Cole VanderMaas, a sophomore at Hockinson High School in Brush Prairie, spent a week working as a page for the Washington State Senate at the Capitol in Olympia. Cole was one of 26 students who served as Senate pages for the seventh week of the 2016 legislative session.

He was sponsored by 18th Legislative District Sen. Ann Rivers, Senate majority whip.

“I was more than happy to sponsor a young man with such a promising future. I appreciate the work he did for us during the week here at the Capitol,” said Rivers, R-La Center.  

The Senate Page Program is an opportunity for Washington students to spend a week working in the Legislature. Students are responsible for transporting documents between offices, as well as delivering messages and mail. Pages spend time in the Senate chamber and attend page school to learn about parliamentary procedure and the legislative process. Students also draft their own bills and engage in a mock session. 

“This is a great experience whether you are very into politics or not. Overall it was a really fun,” said Cole about why students should apply for the page program.

Cole enjoys participating in musical theatre, cross country, studying history and learning languages. He wants to study either political science or international relations at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C.

Cole, 15, is the son of Tony and Amy VanderMaas of Brush Prairie.

Students interested in the Senate Page Program are encouraged to visit: https://leg.wa.gov/Senate/Administration/PageProgram/