A current senior at Stoughton High School, Simon Mehring embarked on a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity last spring: serving as a Senate Page in Washington, D.C. This prestigious program offers students the chance to experience firsthand the inner workings of the United States government. From the early morning hours to late-night floor sessions, Simon's journey was filled with both challenges and incredible rewards.
A current senior at Stoughton High School, Simon Mehring embarked on a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity last spring: serving as a Senate Page in Washington, D.C. This prestigious program offers students the chance to experience firsthand the inner workings of the United States government. From the early morning hours to late-night floor sessions, Simon's journey was filled with both challenges and incredible rewards.
1. What was an average day like as a Senate Page?
Each day started bright and early at 5:00 am, we would then attend school for around 4 hours. After finishing school in the same building as our dorms we would walk roughly 5 minutes to the United States Capitol building. From there we would work on the Senate floor until it adjourned for the day. Sometimes we got off at 4:00 pm, while other nights we would work all through the night. However no two days were ever the same, sometimes we would have hours of extra time to do homework and talk with friends while other times we would be swamped all day with work and need to do homework late into the night. Our work consisted of many things. We would prepare the Senate Chamber each morning before our daily floor sessions, we would set up senators' desks, run errands for them, and support the staff that worked to keep the Senate running each day. My favorite errand was delivering messages from the President to different senate committees, they would come in this big manilla envelope with bold type saying “Message: The President of the United States” and then his signature, I even got to keep one of these envelopes which is a keepsake I'll hold onto for a while.
2. What were some of the expectations of your role in the program?
I expected the program to be very rigid and have little room for free time or activities. Although the program was very strict we still had many opportunities to relax. I was able to explore Washington DC way more than I ever could have imagined and see what the city had to offer. While at work I expected to be kept away from the action but that couldn't be further from the truth. Pages work directly on the Senate floor, so we were able to interact with senators every single day. We would make small talk, discuss sports or the weather and they even asked us what we thought about politics quite regularly. I was shocked to be so up close to the process when I arrived but so glad I was.
3. What were some of the unexpected things that occurred during your time as a Page?
Each day had a different surprise. Oddly enough many celebrities visit Capitol Hill which was super cool to meet them all, my favorite to meet was Jennifer Garner. We also were in DC during the spending fights over how to fund our federal government and the impeachment trial of the Secretary of Homeland Security was a very interesting process to see. All 100 senators had to be present which doesn't happen very often, the entire process is very tense and somewhat intimidating but it was super fun getting to be right in the middle of it. We also had the privilege of attending President Biden's State of the Union address, and the Japanese prime minister's speech to Congress.
4. How did the program allow you to grow as not just a student but a citizen?
I had the unique opportunity to see the inner workings of our government. Don't get me wrong, political polarization is at an all-time high, but people still work together, and creating a more civil society is possible. For every partisan and divisive speech, there were 5 speeches on bipartisan and widely supported issues. This program allowed me to see the good still left in our politics and understand many different perspectives on issues.
5. What were the biggest learnings that came from this experience?
I learned how to disagree better. My peers and I disagreed on a lot while I was in DC, simple things like who got to use a laundry machine and when, and where we would eat out for dinner but the nature of working in the US Senate many political debates arose as well. There were many days I was on the winning side of an argument, but probably double the amount of days I wasn't. But I learned that being in the minority did not equate to being wrong. Although being “wrong” and in disagreement with my friends wasn't the best feeling, it helped me learn that disagreements don't mean we can still be respectful to each other. Being surrounded by people I disagree with was super formative to me, it made me a better listener, communicator, and overall more respectful friend.
6. What did you miss most about home while you were away?
My old routines. I missed simple things I couldn't count on. Coming home to my warm and comfy bed each night. Seeing my friends in class and getting Two Slice every Tuesday. While I was in DC my schedule changed every day, I could rarely count on anything staying the same for more than 5 minutes. The US Senate is a fast-paced environment and our schedules worked around it, so if a floor vote was pushed from 4:00 pm to 9:00 pm it didn't matter if I had homework, I needed to stay at work. I definitely took for granted the little things, especially having a sense of control over my schedule.
7. What did you typically do on your off time?
My favorite thing to do was to explore DC, I was a huge metro rider. DC has so much to offer, I loved seeing new neighborhoods and parks. Of course, being DC I spent my fair share of time at different museums and monuments.
8. What was the transition back home like after the program?
Returning home was a challenge I wasn't expecting. I had a hard time staying motivated to keep up the habits I learned in DC like waking up early and completing all my homework on time. I was also very bored at first, I felt like I had so much extra time on my hands but it was nice because I could relax and find new hobbies. Overall the transition was very bittersweet, just as it was when I first moved to DC. It was hard leaving my newfound friends but it was awesome seeing my old friends again.
9. Were you recognized at all for your accomplishments as a Page?
At the end of my term as a Page, I received honors from the US Senate Page School and was one of two students awarded the Principal's Award during our farewell ceremony.
SASD is incredibly proud of Simon Mehring for his exceptional service as a Senate Page. His dedication, hard work, and insightful observations have undoubtedly made him a valuable asset to the program. We are honored to have had the opportunity to support him on this remarkable journey and are confident that his experiences will continue to shape him into a thoughtful and engaged citizen.