A Week at the Capitol: Charlie as a Legislative Page

This past week was a pretty memorable one for our family, especially for my son Charlie. He had the opportunity to serve as a Legislative Page at the Washington State Capitol in Olympia, and it was such a cool experience for him to step into something completely new.

The days started early — really early. Mornings kicked off at 7:30 a.m., which meant staying in a hotel in Olympia for the week to make it all work. That alone made it feel like a big deal. There was also a strict dress code, which was new territory for him. White dress shirt, black pants, black socks, black shoes — and yes, a tie. Learning how to properly wear and tie a tie quickly became part of the experience. Once on duty, he also wore an official blazer while working, which definitely added to the “this is important” feeling.

As a page, Charlie got to do things most people never experience. He was able to walk on the House floor — a rare opportunity — and spent time in page school learning how government works and how laws are actually made. He ran notes for legislators, opened doors, toured the Capitol building, and met several state legislators along the way.

One of the highlights was participating in a mock committee hearing. Charlie even had his own “bill,” which passed the committee by a narrow 5–4 vote. I’m not sure if he’ll be running for office someday, but it was pretty fun to watch him navigate that process and see how engaged he was.

He also met a Michael Keaton… not the Michael Keaton, but still a Michael Keaton — which gave us a good laugh. And maybe the best part of the week for him? Buying lunch from the vending machines and getting paid for his work. Hard to beat that combination.

All in all, it was a great experience and a reminder of how valuable these hands-on opportunities can be. Watching Charlie learn, grow more confident, and get a real glimpse into how our state government functions was something I won’t forget anytime soon.