Elion Alison served as a page for the Washington State Senate the week of Jan. 9-12. Sen. Annette Cleveland (D–Vancouver) sponsored his week at the Legislature.
The page program offers a hands-on opportunity for students to find out how state government works. During week-long interactive learning experience,
students are visited by guest speakers and get to draft their own bills. Students also get to explore the Capitol campus by delivering papers for Senate staff.
The 15-year-old Vancouver native was signed up for the program by his mom, and only found out he was enrolled after the fact. However, he enjoyed his time, calling it “a good experience.” He said that his favorite aspect of the program was being on the Senate floor.
“Being on the floor is kind of stressful,” he said, “but it’s cool to be down there and see everything in action.”
Along with their duties of delivering papers, pages also attend page school, where they learn about different aspects of state government. Alison said that the experience was illuminating.
“It’s been very educational,” he said. “I’ve learned a lot of terms I didn’t know, like what RCW stands for.”
Sen. Cleveland expressed gratitude for Alison’s service, saying, “It was a pleasure to have Elion at the Capitol this week.”
While Alison enjoyed the experience, he said he is looking forward to returning to his regular sleep schedule. Alison is currently in the 10th grade and homeschooled. In his free time, he enjoys reading, sports, and playing Minecraft. For more information about the Senate Page Program, contact SenatePageProgram@leg.wa.gov.
