“If I’d known what a page does, I probably wouldn’t have applied,” she says. “But I met some incredible people from all over the U.S. with different customs, traditions and personalities, and feel like I’ve aged 30 years.”
Her father, principal of Vandalia’s Demmitt Elementary School, says, “This was an experience of a lifetime for her, and I’m a proud father. Jocelyn was just one of 30 students from across the country to participate.”
After her demanding experience on Capitol Hill, Jocelyn says, “My senior year will be a breeze. For the rest of the summer, I’m just chilling.”
When Jocelyn Martin arrived on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., “they took our phones, and we weren’t allowed to use wifi or any technology,” she said. “It wasn’t just for security reasons, but to enhance our experience and force us to have face time — and the only TV we saw was political news. But it was actually refreshing.”
Sponsored by Ohio Republican Senator Rob Portman, Jocelyn Martin’s days were nonstop. “A page is a little gopher. I was all over Capitol Hill delivering messages, getting statements, running errands, setting up for speeches. Portman sponsored me, but I worked for the entire Republican Party. We even had to get water for senators during sessions, and you’d be surprised at their different preferences.”
Housed in a dormitory with other pages a block away from Capitol Hill, she was up at 4:45 a.m. each day, with breakfast at 5:30 a.m., then school classes in the dorm basement.
“I had to take classes so I could graduate next year, but class time was based on the Senate schedule, so it fluctuated,” she said.
Shifts alternated, with early shifts ending at 6 p.m., and late shifts that could go until 3 a.m., “but the latest I worked was 9:30 p.m.,” Jocelyn Martin said. “The days went fast, and it certainly prepared me for college’s long hours.
“We sat on rostrum stairs in what’s called the Cloakroom — my metaphor is ‘dugout’ — waiting for the phone on the wall to buzz with something for us to do.”
Although Martin served all of the Republican senators, she had multiple coffee breaks and lunches with Portman. “Every time he saw me, he’d say, ‘How’s your day?’ and ‘Do great things, Jocelyn.’
“We had front row seats on the chamber’s rostrum and saw in-party debates and long speeches,” she said. Two particular topics she recalls were the debates on the Zika bill, and Indiana Sen. Dan Coats’ weekly “Waste of the Week” presentations.
“Every Thursday he’d talk about a product or application wasting our tax dollars, and the way he presented them was hilarious,” she said. “I couldn’t wait for Thursdays.”
About the Author