Student serves as U.S. Senate page

Kate Ehrenberg has a broad range of pursuits — she enjoys music and theater, she likes writing, is passionate about the environment and also has a strong interest in politics.

While she’s not sure what career path she’ll eventually choose, the Whitefish High School student will soon have an inside view into politics while serving as a page for Montana Sen. Jon Tester.

Ehrenberg, 16, heads to Washington, D.C. this week to begin a six month internship as a page in the U.S. Senate.

“I’m really excited about the challenge of it all,” she said. “I’ll be studying and working in the Senate. I won’t get much sleep, but I’m used to that anyway.”

Ehrenberg applied in August to be a page, but because there is no deadline she wasn’t sure when she might hear back. Then last month she was called into the high school office between classes. She was told Tester would be calling her soon.

“It felt like I was waiting for 20 minutes for the call, but I really have no idea how long it was,” she said. “He said, ‘I have good news.’”

“I couldn’t really talk the rest of the day — it was a blur.”

A junior, Ehrenberg has participated in speech and debate, cross-country, FREEFLOW, environmental club, Gay-Straight Alliance, school and community theater and music. She also had an essay published in the Whitefish Review.

“Being involved in all those clubs makes me want to do things,” she said. “I want to be involved with all these things at some level.”

In order to become a page, Ehrenberg had to be requested by a senator, whose request would then be granted by the Senate majority leader. The Senate page program consists of only 30 students, who must be juniors in high school.

Pages live in a dorm room together. They attend school at 6:15 a.m. for four core classes, then they head to the Senate before the day’s session begins to prepare the chambers.

Senate pages deliver documents between senate offices, the two houses of Congress, and the Library of Congress. On weekends, pages attend educational field trips.

“This is a great opportunity to be involved,” she said. “I’ll be able to see how government works and make connections for the future. If you’re there in Washington, D.C., you can really get a feel for it. This will help me decide whether I want a career in politics.”