Beau Bennett, a junior at Discovery High School in Camas, served as a page for the Washington State Senate the week of Feb. 6. 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 the week-long interactive learning experience, students get a firsthand look at the legislative process and an opportunity to explore the Capitol campus by delivering papers for Senate staff.
Bennett applied for the program because his dad did was page when he was young. He said he enjoyed his time at the Capitol and his favorite part was speaking with the security guards.
Bennett got to partake in the mock committees portion of the program, where pages propose and debate their own legislation. He wrote his bill on increasing funding for therapist training.
“We chose to do a bill that would start a program to give sponsorships for degrees based on a therapy, to teach people to be therapists,” he said. “And then also requiring all community colleges to teach mental health degrees so it can be faster and cheaper.”
Bennett had the opportunity to meet with Sen. Cleveland, and he enjoyed their talk.
“It was fun,” Bennett said. “We had lunch and she was very kind, and she knows my grandma, too.”
Sen. Cleveland said that she is glad Bennett will continue “finding a way to give back to his community.”
For more information about the Senate Page Program, contact SenatePageProgram@leg.wa.gov
