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"It's really important to find something you really enjoy - something you can focus on and be good at."

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WB's flagship series, 7th Heaven (1996-2007) was a cornerstone of network television in the 90s and 00s. Following a family of two parents and five children (then seven, with the birth of the twins in the third season), you could say that the show had a packed cast, but Mackenzie Roman managed to stand out as Ruthie Camden, the horse-loving youngest daughter of the Camden clan. Viewers were able to watch Mackenzie grow up right before their eyes over the course of the show, being too young for kindergarten in the show's first season, and graduating from high school by the series finale.

It Started With A Handshake

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Born in Charleston, South Carolina on December 28, 1989, Mackenzie Rosman was featuring in TV commercials almost as soon as she could walk. At just four years old she was advertising Tuff's Diapers and Nike athletic shoes. Rosman landed the part on 7th Heaven by going around the room during the audition and offering everyone there a handshake. This perfectly matched the precocious nature of the character, and they knew they had found their Ruthie Camden.

7th Heaven shows viewers what it's like to live in a crowded house with a big family, but Rosman's own family was relatively small in comparison, and she preferred it that way. "I like having a smaller family. I think the more people you have in the family, the more people there are to have problems with."

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During the early seasons of 7th Heaven, Mackenzie also landed a part in the film Gideon (1998). A tragicomedy film following a young man placed in a nursing home with elderly residents, the movie would allow Rosman to work on the same set with Christopher Lambert, Charlton Heston and Shelley Winters.

Given her natural confidence with the animals on 7th Heaven, it may be unsurprising to learn that, like her onscreen character, Rosman herself is a lover of horses. She owns a number of horses, but will most often be seen on Mentos Junior, with whom she competes in equestrian show jumper competitions.

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For almost as long as she has been in the spotlight, Rosman has championed the cause of organ donation, working with the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. Rosman's stepsister, Katelyn Salmont, was afflicted with cystic fibrosis, necessitating a double lung transplant in 2005. That year, Mackenzie and Katelyn were featured in Teen People's list of 20 Teens Who Will Change the World, and 7th Heaven addressed the issue with the episode "Back in the Saddle Again." Here, Mackenzie and her stepsister featured together riding horses. Katelyn returned to the show for the episode "X-Mas" where she was able to spread awareness about living with cystic-fibrosis post-transplant. Unfortunately, Katelyn Salmont passed away in 2008, but not before making her voice heard and leaving a lasting legacy as the young voice of cystic fibrosis.

After more than a decade on the air, 7th Heaven finally came to a close in 2007 owing to the licensing agreement made between the WB and the CW. While the series was still drawing a strong viewership, the rising cost of producing the show simply proved too much for the CW given its large cast, and after renewing the show for one last season, they decided to cancel the series. The show will always be remembered for its intimate portrayal of how a family grows and changes over the course of a decade.

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After 7th Heaven

Now residing in West Hollywood, Mackenzie Rosman's focus is less on acting these days than on philanthropy. She serves as the national honorary chairman for the school fundraising program CureFinders, and is an ambassador for child welfare organization Childhelp Inc.

She does find her way to the screen from time to time, of course, featuring in The Tomb (2009), based on the writings of horror legend H.P. Lovecraft, and starred in Fading of the Cries (2011), Nightcomer (2013) and Beneath (2013). You may also remember her recurring role as Zoe in four episodes of The Secret Life of the American Teenager (2010-11). Over the course of her time on 7th Heaven she was nominated for six Young Artist Awards, winning in 2004.

While Mackenzie Rosman's career in recent years has not had the same cultural impact as her time on 7th Heaven, the actress is still young and may yet surprise us with what she accomplishes in the near future. That is, if she decides to stick with acting in the first place.

"I don't know what I want to be when I grow up. It's funny, people ask me that, and I don't know what to tell them."