Two high school students from Newton County High School, Reese Eldridge and Madalyn Oliphant, recently completed a week of service as pages in the Mississippi House of Representatives, undertaking various tasks and gaining unique educational experiences at the state Capitol.
Reese Eldridge, 17, of Decatur, is a junior at Newton County High School and the son of Taryn Pearson. Madalyn Oliphant, 18, of Hickory, is a senior and the daughter of Keisha and Shawn Oliphant. Both were sponsored by Representative Randy Rushing, a Republican from Decatur.
Pages in the Mississippi legislature typically assist officials and staff by running errands and performing other necessary tasks that contribute to the operations of the legislative session.
Reflecting on his time at the Capitol, Eldridge expressed his gratitude and enthusiasm. "I thoroughly enjoyed serving as a House Page," he said. "Thank you, Representative Rushing, for allowing us to take part in the page program."
Oliphant shared similar sentiments about her experience, highlighting the educational benefits. "My experience as a page for Representative Rushing was very educational,” Oliphant remarked. "I would definitely encourage other students to do it! I can’t thank Representative Rushing and the administration of NCHS enough for this opportunity."
The participation of local students as pages provides them with a practical insight into the workings of state government, a valuable extension of their civic education.
