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The gift of education
By TIM GRANT, Times Staff Writer
CARROLLWOOD -- If it weren't hard enough earning a doctorate degree in education, Juel Smith did it while raising five children and working a full-time job. "At the time, it was overwhelming," she said. "But to complete the Ph.D was one of the most satisfying accomplishments I feel I was able to do." Today she shares that feeling with children across the globe, including some who might otherwise have to walk 20 miles just to attend school. Through an international service organization called The Links, Smith led a drive recently to build 57 schools for impoverished children in South Africa. "It's one of the most overwhelming experiences in my life to see the children so excited and the parents so humble to receive the gift of a school, so their children won't have to walk so far for an education," she said. Her work in South Africa prompted Habitat for Humanity to appoint Smith to its 31-member international board of directors. Smith has made a career of promoting education and building bridges between diverse communities since she received her doctorate at the University of South Florida in 1986. She established the Institute for Black Life at USF in 1986 and the Center for Africa and the Diaspora in 1996. The Institute on Black Life, now run by Jeoffrey Okogbaa is known for its research on diversity in Tampa Bay. The Center for Africa and the Diaspora created a pipeline between USF and African nations to broaden the international experience of USF faculty, staff and students. Smith is USF's director of Institutional Development, which raises funds for a variety of projects for the school. Smith and her husband, John, have lived in the Cherry Creek subdivision off Lake Magdalene Boulevard since 1975. It was a new development then, and many of their neighbors also were USF faculty and staff. While their children have grown and moved away, the Smiths continue to live in the two-story home, which they've decorated with souvenirs and artifacts from their world travels. A native of Oklahoma, Smith is one of 10 children. Her road to the Ph.D was not an easy one. She earned her bachelor's degree in elementary education from Langston University in Langston, Okla. through a combination of scholarships, loans and work-study programs. She went on to pursue her graduate degrees while working full-time at USF as a counseling psychologist. She finds the African school project, Education Across the Miles, especially satisfying because of her strong feelings about the value of education. Children in Africa walk up to 20 miles on bumpy dusty roads to reach the nearest school, she said. In some cases, they rise at 4 a.m. to start the journey, and go home well after dark from schools with no roofs. "We are so blessed in this country," she said. "This is something our children don't have to be worried about or be confronted with, walking so far for an education." -- Do you have a neighbor who belongs in the newspaper? Please let us know. We're looking forpeople who have done remarkable things, but might not otherwise be featured in our news pages. Please send your idea, including where the person lives, to sokol@sptimes.com.
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From the Times |
