Blaine student serves in Olympia as state House page
Annika Soderberg, a student from Blaine, traveled to Olympia Feb. 14-19 and served as a page in the state House of Representatives. She was sponsored by her 42nd District Rep. Vincent Buys, R-Lynden.
Buys first connected with Annika during his work with her mom on legislation pertaining to industrial hemp products.
“It was a privilege to host Annika as a page this session,” said Buys. “I'm thankful for her service, and hope this experience encourages her and all the pages that have served this year to continue to be involved in their communities.”
During her time as a page, Annika attended page school every day to understand the operations and actions of the Legislature. As part of her page duties, she learned to navigate the many buildings on the Capitol campus and delivered messages and documents to legislators and staff.
“Paging was a great experience that I would recommend to anyone,” said Annika. “It's such an amazing opportunity to not only learn about, but experience how the government works. It's a memory I will keep with myself for the rest of my life.”
Each year, students from around the state apply to participate in the legislative page program. Students spend a week attending page school, learning the inner workings of state government and assisting legislators on the House floor. Pages earn $35 per day while serving in the program.
To become a page, applicants must have a legislative sponsor, be between the ages of 14 and 16, and obtain written permission from their parents and school. For more information about the House page program, visit: http://www.leg.wa.gov/House/Pages/HousePageProgram.aspx.
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PHOTO CAPTION: Rep. Vincent Buys, R-Lynden, with House page Annika Soderberg on the floor of the Washington State House of Representatives chamber. Olympia, Washington.
