Page 90 - South Mississippi Living - April, 2023

Cameron Day Ashleigh Sutton
story by Kelsey Sunderman-Foster photo courtesy of Sean Smith Photography
Born prematurely as the oldest of twin boys, Day and his brother both spent time in the NICU, but his brother Niccolas survived only one week. After three and a half months in the NICU himself, Day finally went home, though he still wonders what life would be like with Niccolas by his side and often visits him at his gravesite.
Up until three years old, Cameron received physical, occupational, and speech therapies at home. At age eight, he was diagnosed
Ashleigh Sutton is a junior at St. Patrick High School. She has
a 3.5 grade point average and is respected by her peers and teachers.
While being in advanced classes, she is a member of the drama club, and the National Honor Society. On top of that, she also works approximately 32 hours a week as
a vet technician at the Gulf Coast Emergency Veterinary Clinic.
Due to this work,
Sutton knows
how to empathize
with people from
all walks of life. When someone brings their sick pet to the clinic, she has to be prepared to deal with a range of human emotions: anger, confusion, grief, sadness, and more. Sutton’s nominator knows firsthand how compassionate Sutton can be from visits to the clinic.
Sutton plans on majoring in veterinary medicine once she graduates. She is also quite the scientist and raises iguanas.
With Sutton’s knowledge, kindness, compassion, and genuineness, she touches the lives of the people around her.
with Autism Spectrum Disorder, Speech Disorder, and ADD. However, with dedication, he has overcome these obstacles and more.
Day has continued to thrive academically and socially
at school. In addition to athletic and academic clubs, and receiving Gulfport High School’s ACE Award, he is a published author and volunteers with pet rescue and USM Institute for Disability Studies.
He plans to attend MGCCC-Perkinston Campus, then transfer to Mississippi State where he will major in Culinology, an integration of Food Science and Culinary Arts.
story by Victoria Snyder photo courtesy of St. Patrick Catholic High School
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90 | April 2023 www.smliving.net | SOUTH MISSISSIPPI Living