Page 93 - South Mississippi Living - April, 2025

Compiled by Cherie Ward
Alli Roth
Nick Pagano
photo courtesy of Alli Roth
Alexandra
“Alli” Roth has a busy, productive academic career
at Resurrection Catholic High School in Pascagoula. She’s participated
in numerous community activities such as volunteering at the Ronald McDonald House, hurricane relief efforts, and Backpack Buddies.
She’s spent time with various clubs and outreaches while serving as student council vice president. She
With a heart
for service and
his Nissan Sentra
loaded down with
blankets, Hancock
High School senior
Nick Pagano set
out to teach his
younger siblings
about compassion.
Serving as Beta
Club Secretary,
Nick helped the organization collect
more than 200
blankets for the
coastal homeless
population and
had his sisters and
brother help him
distribute them
to places like the
King’s Kitchen and
several veterans’ outreaches.
“My main motivation is to be a good role model for them,” he said. “We’ve had it pretty rocky and as the oldest brother it’s my responsibility. I’m trying to show them a good example from everything I do to everything I say.”
Nick is a National Merit Finalist, a Star Student, a
member of the student council, vice president of Mu
Alpha Theta, and a member of both the National Honor Society and the Science National Honor Society. He also a earned a composite ACT score of 34. After graduation in May, Pagano plans to study business administration at the University of Florida in hopes of entering the business realm and one day having a business that helps people.
even gained a few lighthearted awards like Silliest Sophomore, Jolliest Junior, and Most Likely to Brighten Your Day all while achieving the highest average in advanced math plus and other academic accolades.
When she heads off to Mississippi State University in the fall, Roth has a few things on her mind – psychology and philosophy with her sights set on becoming a psychiatrist.
“I’ve watched people go through mental illness so it’s
always interested me,” she said. “I want to help people better themselves and I want to research to help discover more about the brain and why it doesn’t always work correctly.”
photo courtesy of Nick Pagano
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