By By Steve Gillespie / staff writer
June 13, 2002
Tyler Skelton, 17, of Meridian, has always been a person with high ambitions.
His mother, Ruby Skelton is a deputy clerk in Lauderdale County Chancery Court. She says she plans to work on his presidential campaign when the time comes.
Skelton is at Boys State at Delta State University this week. He was elected head of the Federalist party Monday night and hopes to be a delegate to Boys Nation July 19-27 in Washington.
This is Skelton's second summer to work in the Lauderdale County District Attorney's office, where he is learning as much as he can about the law as he readies files for court for Bilbo Mitchell and his staff.
Although he has been exposed to law much of his life, Skelton, who will enter his senior year at West Lauderdale High School this fall, has a passion for politics. But, his sights are not limited to the attorney general's office.
Skelton's interest in politics intensified three years ago when he became a member of the Frontline State Board. Frontline is a group for teens, formed by the Partnership for a Healthy Mississippi, to take up the fight against tobacco products by informing young people of the dangers associated with tobacco use.
When he was 4 years old, Skelton lost his father, Gerald Skelton, to cancer. He said his father's passing has been a driving force in his work against tobacco.
As a member of the Frontline board, Skelton helped lobby the Legislature to pass House Bill 641 making all schools and school activities smoke-free.
He has been named State Advocate of the Year for the Partnership for a Healthy Mississippi for the past two years.
Sabrina Wilson, project director for Partnership for a Healthy Lauderdale County, said Skelton displays good leadership qualities and sets a good example for other students.
Skelton's first interest was medicine.
Skelton attended a national youth forum on medicine in Boston last year. He said his interest in health and law is a good background for politics.
Skelton is a goalie for his high school soccer team, he placed first in this year's regional science fair and fourth in the state science fair and he has been a National Honor Society student since his freshman year in high school.