Northeast Indiana legislators welcome local student pages to the Statehouse

STATEHOUSE (March 21, 2024) – Northeast Indiana lawmakers recently welcomed local students to the Statehouse where they participated in the Indiana House Page Program during the 2024 legislative session.

"The House page program is a great chance for Hoosier students to get a firsthand look at the legislative process," said State Rep. David Abbott (R-Rome City). "Every year, I look forward to seeing students from our district and getting to teach them more about how laws are made."

As pages, the students assisted lawmakers and staff with daily duties, toured offices of all branches of government in the Statehouse, and joined lawmakers on the House floor to witness and learn about the legislative process.

"I enjoy getting to meet student pages each legislative session," said State Rep. Ben Smaltz (R-Auburn). "This program is a fun opportunity for young Hoosiers to get answers to questions about Indiana's rich history, how their state government functions and how bills become laws.

These area students served as pages during the 2024 legislative session:

• Karmen Brown, from Columbia City, who attends Columbia City High School;
• Elena Norrick, from Auburn, who attends DeKalb Middle School;
• Jude Parks, from Avilla, who is a home-schooled student;
• Allison Shearer, from Kendallville, who attends East Noble Middle School; and
• Logan and Olivia Ulrich from LaGrange, who are home-schooled students.

State Rep. Denny Zent (R-Angola) said students ages 13 to 18 should consider participating during the 2025 legislative session.

"Having the opportunity to visit the Statehouse and interact with elected officials gives students a closer look at the lawmaking process," Zent said. "I appreciate students for coming to learn more about their state government, and this program is a great way to get them involved."

Contact Abbott at h18@iga.in.gov, Smaltz at h52@iga.in.gov or Zent at h51@iga.in.gov for more information on the Indiana House Page Program.

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State Rep. David Abbott (R-Rome City) represents House District 18,
which includes portions of Elkhart, Kosciusko, Noble and Whitley counties.
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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.