Page 108 - South Mississippi Living - April, 2022

Ashlyn Le
Kaitlyn Church
story by Victoria Snyder photo courtesy of Mai Dang
Ashlyn Le is a junior at D’Iberville High School (DHS). She is excited to go into her senior year, to be a fourth-year dancer on the D’Iberville Darlings Dance Team, and to
be a fourth-year flutist and section leader of the DHS Warrior Pride Marching Band and Symphonic Band. Le accomplishes all of this while maintaining a
4.0 GPA and being a scoliosis warrior.
Kaitlyn Church is a 12th grader at Ocean Springs High School (OSHS) who has managed to volunteer over 3,000 hours with Gulf Coast Wildlife Rehab. In those thousands of hours, she has successfully rehabilitated and released seven squirrels, three opossums, and two raccoons back into their natural habitats.
story by Victoria Snyder
photo courtesy of Heather Church
She was diagnosed with dextro-scoliosis at the age of seven. In the year
that followed, the curve in Le’s spine increased. She was fitted for a Boston brace and wore four braces until her bone matured. Le and her family celebrated that she was brace-free with a photoshoot and keep her braces as a reminder of how brave, strong, and fierce she is.
Le is the president of Key Club as well as the executive secretary, historian, and reporter of the Student Council. She also serves as a member of the EcoWarriors, Beta Club, Mu Alpha Theta, National English Honor Society, and the National Honor Society.
Not only does
Church volunteer with
Gulf Coast Wildlife Rehab, but she also works at Bienville Animal Medical Center as part of the kennel staff taking care of the animals there daily.
Even though she is busy taking care of Coastal wildlife and family pets, Church is also focused on her studies and extracurricular activities. She was a JROTC cadet for two years, Vice-President for OSHS Paws for a Cause club, and is a National Honor Society member.
Church excels academically and will be graduating this May with High Honors and with an acceptance into the highly selective College of Veterinary Medicine Early Entry Program at Mississippi State University. Out of
more than 120 applicants, only 30 out-of-state and in-state students are selected.
Church’s love, passion, and devotion to animals is truly inspiring. The Gulf Coast is lucky to have this terrific young woman as a future veterinarian.
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108 | April 2022 www.smliving.net | SOUTH MISSISSIPPI Living