Emily Kirkpatrick recently served as a legislative page in the Washington State House of Representatives. She was sponsored by Rep. Gigi Talcott (R-Tacoma).
It was a pleasure to have sponsored Emily. She is a great person, student, and has a bright future ahead of her, said Talcott. Being a page is a good opportunity to see, up-close, the inner-workings of the Legislature. I hope she shares her experiences with others.
Kirkpatrick, 14, is the daughter of Michael and Connie Kirkpatrick of Lakewood. An eighth-grader at Hudtloff Middle School, she served as Talcotts page from Jan. 25-30.
Since 1891, young men and women from across the state have come to Olympia to serve as pages for the Washington State House of Representatives.
Selection as a page is an honor, as each House member may sponsor only two pages each session.
In all, nearly 300 students between the ages of 14 and 16 will participate this year in the legislative page program.
As a page, Kirkpatricks responsibilities included delivering messages and documents to legislators in their offices, committee meetings, and the House chambers during floor sessions. Each job is vital to the efficient operation of the Legislature.
In addition to assigned duties, Kirkpatrick continued her regular schoolwork two hours a day.
She also spent time in the legislative page school learning about state government.
Pages are required to be in good academic standing and obtain permission from their parents and school.
Pages are paid a stipend for their service and most of them live with volunteer host families while in Olympia.
