Paige Williams, 15, a sophomore at Kentlake High School, served as a page in the state Senate during the week of Feb. 25.<\/p>\n
Sen. Mona Das, D-Kent, 47th Legislative District, sponsored Williams’ week in the Legislature.<\/p>\n
“We are so glad to have had Paige with us this week,” Das said. “She was a great help to our team, and I hope that she enjoyed her week with the Legislature while learning a lot about Washington.”<\/p>\n
The page program offers a hands-on opportunity for students to find out how state government works. The educational experience is furthered by guest speakers. It also includes classes with topics like budget writing and how a bill becomes a law, which culminates in pages creating their own bills in a mock committee setting.<\/p>\n
Some pages are even given the option to open session in the morning. Williams delivered the Pledge of Allegiance in order to open the Senate floor session on Tuesday, Feb. 26.<\/p>\n
“One of my favorite parts of being a page was being on the Senate floor,” Williams said. “Being involved and actually being there, in the process, was so cool.”<\/p>\n
Pages also have the opportunity to work on the Senate floor while the Senate is in session. Their maroon coats and credentials allow them access to all parts of the Capitol Campus.<\/p>\n
At Kentlake, Williams works on the sound team of her school’s drama club. In her free time, she enjoys swimming, painting and drawing.<\/p>\n