ST. LOUIS, MO, October 19, 2011 – As a sophomore heading into her junior year at Metro Academic and Classical High School, Sydney Everett received an opportunity to work on Capitol Hill as a U.S. House Page and not only see true government in action but see true history in the making.

She saw U. S. Representative Gabby Giffords cast her first vote since the Tucson shooting and had a front row seat to the debt ceiling debates.

“I didn’t know that was how government was run. It was shocking and enlightening,” said Everett who plans to go to a college on the East Cost to study law in hopes of remaining involved in politics.

The U.S. House of Representatives Page Program, formally established in 1827, grooms future leaders by giving them an in-depth look at the U.S. House of Representatives.  Not only do Pages assist members of the U.S. House with their legislative duties, they see the inner workings of the legislative process. In fact, the program created a “Page School” in 1925 to give courses specifically on the American government.  Past members of the U.S. House Page Program include: Bill Gates, founder and CEO of Microsoft; R. Donahue Peebles, the chairman and chief executive officer of the Peebles Corp., the largest African American real estate development and ownership company in the US; and Andrew Napolitano, New Jersey Superior Court Judge & current contributor to Fox News.

Now, after more than 180 years, the U.S. House of Representatives Page Program is over. Sydney Everett will now become history in her own right as a member of the last class of U.S. House Pages.

“It is sad because being a Page was such a great experience. It was life changing, and I want others to have the opportunity,” said Everett.

Sydney Everett was sponsored by U.S. Congressman Lacy Clay, who represents the St. Louis region. It was her first time in Washington D.C. and the first time away from home for more than a night. Everett served as one of two Pages from Missouri, in the final class which consisted of 70 Pages from across the nation.

In a joint statement by Speaker Boehner and Minority Leader Pelosi, both of which Everett met, the U.S. House Page Program was closed due to the advances of technology and the high cost of the program, which exceeds $5 million.

For more information please contact the Office of Public Information (314) 345-2367. 

###