By Adrianna Ohmes
She boarded the plane to Washington DC with her mother Sept. 4. She walked through the airport carrying duffel bags of clothes and school supplies to last five months. While her mother will fly back to Kansas City the next day, she will live in DC while attending school and serving some of the nation’s political leaders.
This semester, junior Emma Dillon transferred to the United States Senate Page School in Washington DC to work for the US senators. Emma’s mother Corey Dillion runs Missouri Senator Claire McCaskill’s Kansas City office. Corey found out about Emma being able to become a page through a friend. One requirement for applying to become a page is to be sponsored by a senator. Emma’s sponsor is McCaskill.
“I feel like [McCaskill] knows everything about me,” Emma said. “She’ll act kind of like a parent to me when I’m there, but she won’t be taking care of me.”
While Emma is in Washington DC, she will be taking care of herself. She thinks this is good practice for college. Emma also believes that becoming a page will be a great opportunity for her to see how the American government runs.
“I’ve always been interested in how the government runs,” said Emma. “My mom works for the government.”
Emma says she will miss her mom the most while she is gone. While at Page School, Emma can only connect with her friends and family at night by email and phone, using a pre-paid card. Since she is working with US political leaders, she she must follow strict communication rules.
“I can’t take my cell phone, I can only take an iPod that isn’t an iPod Touch, because those can connect to the internet,” Emma said. “I don’t really get to talk about what goes on in the Senate.”
Emma will have to attend school at 6:15 a.m. everyday. She will be dismissed about an hour before the Senate’s sessions start (around 10 a.m.), when she will head to the Senate to prepare for the meetings. Meetings generally end around 5 p.m., but if they go longer, she stays until the end.
“A page is pretty much a slave,” Emma said. “Well really it’s like a gofer. We deliver messages and get them water. There is supposedly a board in the back room with all the senators’ water orders on them, like if they want lemon, ice or no ice.”
After work, Emma will go back to her room and do homework for about three or four more hours. The government will pay Emma about $1,700 after taxes, but she must pay for room and food while she is there as well. According to Emma, during the week her schedule is full. However, the pages get to go on weekend field trips to various places around DC, like Baltimore and Philadelphia.
“I’ll have to juggle work, school and free time,” said Emma. “Only 30 to 35 people get accepted. I’m so excited that I’m one of them.”
She will return home for Thanksgiving and Christmas, but said she will still miss everyone when she is gone. Emma’s mother was worried about her going away at first but is OK with the idea now.
“Emma fills a big space in our family,” Corey said.
Emma’s neighbor and adviser Mary Montag feels excited for Emma too, and already feels her absence. According to Montag, Emma sat in the back of the room at her [Emma’s] goodbye party and reviewed her senator flashcards. Montag’s advisory plans on having another party for Emma when she gets back, which Montag hopes Emma will enjoy a more.
“I’m so excited for her,” said Montag.
