Rep. Dick Muri sponsors Pioneer Middle School student as House Page
Sophia Palacios, a student at Pioneer Middle School, traveled to Olympia to serve as a page in the state House of Representatives the fifth week of the 2017 session. She was sponsored by Rep. Dick Muri, R-Steilacoom.
“I first learned about the page program from my 7th grade history teacher,” continued Sophia. “This year we are learning more about government. It got me really interesting in applying to be a page. I’m glad to be here, its fun learning about state government and how it works.”
Sophia is 14 years old. She is a member of Pioneer Middle School dance team and also plays soccer and volleyball. As part of her page duties for the week, she learned to navigate the many buildings on the Capitol campus and delivered messages and documents to legislators and staff. She also attended page school every day to understand the operations and actions of the Legislature.
“This is an amazing experience. I really loved meeting with Rep. Muri for lunch,” said Sophia. “He is so humble and kind and really cared about what I had to say. We talked about how he got interested in politics and had a really great conversation about government. I love talking to all the people here. The best part of being a page is getting to meet the people who work here.”
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 to 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.
