Page 85 - South Mississippi Living - April, 2024

Compiled by Cherie Ward
Matthew Church
Emma Roth
photo courtesy of
Matthew Church
The sky is the limit for Matthew Church, a junior at Ocean Springs High School
with a passion for aircraft travel and space exploration.
At only 17 years old, he’s attended four space
camps including the advanced space camp
in Huntsville, Alabama and if you look up, you’ll see him flying from Louisiana to Alabama earning a pilot license. He’s set to take the national pilot exam later this
Resurrection
High School Senior Emma Roth has spent years learning and developing academic and leadership techniques and now plans to
attend Mississippi State University
to further expand those skills.
Roth plans to obtain a degree in biological sciences and then attend medical school
to seek a career
in obstetrics and gynecology.
“My mother has
devoted her career
to this profession
and because of that exposure throughout my life I have always been passionate about empowering women to better educate themselves in women’s healthcare,” she said.
She has numerous distinguished awards, a multitude
of leadership and organization honors, and countless volunteer hours. She is extremely passionate about being an Ambassador for Donate2Dance.
“It helps provide underprivileged dance communities with the necessities they need to perform,” Roth explained. “As a dancer, it has been a joy to give young dancers the costumes and shoes they need to feel confident on and off the stage.”
summer.
He is the pianist for the Blue Grey Pride Marching Band and Wind
Symphony Band and volunteers every Sunday at St. Paul Ocean Springs operating the sound booth and live feeds. He also holds a green belt in karate and was a member of the Biloxi Elite Swim Team.
He currently works at the Bienville Animal Medical Center
in Ocean Springs and his plans include majoring in aerospace engineering at Mississippi State University and applying for the NASA astronaut program. His career choice is a NASA engineer and astronaut.
photo courtesy of
Emma Roth
SOUTH MISSISSIPPI Living | www.smliving.net April 2024 | 85