news

Alaskan Congressman Don Young is pleased to announce that Lea Shipman of Talkeetna, Alaska has been chosen to be a Congressional Page for the U.S. House of Representatives during the Spring Semester of the 2007-2008 school year. Currently there are 66 slots open for Pages for the U.S. House; 24 of those openings are reserved for Republican Pages.

As a resident of rural Talkeetna, 100 miles north of Anchorage, Lea attends the small Susitna Valley JR/SR High School where she is currently in her Junior year. She is involved in numerous school groups, is a member of her school’s volleyball team, and still finds time to hold down a part-time job. She has demonstrated excellent leadership and performance skills and has exhibited a great interest in our government and learning more about its inner workings.

To be eligible for the application, students must meet certain criteria: they must be 16 years of age or older at the time of their appointment, and must have a "B" average or better. In addition to their application, they must submit a 250-300 word essay and a resume, as well as three letters of recommendation. Applications are submitted to the sponsoring Member of Congress, and then the most desirable candidates are passed on to the Minority Leader’s office. From there, they compete with a wide field of candidates.

Lea will attend classes at the Library of Congress, will serve as an active employee of the United States Congress and will become an important part of the legislative process.