My name is Sicily Stanton, I am 17 years old, and I attend Whitewater High School in Fayetteville, Ga., as a senior.
I had the unique and privileged opportunity to attend the Republican National Convention this summer as a part of the page program. There were 67 pages representing every state and territory belonging to the United States. Ages ranged from 15 to 24 with most of the college students attending Ivy League schools.
The application process was extremely competitive and many had to write elaborate essays, get recommended by state congressmen, and much more.
As a page, our duties included community service, preparing programs, and setting them out for all delegates and alternative delegates, passing out posters to delegates on the floor, and much more.
We had access to many private and backstage areas all around the perimeter. Day by day, our schedule differed with different activities, duties, and learning opportunities.
We had the opportunity to hear the Cleveland symphonic orchestra, serve with a local clothing drive, learn in depth about Ohio history, meet and hear from many well-known reporters and journalists, volunteer at a national park, have a discussion with a professor from Harvard’s Institute of Politics, tour Cleveland’s Playhouse Theatre, meet many politicians, and best of all be a part of history by attending every day of the convention.
As an aspiring journalist, I was fascinated watching the media and reporters do their jobs that I wish to have some day. As I spoke with journalists from CNN, The Wall Street Journal, Fox, and ABC, I was given great advice as to how to achieve my dreams of making journalism a career.
One particular highlight was when I had the opportunity to have a discussion with Katie Couric and hear about how she made it into the industry and her experiences as a journalist. I asked her many questions and she gave me some of the greatest advice. It was definitely a huge honor to be accepted into the page program and a very unique opportunity.
Sicily Stanton
Fayetteville, Ga.
