PARIS – Realizing he is going to be part of the world sooner or later, sophomore Benjamin Crockett made his choice to participate sooner.

The 15-year-old Waterford teen was selected as the one student to represent Oxford Hills Comprehensive High School at the annual Maine Leadership Conference next spring.

Crockett was chosen from 15 other sophomores by a committee of faculty, guidance staff and administrators. The Maine Youth Leadership Conference is a four-day event held each spring on the University of Southern Maine campus in Gorham.

Each high school in the state is allowed to send one representative.

Crockett said he is interested in political science, history, politics through music and the study of radical leaders of social reform like Ghandi.

He had a taste of politics when he ran for president of the freshman class.

His loss didn’t upset him, he said, and he is thinking of trying for junior class president later this year.

He is genuine about his politics and thinks the student government in the high school could use a boost, because it is not taken seriously enough.

“I know the student government raises money for the prom and is busy with other fund raisers,” Crockett said. “Maybe they haven’t come up on a big issue, but rarely do you hear about things they are doing. I think they need to become more involved in politics.”

When not pursuing political aspirations Crockett spends time playing junior varsity soccer and was on the varsity alpine ski team.

His soccer coach, Chris Record, said Crockett was a natural leader.

“He’s developing leadership skills and you can see that on the field and at practice,” Record said. “He’s willing to speak up, gets the other kids focused and demonstrates by example.

“He’s very energetic, very positive and a hard worker,” Record said.

Crockett said he’s anti-war and anti-school portfolio, and thinks many other students feel the same way.

He’s not exactly sure, but those issues could be the springboard for a junior class platform.

“Politics is one of the hardest things to do, especially for me,” Crockett said. “I’d like to see everyone happy, but that rarely happens in politics.”