A group of COUPEVILLE AND OAK HARBOR STUDENTS affiliated with the Whidbey Island Boys and Girls Clubs met with Sen. Maria Cantwell June 27 in Washington, D.C.

There were also students in the group that are affiliated with Boys and Girls Clubs from Arlington, Snohomish and students from throughout Pierce County near Joint-Base Lewis-McChord.

All of these students come from military families. They were in D.C. as part of a trip arranged by the Boys & Girls Clubs of America and Close Up, a nonprofit that brings students from throughout the U.S. to the nation’s capitol.

Sen. Cantwell introduced herself and shook each student’s hand. The students then had a chance to ask her questions about the federal government and her views on issues.

“It was a very productive conversation and I enjoyed meeting with the students. They asked questions on topics ranging from aerospace to poverty to healthcare,” Cantwell said in a news release.