At Cape Elizabeth High School, the seniors take part in a program called the Senior Transition Project. The point of this program is to get kids to go out into different communities and either take part in a community service project or do a job shadow in a field they might be interested in. This is a great opportunity for students to figure out what career direction they want to go in, and also to get them to do valuable and rewarding work in the community.

For my Senior Transition Project, I decided to spend a week up in Augusta shadowing Rep. Jane Eberle of South Portland. I have always been interested in politics, and figured this would be a great opportunity to see the political process firsthand.

During my week in Augusta, I met hundreds of people, listened to hours of hearings and legislative sessions, and got tremendous insight into a process I realized I knew very little about. It’s one thing to learn about government in school, but only when I experienced it firsthand did I truly understand how our state government functions.

This is why the Senior Transition Project is a great program. It takes kids out of the traditional classroom setting and puts them into “real-life” situations that I feel are much better educational experiences. Many people, including me, learn better in this experiential learning environment, which is why my time at the Maine State House made such a lasting impact.

In spending a week in Augusta, I have gained tremendous respect for the legislators that run our state. I had never realized before this week just how hard they all work. From early in the morning to sometimes very late at night, these people are fighting for the wellbeing of the people they represent, while also having to worry about their other jobs. Even though being a legislator is basically a full-time commitment, it is not a sustainable occupation, and it’s admirable how legislators can juggle dealing with complicated legislative issues while also trying to earn a living.

I have gotten to know Rep. Eberle well during my time in the Capitol, and I can say that the people of South Portland are in great hands. She is extremely dedicated, always has the best interests of her community at heart, and is an overall phenomenal person. She has talked me through every conversation she has had with lobbyists and fellow legislators, hooked me up with people to talk to, and pretty much scheduled every hour of the week for me; not to mention treating me to lunch every day.

Because of the Senior Transition Project and Rep. Eberle, I have had an exceptional learning experience, which I am incredibly grateful for.

Ross Sherman is a senior at Cape Elizabeth High School.

Cape Elizabeth High School senior Ross Sherman, is shown here with House Speaker Robert Nutting, left, and state Rep. Jane Eberle, right, of South Portland. Sherman recently spent a week job shadowing in Augusta as part of the Student Transition program. (Courtesy photo)