White Pass Jr. Sr. High School student finishes week as a page in the state House
Jan. 15—White Pass Jr. Sr. High School student Jacqleen "Jackie" Bier paged in the Washington state House of Representatives last week, Jan. 8 to Jan. 12.
Jackie completed a 40-hour work week, which involved serving House members on the chamber floor, making deliveries throughout campus, supporting member offices and attending Page School, which supplemented her hands-on learning experience with a classroom component geared toward understanding the legislative process.
"Jackie is smart, motivated and an active member of her community," said Rep. Peter Abbarno of the 20th District, who sponsored Jackie. "Serving as a legislative page was a great opportunity for her to see state government up close and be part of the process. Our office is honored to have her as part of our team."
A member of the National Honor Society, Jackie, a junior, skipped ahead one year due to her academic ability. She plays volleyball, acts at a local theater, is class secretary and attended the Association of Student Leaders at Cispus Learning Center last summer.
Her last day in the House, Friday, Jan. 12, was her birthday.
"Jackie is from one of the many rural schools in the 20th District — where students aren't always able to take advantage of these opportunities — and so I am grateful she was able to be here this week," Abbarno said.
During the 60-day session, there are eight different weekly opportunities to be a page between Jan. 8 and March 7. When applying, potential pages can select which weeks they are available to work.
Eligible students must be between 14 and 16 years old.
Pages earn a stipend of $65 per day and can also earn up to 20 hours of community service.
Students interested in participating next year can find more information about the program at: leg.wa.gov/house/pages/housepageprogram.aspx.
Applicants who need financial assistance for the expense of traveling and staying in Olympia may also apply for the Gina Grant Bull Memorial Legislative Page Scholarship, which helps to offset expenses. Applications for the scholarship can be found at: leg.wa.gov/PageSchool/pages/ginagrantbullscholarship.aspx.
For more information, contact Abbarno's Olympia office at 360-786-7896.
