Sisters Joy and Drees Cushman, of Chehalis, recently spent a week working as pages for the Washington state Senate at the Capitol in Olympia.
The sisters were among 17 students who served as Senate pages for the seventh week of the 2025 legislative session Feb. 24-28.
State Sen. John Braun, R-Centralia, and Sen. Judy Warnick, R-Moses Lake, coordinated their sponsorships so Joy and Drees could serve during the same week.
Braun represents the 20th Legislative District, which serves parts of Thurston, Lewis, Cowlitz and Clark counties, and Sen. Warnick represents the 13th Legislative District, serving Kittitas, Grant and parts of Adams and Grant counties.
“It was my pleasure getting to know the Cushman sisters. They are both bright and enthusiastic girls. I am grateful to Senator Warnick for sponsoring Joy while I sponsored Drees so they could both be here,” Braun stated in a news release.
The Senate Page Program provides an opportunity for Washington students to spend a week working at the Legislature. Students transport documents between offices, as well as deliver messages and mail. Pages spend time in the Senate chamber and attend page school to learn about parliamentary procedure and the legislative process. Students also draft their own bills and engage in a mock session.
Joy, a student at W.F. West High School in Chehalis, is very involved in sports, particularly basketball, and enjoys hunting when she can. Drees, a student at Chehalis Middle School, also likes basketball and a slew of recreational activities.
Both sisters can see themselves pursuing a career in health care and becoming nurses.
Joy, 16, and Drees, 14, are the daughters of Jon and Amy Cushman, of Chehalis.
Students interested in the Senate Page Program are encouraged to visit https://tinyurl.com/2s35pcc9.
Applications for the 2026 legislative session open Nov. 1.
