TAKING A PAGE FROM THE GREATS

Ellie VanDuyne ’25 with First Lady Suzanne Youngkin and Governor Glenn Youngkin at the Virginia Executive Mansion

Rising Sophomore Serves as Flint Hill’s First Virginia House Page

EVERY YEAR, the Speaker of the Virginia House of Delegates appoints 13- and 14-year-olds from across the state to serve as House Pages during the General Assembly Session.

This year, Eleanor “Ellie” VanDuyne ’25 was one of those Pages.

Ellie, a rising sophomore, found the Page Program while she was searching online for ways to get more involved in government and politics. She then met with Pia Trigiani, Chair of the Board of Trustees, who explained the program in more detail. Trigiani, a lawyer, began her career in Virginia government; she has served on several state regulatory boards and has recently completed her term as Rector of the Longwood University Board of Visitors.

“Ms. Trigiani helped me realize that this was something I wanted to do. The complete immersion in government, as well as the independence I would get, were what really made me want to apply,” Ellie said.

Trigiani was just as excited to help her participate.

“The Virginia General Assembly Page Program offers a unique opportunity for students to have a firsthand experience observing the development of legislation in the oldest continuous law-making body in the Western Hemisphere,” Trigiani said. “I was thrilled that Ellie expressed an interest and hope that other Flint Hill students will consider serving as a page too.”

The application process for the Page Program involves four main components. Applicants submit an essay, letters of recommendation from two teachers, authorization from teachers and administrators, and an endorsement letter from the applicant’s House of Delegates legislator.

“The entire process took about a month, meeting with teachers to figure out how exactly my school would work and meeting with an administrator to fine-tune the logistics,” Ellie said.

Debbie Ayers, Assistant Director of the Upper School and Upper School Academic Dean, said that she was happy to work with Ellie to offer her support.

“Because our teachers focus on developing skills, including presentation, critical thinking, analysis and time management, they could easily see how Ellie’s role as a Page could build these skills and provide practical application in a specialized setting,” Ayers said. “During her time away, Ellie maintained excellent communication with her Flint Hill teachers and kept current with her studies. Her enthusiasm and appreciation for this opportunity were constant and I’m thrilled that Ellie took a very meaningful risk during her freshman year.”

The last part of the application process was getting an endorsement letter from Ellie’s local delegate, David Bulova, D-Fairfax. They met at a local café so he could get to know her, which convinced him to send his endorsement letter. For Ellie, the hardest part was writing her essay, distilling herself and what she would do with the experience down to words on a page.

We learned the processes of the legislative body with a front-row seat. It’s a one-of-a-kind experience.

-Ellie VanDuyne ’25

According to the House of Delegates, about 250 teens apply each year, but only about 30 are accepted. Ellie was among those 30 students.

The nine-week program spans the length of time that the Virginia General Assembly is in session—this year, it was from January 12 to March 12. Pages work full time; they are paid, and they are considered state employees. The students live in a Richmond hotel with chaperones, close to the Virginia State Capitol building.

Ellie’s favorite part of the program was serving in the House chamber, where she was able to see the delegates in action.

“We learned the processes of the legislative body with a front-row seat. It’s a one-of-a-kind experience. Some of the daily sessions are really short, while others could go on for six hours,” Ellie said.

Virginia’s program, which exists in both the Senate and House, is the only residential Page Program in the country.

Ellie didn’t just learn about government processes in her nine weeks as a Page. In addition to these processes, the program teaches participants about many topics through guest speakers, and they get to know the city of Richmond by going on field trips.

“Almost every week, a speaker visited to talk about a topic such as current events, party lines or money management. We’ve taken field trips to the Virginia State Library, the Virginia War Memorial and VCU’s

Siegel Center. I like that we get to explore the city while we learn about its history and immerse ourselves in all that it has to offer,” Ellie recalled.

Ellie also learned important lessons about living independently and managing her time, which she said Flint Hill had already helped prepare her for.

“Juggling both school and work is very difficult, but when you have a support system that’s always ready to be there for you, it’s easier. I’ve learned to use every free second I have to finish an assignment to stay on top of my work. Since it began, I’ve gotten much better at knowing my limits and asking for help when I need it.”

Despite her excellent ability to keep up with her classes, Ellie said that if she could do it again, she’d apply to the Program in eighth grade instead of ninth. “There were more middle schoolers in the program, and their course loads were easier to manage,” she said.

She thinks that what’s most important is for students to discover and work on something that they’re passionate about.

“Whether it’s finding an experience to explore, learning from someone, or simply researching it, it helps you to figure out what matters to you.”