Neil's latest appointee to the U.S. House Page Program, Marissa Kubo, will always remember the first time she walked onto the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives. It's one of the moments she recalled during a meeting with Neil on July 17, 2009.
Marissa arrived on Capitol Hill a few weeks earlier to begin her work-study summer session with the Page Program. It's been quite an experience for this rising senior who's taking classes with the Page Program and working full time in the House and enjoying time with her roommates from California and Louisiana.
“The Page Program’s summer session is simply one of the most unique summer jobs any teenager will experience, and the program’s 200-year history is a perfect fit for Ms. Kubo whose love for history is something to admire,” says Neil. “She has consistently challenged herself in her academic life and has been successful in her endeavors. She will be an outstanding representative of our state and First Congressional District because of her accomplishments in school and the community.”
Below: Marissa Kubo, center, with her counselor Lillian Yonamine, left, and Moanalua Principal Darrel Galera. (Photo courtesy of Moanalua High School)
Abercrombie last May was given the rare opportunity of selecting a page from his First Congressional District. Selected House members—on a rotating basis—are tapped by the Speaker of the House to fill 72 Page positions for a semester or summer session. After a month-long application process, Abercrombie named Kubo to receive his appointment to this year’s summer session which runs from July 5 to July 31.
“Attending this program in Washington, D.C. will allow me to put all of my historical knowledge in context,” said Kubo whose interest in government was raised after taking an online advanced placement U.S. history course that electronically linked her from Moanalua to an AP class at Iolani School during the past academic year. “Nothing would interest me more than seeing this government in action. Being a part of the House of Representatives will deepen my respect for the American political system and heighten my political awareness.”
“Marissa is one of the most talented history students I’ve encountered in my career,” said Russell D. Motter, Kubo's online history teacher who works in Iolani School’s history department. “Marissa doesn’t just memorize the facts, she interrogates history in a way that gives her arguments persuasiveness that one rarely finds in the work of a teenager.”
Kubo’s enthusiasm for history has been passed on to many visitors at the U.S.S. Missouri Memorial at Pearl Harbor where she volunteers as a tour guide. “As a tour guide, Marissa was responsible for learning the basic history of the ship and on a weekly basis continues to share that knowledge with our visitors who come from all over the world,” said Maria Cristina Rivera, tour supervisor of the U.S.S. Missouri Memorial. “It is not uncommon for Marissa to return from a tour full of questions that she then incorporates into her presentation, enhancing the visitor’s experience as well as her own breadth of information. Visitors have consistently commented on the professionalism and enthusiasm that Marissa displays.”
Kubo is also a member of Moanalua’s math and science teams and plays the oboe in the school’s symphony orchestra. In her spare time, she also plays the piano.
Pages have been serving the House of Representatives for nearly 200 years. Working as a team, Pages assist members of the House with their legislative duties, deliver correspondence and small packages within the congressional complex, answer phones in the Member cloakrooms, and prepare the House Floor for sessions.
High school juniors work as Pages in the U.S. House. While serving the House, Pages live in Washington D.C., at the Page Residence Hall, a few blocks away from the Capitol.
Marissa is the daughter of Kevin and Christine Kubo of Aiea.
The program winds down at the end of the month, but it'll only be a few days after that when Marissa returns to Moanalua for her senior year and pursuit of higher education, possibly at a California university, she says.
