BY JANE BLOODWORTH ROWE
VIRGINIA BEACH — It takes a lot of focus to work all day, attend school online at night and maintain an upbeat attitude about it all.
For a 13 year old, that requires quite a bit of discipline, but it’s worth it if you’re doing something that you’re interested in, said Leah Gentry of Pungo.
Gentry, an eighth grader at Princess Anne Middle School and the daughter of Kellye Vaughan and Jason Gentry, served as a page in the House of Delegates during the 2023 Virginia General Assembly session. It meant spending days on the House floor and nights in study hall, but the reward was getting an inside look at how the state government functions, she said.
“I like history,” Leah Gentry said, “and I’m fascinated by the political world.”
When she learned about the page program, which is open to 13- and 14-year-olds, she thought that it might be “right up my alley.” The application process was somewhat tedious and required a written essay, and the applicants had to demonstrate that they were in good academic standing and had the support of their teachers and school administrators.
Gentry also had the support and recommendation of state Del. Barry Knight, R-81st District, who lives in Back Bay and serves as the chairperson of the House Appropriations Committee.
“I submitted her name to the speaker’s office and called on her behalf,” Knight said. “I’ve known her family forever and know that her mother was a house page years ago.”
Vaughan served as a page during the 1998 General Assembly session.
For Leah Gentry, acceptance into the page program was a dream come true.
During this year’s General Assembly session, which concluded in late February, Gentry and other pages lived with chaperones in a nearby hotel. They worked from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Thursday. On Fridays, they left early to spend weekends at home with family.
As a page, Gentry delivered mail and coffee for members of the House of Delegates, and she also spent a lot of time walking from the Capitol building to nearby buildings to get documents that the delegates requested.
“There’s a lot of walking between the Capitol and the Pocahontas Building,” said Gentry, who said that she probably walked several miles a day.
At night, she attended a supervised study hall where she completed her school assignments online.
“It was a little challenging,” Gentry said, “but I’m a fast worker, and this gave me a chance to work at my own pace.”
Part of the learning experience was just living on her own and managing money. Housing is provided, but pages receive $225 per week to cover food and incidental expenses. It’s up to them to budget this money — and one incentive to budget wisely is that they get to keep the money that they don’t spend.
“It’s been a big responsibility,” Gentry said. “I’ve learned to manage my time and my money.”
Despite this positive experience, Gentry said that she doesn’t plan a political career.
“There’s too much drama and too much criticism right now,” she said.
Besides, she also hopes to stay closer to home, where she raises steers and pigs as part of the 4-H program. She also enjoys playing softball, hunting, fishing and snowboarding. For now, Gentry thinks that she might become a physical therapist.
“But who knows?” she said. “I might change my mind. This was a really good experience for me.”
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