The Maryland State Student Page Program offers spots to seniors in high school from each county in Maryland. These pages serve in either the House or the Senate for two separate weeks if selected, giving them the opportunity to see and be a part of the political process.

I first heard about the Page Program during my junior year, when a senior in one of my classes had been chosen for the program. I was very interested and immediately considered the program myself, as I have considered pursuing politics in the future, but was worried about the competitiveness of the program.

In Harford County, each school can select two students to send to the countywide application pool. From there, the applicants attend an interview and take a written test. They are then scored and ranked based on these results, and the top five students get to participate in the program.

When the time came for JC students to apply for the program, I figured that if I was interested I should apply, even if I was skeptical about my chances. I was chosen as one of the two students from JC and then went to the countywide interview, which was one of the most nerve-wracking experiences I have ever had.

During the interview, a panel of students and teachers asked questions but were not allowed to comment. For example, they would ask what I knew and thought about a specific bill and then would sit quietly and without response until I finished speaking, and would then move to the next question. I truly had no idea how the interview went, but was pleased to find out that I had been accepted to the program.

After being accepted, the Harford County pages all met at a breakfast where we received more information and met many of our Harford County Senators and Delegates. As my first week in session approaches, I am as excited as I am nervous.

I have been told that many of the duties we will be expected to perform are as simple as making coffee and distributing papers, but in such a serious and professional environment I am terrified of making a mistake. This will be my first experience in a professional environment, which I am hoping will prepare me for the future and give me insight on the political process and what it would be like to work in politics.

I am also excited because participating in the Page Program means living in Annapolis for five days while in session. I will be staying in an apartment, home, or hotel provided by the program with a roommate that I have never met. While all the freedom of being in a new city on my own is exciting, I worry about getting lost or having a bad experience with my roommate. This will be my first taste of what it will be like to room with someone else, which is what I will be doing next year when I go away to college.

Overall the program is sure to be a valuable experience, and I can’t wait to start.

Karly Horn is an A&E Editor for The Patriot and jcpatriot.com.