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Othello student meets
governor and receives medal of appreciation from the United States
Department of State
'I know she'll remember this experience for the rest of her
life,' says Schmick
Katelyn Andrews, her
mother, Kim, and grandparents Clyde and Bonnie Andrews stood in hushed
silence after being ushered into Gov. Christine Gregoire's personal
office in Olympia.
Amidst commemorative plaques, gifts from foreign governments, personal
mementos, and Washington sports teams' memorabilia, the governor
presented Katelyn with the Medal of Appreciation from the United States
Department of State.
The Medal of Appreciation is awarded to family members who are separated
from a parent serving at an unaccompanied post in the United State
Foreign Service.
Katelyn's father, Curtis Andrews, is serving as a civilian advisor in
Ramadi Iraq. He is helping the Iraqi people establish a new
provincial government and leading efforts to create Iraq's first
citizen-based planning process.
Katelyn applied to be a Legislative Page through Rep. Joe
Schmick's office. When her father found out that she had
been accepted, he began working with Schmick to see if the presentation
of the award could coincide with her duties as a Page in Olympia.
Schmick, R-Colfax, worked with the governor's office to
make the special event a reality.
"When the governor recently visited Iraq, one of the people that met her
and shook her hand was Katelyn's father, Curtis," Schmick
said. "When he contacted my office to see if we could work
something out, I knew we had to try and involve the governor. She
saw Katelyn's father a few months ago and now to have the opportunity to
make that connection with his daughter and to honor her for the
sacrifices she's made in his absence -- it was a touching moment.
"I want to thank the governor for being such a gracious host to a
wonderful event," Schmick continued. "She took a
few minutes out of her busy schedule to make a lasting impression on one
of our young people."
Katelyn served as a Legislative Page the week of Feb. 16 - 20. She
spent the week attending page school, learning the inner workings of
state government and assisting legislators on the House floor.
Pages earn $35 per day while serving in the program.
To become a page, applicants must have a legislative sponsor, be between
the ages of 14 and 16, and obtain written permission from their parents
and school.
Katelyn said the experience was fun and she has made friends she'll keep
in contact with for a long time.
"It's good for students to get a firsthand account of what it's like in
the Legislature," Schmick said. "They get the
opportunity to see their representative government in action.
Hopefully, the experience allows them to appreciate the liberties and
freedoms associated with our form of government. For Katelyn, I
know she'll remember this experience for the rest of her life."
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For more information, contact:
Brendon Wold, Senior Information Officer: (360) 786-7698
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