Two Daviess County Public Schools students served as Daily Pages in the Kentucky House of Representatives on Tuesday. Atley Thompson (a 5th-grader at Highland Elementary School) and Isabella “Bella” Skibba (a sophomore at Daviess County High School), represented DCPS in Frankfort.
Tuesday was designated as Family Resource/Youth Service Centers Coalition of Kentucky Legislative Page Day. Students in grades 5-12 across the state submitted applications and essays stating why they wanted to serve, along with letters of nomination from their teachers and school FRYSC coordinators.
The program is designed to provide students with hands-on, real-world experiences relating to social studies core content, while also spotlighting the role of FRYSCs in the educational process.
In his application essay, Thompson wrote, “The FRYSC is important because it is all about helping kids and families. Just last month, I saw first-hand how valuable and needed the FRYSC really is. My classmate experienced a house fire and lost everything in his room. Our FRYSC (Ellie Humphrey) helped him get clothes and other necessities immediately. I was filled with gratitude to her for helping him. She also provides family-oriented activities to promote kindness, gratitude and togetherness. She sends home information on how to get assistance with everyday needs. Our FRYSC knows focusing on families is the key to success for all kids.”
Highland FRYSC coordinator Ellie Humphrey said prior to Tuesday they were excited for Thompson to gain hands-on experience at the State Capitol. Humphrey said Thompson’s leadership is one of the reasons he was invited to apply for the page program, and his teacher nominated him “because he is a very conscientious student and they wanted to give him more opportunities to encourage his education.”
Skibba said she pursued the opportunity hoping to directly experience the state legislature operating in action.
“The process of policy making, as well as the time and deliberation that is put into the process, fascinates me,” Skibba said. “The immersive aspects of debate, and collaboration within the congressional environment interest me as well. This opportunity is also great preparation for the mock government conferences that I attend with the DCHS Student Y club, such as the Kentucky Youth Assembly and the Kentucky United Nations Assembly.”
Prior to Tuesday, DCHS Youth Service Center coordinator Megan Nicodemus said she was looking forward to returning to Frankfort with Skibba.
“The opportunity to be a legislative page allows students the hands-on, real-life educational experience and memories that can change a life,” she said. “Family Resource Youth Service Center coordinators daily go above and beyond their roles to support students, families and their communities. It is important for legislators to continue to support our centers because we are supporting the whole school, whole community, whole child. We build bridges between the school, home and community.”
