Katherine Quintanilla, a senior at the Arkansas School for Mathematics, Sciences and the Arts, traded in the scenes of the Hot Springs campus for the opportunity to navigate the corridors of the U.S. Capitol as a Senate Page this summer.
Quintanilla served as one of 52 Senate Pages who prepared the U.S. Senate chamber for the day’s business by distributing documents to senators’ desks, assisting in the cloakrooms, supporting chamber staff, and – when Congress was in session – sitting near the dais waiting to help members delivering remarks or casting votes.
The 17-year-old originally from Nashville, Arkansas earned her appointment to the position from U.S. Senator John Boozman (R-AR).
“It was an honor and privilege to have been able to work as a Senate Page for Senator Boozman and represent the state of Arkansas. Never in my life did I think I would be able to see the inner workings of our government and interact with senators. Being able to witness firsthand potential legislation on the Senate floor was incredible and working on Capitol Hill was the experience of a lifetime,” Quintanilla said.
“Katherine did an excellent job supporting the day-to-day activity of the Senate and gained a rare perspective on the legislative process. I am hopeful this experience will inspire her to pursue a lifetime of civic engagement. Our entire state can be proud by her service and contributions to this prestigious program,” Boozman said.
Quintanilla is an active member of the Future Business Leaders of America and participated in Arkansas Girls State earlier this summer. She also founded the Syrian Emergency Task Force club at her school, which advocates for an end to the civil war in Syria and collaborates with other chapters in the state to promote humanitarian assistance for victims.
Katherine is the daughter of Carlos and Berta Quintanilla.
The Senate Page program started in 1829 when Senator Daniel Webster appointed the first Senate Page. Today, the program is a unique, highly selective opportunity for high school juniors with a strong academic standing to learn firsthand about the institution often referred to as “the world’s greatest deliberative body.”
Story by the Office of U.S. Senator John Boozman