Rochester Teens Act as Pages for Sen. John Braun

Posted

Two Rochester teens recently served as pages for Sen. John Braun, R-Centralia, in the state capitol.

Jason Kush of Rochester, a sophomore at Rochester High School, spent a week working as a page for the Washington State Senate at the Capitol in Olympia. Kush was one of 22 students who served as Senate pages for the eighth week of the 2019 legislative session.

He was sponsored by Braun, who represents the 20th Legislative District, including Thurston, Cowlitz, Lewis and Clark counties.

Kush said he enjoyed meeting and interacting with the legislators, security staff and other pages. He enjoys playing baseball and volunteering with his church’s youth group.

Kush, 16, is the son Sally Kush of Rochester.

Kiarah Russell of Rochester, a sophomore at Rochester High School, also spent a week working as a page for the Washington State Senate at the Capitol in Olympia. Russell was one of 22 students who served as Senate pages for the eighth week of the 2019 legislative session.



She was also sponsored by Braun.  

“The program was better than I expected,” Russell said. “I enjoyed having total access to the buildings on campus and getting a behind-the-scenes look at the legislative process. It was a valuable, tactile learning experience.” 

Russell, 16, enjoys reading and listening to music. She plans to pursue a career in health care after high school.

Russell is the daughter of Bethany Russell of Rochester.

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.