Sen. Susan Collins and Landon Cougle. Submitted photo

Tthe Auburn City Council and Mayor Jason Levesque on Sept. 6 recognized Landon Cougle, a senior at Edward Little High School who spent a month this summer as a U.S. Senate page.

During each session of the Senate, senior senators from each state nominate a high school student through a highly competitive application and selection process. Only 30 positions are available for the 100 senators. Landon was nominated by Sen. Susan Collins, according to a news release from the city of Auburn.

The 30 pages selected from across the U.S. – 15 male and 15 female — live in a dormitory two blocks from the capitol complex during the four-week program. Landon and his peers performed numerous tasks while in the Senate Chamber, from collecting senators’ speeches and preparing the chamber for senate sessions, to delivering legislative material and assisting staffers on the Senate Floor.

“This experience provided me with a front row seat to the inner workings of government. I met with fellow interns, staffers, and the senators themselves,” said Cougle. “I learned that our elected representatives are personable, human, and they are just like you and me. I can proudly say bipartisanship and cross-party interaction exist, and it is encouraging to see it in person.”

As he heads into his senior year, Cougle plans to pursue an education in public policy and law, and said his Senate page experience has affirmed his passion for both.

“I thank Sen. Susan Collins for providing me with this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and for being so gracious by taking the time to talk about the very real issues affecting Maine people, whether that was rising drug prices or the need for good-paying Maine jobs,” said Cougle. “We discussed her fondness for the city of Auburn, its community, and all that it offers the state.”

“I offer my warm congratulations to Landon on this truly impressive accomplishment,” said Levesque, who presented Landon with a commemorative coin, city of Auburn journal, and a wooden gavel. “He represented his hometown very well in Washington, D.C., and his community is very proud of him. The future of our city is in great hands with exceptional young leaders like Landon.”

“I hope to carry this experience, and the lessons it has taught me, for years to come, especially in my final year of high school and throughout college,” said Cougle. “And I encourage all Maine high school students to consider this highly rewarding program.”

Check out upcoming area events!