SF student serves at Capitol

Edmond Santa Fe High School junior, Katarina Samwel has completed a week of service as a page for Sen. Kristen Thompson, R-Edmond. Katarina Samwel served at the Capitol during the eighth week of session from March 27-30.

Paging gives high school students a behind-the-scenes look at the legislative process. They provide important services during the busy legislative session, including assisting in Senate committee meetings and daily sessions of the full Senate.

The group met with Gov. Kevin Stitt and took a commemorative photo. They also met with Senate President Pro Tempore Greg Treat and Oklahoma City Senator Carri Hicks. As OU Day was this past Wednesday, the group also had the opportunity to meet with OU President Joseph Harroz and OU football coach Brent Venables.

The pages participated in a mock legislative committee meeting, along with a floor session, called Pageville, where they presented and debated bills from the 2023 legislative session. Finally, they toured the Oklahoma History Center and the newly renovated Capitol, which is also the state’s largest museum with hundreds of paintings, sculptures and other art pieces depicting Oklahoma’s history.

Katarina participates in cross country, track and National Honor Society. She has volunteered at her local food bank, hotdogs for the homeless, and has cleaned litter from roads. In her free time, Katarina enjoys running. She plans to attend college and pursue a degree in political science with the goal of attending law school.

She is the daughter of Edmond residents, Aron and Peter Samwel.