WASHINGTON, D.C.—Today, Oregon’s U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley announced he will be accepting applications to the U.S. Senate Page Program for spring 2023. From now until September 5, 2022, Oregon students entering their junior year of high school during the 2022-23 school year have the opportunity to apply to be part of the Senate Page Program next spring.
Only 30 page positions are available among 100 senators, and this highly competitive Senate Page Program provides students with first-hand experience of Senate operations. Pages play a critical role in the daily work of the U.S. Senate by helping to deliver correspondence, legislative material, amendments and bills around the congressional complex and during congressional proceedings.
“To the young leaders of Oregon who want to get informed and get involved in the political process to create the change you wish to see in the world, I encourage you to consider the Senate Page Program,” said Merkley. “Being a Senate page is a unique opportunity to come to our nation’s capital and see the inner workings of Congress firsthand.”
Since 2017, Merkley has sponsored eight Senate pages.
Senate pages must be appointed and sponsored by a Senator. Unlike interns who work in the Senators’ offices, pages work for the Senate as a whole and spend much of their days on the Senate floor. Pages receive a stipend, live in a dormitory near the Capitol, and attend classes in addition to performing their page duties.
To be eligible to serve as a Senate page, you must be:
- A high school junior for the 2022-2023 school year;
- Between the ages of sixteen and eighteen years old on the date of appointment (the date the page session starts);
- A U.S. citizen; and
- Able to maintain a cumulative grade point average of 3.0 or higher.
Interested participants should apply online and must upload the following items:
- An official copy of your high school transcript(s);
- A current resume;
- A cover letter explaining why you wish to be a Senate page;
- A letter of recommendation from one of your teachers;
- A letter of recommendation from a supervisor familiar with your work on a job or in volunteer service;
- A short essay (250 to 500 words) responding to the question, “Describe one major problem that the United States is currently facing and – if you were a U.S. Senator from Oregon – how you would try to fix that problem.”
Click HERE for more information about the page application process. For any questions or for further assistance, please contact Merkley’s office at 202-224-3753.
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