NATCHEZ — The first thing Raven Proby notices about people she meets are their smiles — or rather, their teeth.

The Cathedral School senior’s fascination with teeth turned from always nagging her friends about brushing and flossing to considering a career in dentistry.

A career where teeth and smiles surrounded her just made sense, Proby said.

“I’m always the last one up in my house brushing, flossing and rinsing,” Proby said. “I just love teeth and always loved going to the dentist, so I started looking at studying that in college.”

Proby, a Natchez native who grew up in Atlanta, but moved back to her hometown last year, said she’s always been interested in science.

“It’s just something about the labs and the projects that I’ve always enjoyed,” Proby said. “I’ve known for a while I wanted to do something with science in college, but I wasn’t sure what exactly.”

A class project this year where Proby had to research a potential career path led her to considering studying biochemistry for the first four years of school. What comes after that is still to be determined, Proby said.

“I’d either go into dental school after that or take a break and go be a dental hygienist,” she said. “I can do a lot of things with that biochemistry degree, so that’s why I chose that.

“I really want to go to dental school, but it’s a lot of school, and I want to be sure that’s what I want to do before I spend my — or my mom’s — money.”

Proby’s growing tuition cost narrowed slightly two weeks ago when she was awarded $1,000 from the Susie B. White Scholarship fund.

Proby said she was honored to receive the scholarship and that it would be put to good use in the fall.

“That’s going toward all the books I’m going to need,” Proby said. “I was kind of nervous at first, but I was really happy when they called my name.”

Proby said she has applied to several colleges in the state but hopes to soon hear from Mississippi State University and the University of Mississippi.

“Those are my top two,” she said. “They both have really good programs, so I haven’t decided which one yet.

“I would like to be close enough to my family, so I can come back and visit them.”