NE Indiana lawmakers welcome local student pages to the Statehouse

STATEHOUSE (May 10, 2023) – Northeast Indiana lawmakers recently welcomed local students to the Statehouse where they participated in the Indiana House Page Program during the 2023 legislative session.

As pages, the students assisted lawmakers and staff with daily duties, toured offices of all branches of government in the Statehouse, and joined State Reps. David Abbott (R-Rome City), Ben Smaltz (R-Auburn) and Denny Zent (R-Angola) on the House floor to witness and learn about the legislative process.

"It's great to see local students taking an interest in state government," Abbott said. "They're able to learn a lot in one day from touring the historical Statehouse to watching legislators consider bills for new laws."

These area students served as pages during the 2023 legislative session:

• Austin Abbott, from Wolcottville, attends Prairie Heights Middle School;
• William Abbott, from Wolcottville, attends Prairie Heights High School;
• Abigail Hawn (pictured with State Rep. Matt Lehman(R-Berne), from Ligonier, attends West Noble High School;
• Carter Norrick, from Auburn, attends DeKalb High School;
• Carver Stump, from Shipshewana, attends Westview Jr-Sr High School;
• Faith Stump, from Shipshewana, attends Westview Elementary School; and
• Bethany Trinklein (pictured with State Rep. Matt Lehman (R-Berne), from Ligonier, attends West Noble High School. 

"I appreciate visiting with local students and teaching them about our state government," Smaltz said. "It's really a unique and exciting experience for pages, and it's great to have the opportunity for them to see the lawmaking process firsthand."

Zent said students ages 13 to 18 should consider participating during the 2024 legislative session.

"Students who participate in the page program have a great opportunity to learn about state history," Zent said. "It can also inspire them to become more civically engaged at a young age and one day pursue public service."

Hoosiers can visit indianahouserepublicans.com/pageprogram or call 1-800-382-9841 to learn more. 

-30- 

State Rep. David Abbott (R-Rome City) represents House District 18,
which includes portions of Elkhart, Kosciusko, Noble and Whitley counties.
Click here to download a high-resolution photo. 

State Rep. Ben Smaltz (R-Auburn) represents House District 52,
which includes all of DeKalb County, and portions of Noble and Steuben counties.
Click here to download a high-resolution photo.

 State Rep. Denny Zent (R-Angola) represents House District 51,
which includes all of LaGrange County and a portion of Steuben County.
Click here to download a high-resolution photo.