shores students and chaperones again next year!.
Student Letters to Eric
Mona Shores student Theo Conrad
Mona Shores student Saraya Hildreth
Mona Shores student Olivia Chupailo
Mona Shores student Mia Geoghan
Mona Shores student Jon Habetler
Mona Shores student Jessica Hemphill
Mona Shores student Iliana Bejarano
Mona Shores student Cienna Billingsley
Mona Shores student Cecilia Conrad
Mona Shores student Carly Califf
Mona Shores student Brisa Juarez
Mona Shores student Alexis Smith
