It’s not every day a high school student from rural Manitoba gets to work in the province’s legislative chamber. For 17-year-old Josie Auch, a Steinbach resident and La Broquerie student, the journey to becoming a Legislative Page was years in the making. A dream years in the making Now in Grade 12 at École Saint-Joachim, part of Manitoba’s francophone school division (DSFM), Auch splits her week between school, work at a local salon, and her duties at the Manitoba Legislature. Each week, she puts on her page uniform, steps into the historic chamber, and helps keep the inner workings of democracy running smoothly. It’s a packed schedule, but Auch says she wouldn’t have it any other way. A goal sparked in middle school The spark for Auch’s dream began early. She first heard about the page program in Grade 8, long before she was eligible to apply. From that moment, she made it her mission to get there. “I found out what the page position was from a friend,” she explained. “Ever since then, I knew that’s what I wanted to do. But it has to go through your school, your teachers and counsellors have to support your application. So I made sure my grades stayed up, and I stayed on good terms with my teachers.” The process took years of persistence. With no previous students from her school having ever applied, both Auch and her guidance counsellor had to learn every step together. “My counsellor accidentally signed me up for the Parliament in Ottawa,” she laughed. “We were learning as we went, calling and emailing, figuring out who to talk to. But I never let him forget... I reminded him every day, ‘Don’t forget about me. I want to be a page.’” That determination paid off. After interviews and months of waiting, Auch was accepted into the highly competitive program. Only 10 new students are chosen each year, plus one returning senior page. “I’m so grateful I got in,” she said. “There are hundreds of students from big city and private schools applying, and here I am from La Broquerie. I’m honoured to be part of it.” Preparing for the chamber Becoming a page means more than just showing up, it requires learning the language and traditions of the Legislature. Auch spent her summer studying an “information binder” filled with hundreds of pages detailing parliamentary procedure, terminology, and the names of all 57 Members of the Legislative Assembly. “I had to memorize all of their names and titles,” she said. “During recorded votes, I have to stand up and call them by their proper honorifics without any notes. So all summer, I’d sit at the hockey arena while my boyfriend was at camp, studying my binder and making flashcards.” Her dedication shows in how she talks about the experience. “Everything is recorded in the Hansard,” Auch said proudly. “My name is in those documents. It’s part of Manitoba’s history, and I get to be a small part of that.” Walking into history Despite her preparation, Auch remembers being nervous on her first shift. “I was so scared I’d forget someone’s water or miss a hand go up,” she said. “You walk in and realize the Premier is right there, the Speaker is there, and you’re part of the process. It’s serious, professional, and you have to be focused.” But once she settled in, she says she couldn’t help but be amazed. “I was looking up at this beautiful ceiling and all the paintings and thought, wow... this is where I get to work,” she said. “It’s such an honour to be there.” Grateful for those who believed in her While Auch’s persistence and ambition opened the door, she’s quick to credit the people who helped her get there. “I am incredibly grateful for my amazing mom who has encouraged me so much, and only ever did what was best for me,” she said. “She never let me listen to bullies and she encouraged me to continue in what I love and want to do.” Auch calls her mom, Naomi Adams, “the bestest mom in the world.” “She’s my biggest supporter,” Auch added. “I wouldn’t be where I am today without her.” Auch also shared her appreciation for her student counsellor, Claude Arnaud, who played an important role in helping her apply and stay motivated throughout the process. “He believed in me from the start,” she said. “Even when we didn’t know what we were doing, he kept trying, making calls and asking questions. He made sure I had the chance to apply. I’ll always be thankful for that.” Looking ahead Auch’s time at the Legislature has deepened her passion for public service. She plans to study law after graduation, beginning at Université de Saint-Boniface, where she will continue her post-secondary education in French before completing her law degree at Université de Moncton in New Brunswick. Having completed all of her schooling in French through the DSFM, Auch says she’s proud to continue learning in the language that has shaped her education. “French has always been part of who I am,” she said. “It’s how I’ve learned to communicate, to think, and to express myself. I want to keep that as part of my journey.” A voice for others Auch also hopes her journey encourages other young people, especially young women, to dream big and take chances. “Law and politics can be male-dominated, but women bring so much heart and soul,” she said. “People aren’t just numbers. They deserve someone who will really listen and stand up for them.” As she finishes her final year of high school, Auch says she’s grateful for the opportunity that began as a small dream in Grade 8. “It took years of work and persistence, but it was all worth it,” she said. “Now I get to be part of something that matters, and I know this is just the beginning.”