Flying to Serve

It’s not unusual for high school seniors to have a rough idea of what career they’d like to pursue in the future, but Laura Beth Gathman has two definite plans, both of which involve San Diego Christian College, her interest in math and science, and her heart for helping others.

One possible path is Missionary Aviation, where pilots transport needed supplies and food, as well as missionaries, to remote places.

Laura Beth was inspired to learn more about the career after hearing a speaker describe his work as a missionary aviator. “It just clicked with me,” says Laura Beth. Here was a way, this Ad Fontes senior realized, that she could aid others while staying true to her own personality. “I like to work behind the scenes,” she explains. Given her interest in missionary work, it is perhaps not surprising that one of Laura Beth’s favorite films is End of the Spear, which tells the story of a tribesman in the jungles of Ecuador who helps kill five missionaries, only to find forgiveness and forge a bond with one of the missionary’s sons.

Her other current career goal is Coast Guard Aviation.  “San Diego Christian helps students prepare for both ministry and military careers,” Laura Beth explains.  “My reasons for picking the Coast Guard are the same as Missionary Aviation.  It is a calling that coincides well with who I am.”  Like her missionary interests, it was a film, in this case, “The Guardian,” that helped inspire her.

Despite her unique career choices, Laura Beth has many ordinary interests. She enjoys playing soccer for fun (“nothing intense,” she notes), dancing, and “tinkering around on the piano.” She also listens to “calm” indie music. “Not the real heavy stuff,” she clarifies. One thing her classmates probably don’t know about her is that she also has a secret penchant for classical music. “I like to listen to it in the car,” she admits.  “It relaxes me, but it’s more than that.  When I listen I focus on the lower instruments, like the cello, that push forward the chord progressions.  They say, ‘music is math,’ and I enjoy anticipating the song’s logical sequence.”

Pursuing this wide variety of interests reminds the senior that school isn’t the only thing that matters.  It’s important, Laura Beth observes, “to find balance” in life. At Ad Fontes, she says, “you have to stay on top of the homework,” but you also can’t allow study to become your sole focus. It’s essential to balance family, friendships, hobbies, and school. “One thing you have to learn,” she insists, “is to love learning.”