Upperville eighth grader serves as page in Va. Senate

Helen-Anne Gable is not afraid of adventures.

For the last four weeks, the 13-year-old Wakefield School student has lived semi-independently in Richmond, taking care of such basic responsibilities as getting up on time and and reporting for her job as a page in the Virginia Senate.

“I wanted to be able to have the experience of learning more about government ... and it’s taught me a lot,” said Gable, who first head about the page program from her neighbor, Virginia State Senator Jill Vogel.

Each year, the Virginia state Senate elects 11 pages, one from each of the state’s congressional district.

Additionally, several pages are appointed by the leadership of the Senate, while the Clerk of the Senate appoints messengers.

Gable is one of 34 students selected to participate in the 2012 program, which began last month and continues until March 10, when the session adjourns.

To apply, Gable submitted an application, including an essay on why she wished to serve as a page, to her senator and the Senate Clerk’s office.

According to program director Bladen Finch, the Clerk’s Office receives more than a 100 page applications a year.

“We look at extracurricular activities, community involvement, their essay and their academic record,” Finch said.

He called the program “a civics textbook come to life.”

“We engage [students] in the legislative process ... they hear the testimony in committee, they watch the debates on the Senate floor and then watch the votes cast on various types of legislation,” Finch said.

“In the process, we polish their etiquette and teach them important job skills such as how to answer telephones, take messages, operate copy machines, and greet visitors,” he said.

Every morning, Gable prepares for the day in her hotel room, donning her uniform of a white blouse, blue blazer, gray pants, and black shoes, and walks three blocks to the Capitol where she reports for work at 8:15 a.m.

When she reaches the Capitol, she heads for Lt. Gov. Bill Bolling’s office, where she serves as a page during the morning, before working on the Senate floor in the afternoon.

Throughout the day, she completes many tasks ranging from filing papers to running errands. Often, she said Senators ask her to get them lunch or retrieve a forgotten item from their office.

“It surprised me how many different jobs we have to do and how long the work day is,” she said. “I like how we get to do a bunch of different things and meet a lot of new people.”

Gable believes the page experience is not only broadening her understanding of government, but also helping her grow as a person.

“It’s helped me learn how to be more polite to people,” she said, referencing the requirement that pages use “Yes, sir.” and “No, Sir.” when speaking to government officials.

She has also seen first-hand the variety of sides that surround various issues.

“Everyone has different opinion and some are right and some are wrong,” she said. “I find politics exciting and I would like to stay in touch with it.”

After a full day of work, which usually ends at 5 p.m., students are allowed two hours to eat dinner at nearby restaurants before reporting to a proctored study hall where they must complete schoolwork in order to keep up with their normal classroom work.

Gable admits it’s hard to finish her homework in the allotted time.

“The thing that helps me the most is just keeping in touch with my teachers and emailing them [regularly],” she said.

Although she returns home each weekend to study and rest, Gable said she doesn’t get homesick easily.

“Of course we miss her, but she’s doing a lot and we know it’s worth it,” said her father, Jim Gable of his daughter’s absence.

“She is getting much more comfortable working around adults and improving her conversation skills ... she comes home and tells people what goes on in the legislature, which is a lot for an eighth-grader,” he said.

Gable was not surprised at his daughter’s interest in the page program.

“She likes going new places and having new adventures ... that’s kind of the way she is,” he said.

The Gables say Wakefield has been very supportive of their daughter’s page activities, providing flexibility and accommodating her needs as they arise.

“She has to press herself and be a self starter,” said Dorothy Fontaine, Gable’s school adviser and eighth-grade literature teacher. “We’re a challenging school, so homework is a challenge to keep up with, but she seems to be keeping her head above water.”

Fontaine believes Gable is the perfect age to “step out of her comfort zone” and try something new.

“By the time students get to middle school [they’re trying] to figure out who they are and what they want to do in the world,” she said. “Anything that can make them step outside of [themselves] and stretch a little bit while still providing a safety net is [a great activity].”