Alice in Wonderland

On Jan. 23, Alice Rockswold will embark for the opportunity of a lifetime.

A few weeks ago, the Mankato West junior was notified that she was chosen to serve in the U.S. House of Representatives Page Program and would be sponsored by local democrat Tim Walz - who is, himself, a former teacher at West.

For about five months, Rockswold will have regular duties in the halls of congress. She'll deliver correspondence and packages, assist lawmakers, answer phones and help prepare the floor for House sessions. Along the way, she'll be attending school each morning from 6:45 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. and she'll be staying in a dorm with the rest of the pages.

Rockswold admits she's a fan of politics and credits her father for piquing her interest in the subject. She said they often watch Hardball together and have spent many hours debating policy: "We're generally on the same side," she said.

Rockswold, who will resume her senior year at West in the fall, said she is most excited about the chance to be present at the president's State of the Union address. Traditionally, the pages are allowed to be among those that line up to shake the president's hand on the way to the podium: "I hope I can make it," she said.

A description, application and history of the Page Program can be found here.