May 10, 2002 – Come June, St. Thomas teen Ian Woods will head to Washington, D.C., as a page for the U.S. House of Representatives. He is one of 72 youths selected out of more than 400 who were nominated from around the country.
"It's going to be a fun experience," the 16-year-old Antilles School junior said, adding that he is particularly looking forward to meeting "lots of congressmen."
According to Delegate Donna Christian Christensen, who nominated Ian, it is possible that he is the first Virgin Islander to receive this honor.
The page assignment for Ian, whose parents are John and Janette Woods, is for June 9-28. He plans to leave St. Thomas on June 8.
He said he heard about the opportunity from his grandmother, Edith Woods, submitted his application, and heard a week ago that he had been accepted.
Congressional pages are high school juniors from across the country who have at least a 3.0 grade-point average and have an extensive record of community service. Ian has served as a youth commissioner, did mission work in the Dominican Republic and has held jobs with local firms and agencies.
"I believe he will be an excellent representative of the Virgin Islands and its young people," Christensen said in a release.
Pages work as a team serving as House support staff — delivering mail within the Capitol complex, answering cloakroom telephones, taking messages, and notifying members on the House floor of important phone calls. They are paid $1,400 a month and live in campus housing in the capital.

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