Gulf Pine Catholic

Gulf Pine Catholic • July 5, 2024 19 Adler Brogdon and Madilyn Dickinson recently repre- sented St. Patrick Catholic High School at the Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair in Los Angeles, CA. These two students advanced from the Region VI Science and Engineering Fair hosted by the University of Southern Mississippi, Gulf Park Campus. The region is now directed by Susan Stachowski of the Gen-Sea program at USM. Adler created a comprehensive medical study regard- ing the efficacy of the Dengue virus vaccine through the participation of 1,800 individuals. Through her research, Adler found that the vaccine was effective for five years, then a booster was recommended. She drew conclusions on the effectiveness of the vaccine and hopes to continue her research in efforts to eradicate the epidem- ic status of the virus under the supervision of the FDA. Madilyn created and tested a Dyslexia therapy targeted towards children with a Rapid Automatized Naming (RAN) deficiency. Through her studies and test- ing, she concluded that the implementation of her process was beneficial in standard Dyslexia therapies. She also hopes to continue research into imple- menting therapeutic techniques in treatment of Dyslexia. Madi was selected during the Special Awards Ceremony to receive a scholarship to the University of Texas, Dallas, for $ 5,000, renewable each year for four years for her research, a total award of $20,000. The Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair is an annual science fair in the United States. More than 1,800 students from roughly 75 countries and territo- ries compete in the fair for scholarships, tuition grants, internships, scientific field trips and the grand prizes, including one $ 75,000 and two $ 50,000 college scholar- ships. All prizes together amount to over $ 8,000,000. Students are selected in each region of each state/territory as the best of science fair projects and then advance to the next level. Only the top one or two students will advance from each region to the International level. The International Science and Engineering Fair was founded in 1950 by Science Service and was sponsored by the Intel Corporation from 1997 to 2019. Since 2020, Regeneron Pharmaceuticals is the title sponsor for ISEF along with the Society for Science. Research has become an integral part of critical thinking and problem-solving for students in science. Participation in research can benefit intellectual growth, an exciting opportunity to be creative in exploring scientific problems in new ways,and exposes students to potential career options. We are very proud to have had these students represent our school, region, and state as they discussed their year-long focused research and data collection, exhibited their results and explained their conclusions and solu- tions. Brogdon Dickinson S t . P atrick C atholic H igh S chool , B iloxi Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair “So a place of death became a place of life,” Elm said. “We had Eucharistic adoration right there, where it was so stunning. They set up an outdoor altar, and Jesus was there. We gave testimonies that night. We had these prayer teams and confessions all night long. The spirit was very moving. It was one of everyone’s favorite evenings from the entire pil- grimage. It was just a very beautiful night.” In the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston, Elm met a woman with a lot of questions about practicing the Catholic faith and who also was struggling in her marriage. Inspired by her experience with the prayer teams at Presidio La Bahia, Elm asked to pray with the woman right then. “And so we prayed, and it was such a beautiful prayer,” Elm said. “It was just another very profound moment for me on pilgrimage.” Bishop Daniel E. Flores of Brownsville told the pilgrims multiple times that “Jesus cannot help but pour Himself out” -- a phrase Elm said reminded them “what pilgrimage is all about.” At St. Henry Catholic Church in Lake Charles, Louisiana, the pilgrims were met after a 7-mile pro- cession June 4 by a group of Latino women in full-skirted dresses. Elm expected they might dance, but instead, they washed the pilgrims’ feet. “I felt so honored and so humbled to let them wash our stinky, smelly feet,” she said. “It was hum- bling because you didn’t want to disrespect them in any way, but that’s not what it was about. So these women in these beautiful dresses get down on their knees and wash our feet and massaged our feet, and put powder on them, and put our socks and shoes back on, just like so motherly. Their hearts were so motherly. And it was an extreme moment where I was like, ‘There’s Jesus again, and He can’t help but pour Himself out through His faithful.’” In the Diocese of Biloxi, they walked along Mississippi’s Gulf Coast for three days, and then joined a daylong Eucharistic celebration in the Diocese of Mobile, Alabama. From June 17-19, they rested on retreat at the Shrine of the Most Blessed Sacrament in Hanceville, Alabama, which, like the adjacent Our Lady of the Angels Monastery, was founded by Mother Angelica, who launched Eternal Word Television Network in 1981. While there, Elm wrote a song on a banjo she was unexpectedly lent in Louisiana by Catholic media personality Katie Prejean McGrady. Elm told the Catholic Media Conference audience she -- a banjo amateur -- would play it for them. “I’ve never wrote a song before, and I’ve never played to a live audience before,” she said with a laugh while the audience applauded. “It’s based on the Song of Songs , from the Song of Solomon ,” she explained. “These verses have been ringing in my heart all week.” Against simple chords, Elm sang a love song for Jesus, with a chorus that began, “This is the voice of my Beloved. Behold, He comes.” “I’ve noticed that in my own heart, the more time that you spend with Jesus, the more you become like Him and the more you see others like He does,” she later told OSV News . “I’ve noticed in my own self more patience, more virtue, more love for others, more openness, more willingness to receive, more docility to the Holy Spirit, and it’s all been so maxi- mized because we’re spending so much time with Jesus. I crave that time with Him now because it’s making me the best me, the best version of myself, because I’m becoming like Him.” Her song, she said, conveys how she has “expe- rienced her belovedness to the Lord.” “He has been so loving and tender to my own heart, my own soul, and the song … is (about) two who are in love, and I’m just growing in love for my Lord, and He is just showing His love to me. It’s been extreme mercy and extreme joy to be with Him in this time, and it just overflows, and I have to sing it. I had to write a song about it, because there was no other way. I had to sing this out loud.” Maria Wiering is senior writer for OSV News. NEC24 NEP Roundup Weeks From page 13