Senator Hawkins and Alaina Cecil
OLYMPIA… Alaina Cecil, a homeschooled 10th grader, spent a week working as a page for the Washington State Senate at the Capitol in Olympia. Cecil was one of 32 students who served as a Senate page for the fourth week of the 2024 Legislative session.
Cecil was sponsored by 12th Legislative District Senator Brad Hawkins, who represents Chelan and Douglas Counties and parts of Snohomish and King Counties on the west side of the state.
“I enjoyed having Alaina in Olympia serving as a Senate Page. This opportunity came up in correspondence just a few weeks ago when Alaina’s mom emailed me during the session on an issue. It sounded like she had children of the ‘Page age’ so I went into recruitment mode. They weren’t aware of the program, but I had one final slot remaining. They worked quickly to complete the application, and now, here she is. How awesome!”
The Senate Page Program allows Washington students to spend a week working in the Legislature. Students are responsible for transporting documents between offices and delivering messages and mail. Pages spend time in the Senate chamber and attend page school to learn about parliamentary and legislative procedures. Students also draft their own bills and engage in a mock session.
“Paging is such a great opportunity; kids learn so much here. Alaina was perfect for it. She is mature beyond her years and enjoyed herself. She met many Pages from other parts of the state. She also worked during one of the Senate floor sessions and even met the Governor during a visit to his office. It’s been a memorable week, which is what Paging is about.”
Cecil is from Wenatchee, Wash. Her hobbies and interests include snowboarding, rock climbing, playing the guitar and ukulele, hiking, and hanging out with friends.
The Washington State Legislature boasts one of the nation’s premier page programs, offering hundreds of students from across Washington State a unique opportunity to actively engage in the legislative process and witness the Legislature and other branches of state government in action.
Legislators sponsor pages and undergo a week-long service during the legislative session, occurring January-April in odd-numbered years and January-March in even-numbered years.
For more information about the Washington State Senate Page Program, visit the Senate Page Program website.