From the office of Lt. Gov. Brad Owen:

Lynn Chou of Bothell served as a page in the Washington State Senate during the week of Feb. 16, sponsored by Lt. Gov. Brad Owen.

“It was a pleasure to sponsor Lynn this week,” Owen said. “She was willing to help out in any way she could and was a delight to have around.”

During the week pages assist senators and staff, attend lectures with guest speakers and go to page school where they create their own bills in a mock committee setting.

“I’ll admit I didn’t have that much of an interest in politics going in,” Chou said. “But I was wondering how government worked, and after this week I learned that I could work as staff, which interests me.”

One of the Chou’s responsibilities was answering phone calls in the lieutenant governor’s office. She was surprised by how helpful and friendly staff were, she said.

“This week taught me that it’s important to be open and listen, you might change your opinions,” Chou said.

In page school, Chou drafted a bill aimed at reducing childhood obesity. The bill would require at least 60 percent of healthy food options in school lunches. The bill did not pass through committee. “People were worried about the fiscal impact,” Chou said. “I picked the bill because I’m interested in the medical field and nutrition studies.”

Chou said one of the best parts of her week was meeting new people, particularly the other pages, the Lt. Governor and his office director Ken Camp.

“I wish it was longer,” Chou said of her paging experience. “I gained a lot of knowledge, became friends with the pages and had so much fun.”

Chou plays the piano, violin and two Chinese instruments, the hulusi and the Chinese flute. On her last day as a page, Chou played traditional Chinese music in the rotunda of the Legislative Building. She was joined by another page who played the cello.

Chou, 15, is a 9th grader at Northshore Junior High. She also enjoys swimming, drama, science and math.