Story and photos by Bennett Sloss
“Do you know why you’re here?” Kayla Smith, associate principal at Anderson County High School, asks a timorous ninth grader sitting across from her desk.
Smith has held her principalship for three years and has worked at Anderson County for 13.
At the start, Smith “began with the end in mind”, but has since found a new finish line. She says growing up in Anderson County gave her mentors and role models that she draws inspiration from to this day.
“There were so many people when I was growing up that showed up… they taught my dance class, or they did Distinguished Young Women that made an impact on who I became.”
Every day, Smith builds lasting relationships with her students.
She says, “I put in the effort to know them as people,” not only subconsciously persuading them to listen to her instruction, but also giving them someone to talk to when they need it most.
Smith said she sees her work as “paying it forward.”
Through developing students to be “respectful, responsible and ready” she is cultivating mentors and role models for her own two children, Ezra, 6, and Melody, 2.
Wielding her two phones at all times, Smith keeps her work and school lives as separated as much as she can. She said her second “school phone” is to protect her personal life in the event of a subpoenaed investigation, but it also gives her the ability to unplug and be “at home when she’s at home”.
“I’m actually an introvert,” Smith says. Although she makes this claim, to an outsider, Smith’s day-to-day life doesn’t leave much room for introversion.
“At home, I guess it doesn’t seem like I’m having to try as hard, because they’re my people. When I’m out and about, I have to make more of an effort.”
Whether she’s giving out positive student referrals at school, volunteering at her church, or flipping pancakes on a Saturday morning at home, Smith is always surrounded by people.
“God didn’t make us to live in isolation, he made us to serve,” Smith said.