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Winslow High School’s 2019 valedictorian is MacKenzie Smith. She is an 18-year-old that boasts a weighted 4.14 grade point average and an impressive high school resume. However, as Smith said, she does not let any of those things define her.
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Smith was born and raised in Winslow. Her early childhood was not ideal in that her biological mother suffered from mental illness and drug addiction. “My story is not a secret,” Smith said, “and I am not ashamed of it, and I don’t care who knows it.”
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Smith is an insightful, mature young adult who said, “I would like people to know that they don’t have to be a product of their circumstances. You are not where you come from and you are who you are. Most kids, when they grow up, they have someone to look up to and someone they want to be like. For me, it was more about what I didn’t want to be. I saw what I didn’t like about the people around me and in society. I knew I didn’t want those things for myself. Academics has always been the one thing in my life that I could control, that I was in charge of. It is my choice whether I succeed or not.”
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School hasn’t always been easy for Smith. She did explain that she struggled a bit when her biological mother was very ill and things were unstable at home. “I was sort of an average student until I had one educator that changed me. I was going through a hard time. My birth mom overdosed for the first time and was hospitalized for the first time. My grades dropped and I was struggling. Allen Leonard, my fifth-grade teacher helped me. In his class, we did a lot of projects for the community.
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“We visited the Campus of Care, and things like that. It was really focused and hands on as far as community service. It really changed how I look at education and gave me an example of who I aspire to be if I do decide to go in to education. His class was like home away from home. He encouraged me to read and got me into the gifted program. He treated everyone like family, not just me but everyone he taught. Mr. Leonard was really there for all of us and he recognized a light in me that I didn’t know I had.”
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Smith’s sister has also been an inspiration to her. Kaylee Smith recently graduated from the nursing program at the University of Arizona. MacKenzie said, “My sister Kaylee was valedictorian of her high school class. She was a role model for me, she was like our mom we never had. My dad worked a lot and Kaylee stepped up and took care of us. She paved the path, if you will. Now, I get to be an example to my younger siblings.”
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Despite having faced hardships as a child, MacKenize maintains a positive outlook. She said, “This town really comes together. Look for the good; there is always good. I have had some really good people in my corner my entire life. My dad has been very inspiring. Its hard to be a single dad, as society doesn’t really recognize men in those roles. But he has inspired me to break the stereotypes. I don’t have any contact with my biological mother. I do have an amazing stepmother in Chantilly. My sister and I had to grow up at a young age. With Chantilly around, I have been able to kind of backtrack and have a childhood. I haven’t had to be a mother to my siblings like my sister did. She has given me the opportunity to be a kid and to grow on my own terms.
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“She has helped me with my mental health issues as well by showing me that anxiety and depression can be overcome. I thought for sure that my future would include struggling with mental health issues forever, that it was just my fate. But Chantilly has shown me that that doesn’t have to be true.”
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Humility is a trait that Smith exudes. She hesitantly said, “I am proud of myself. I did work toward this goal and I did want to be valedictorian. But I realize now that it doesn’t hold as much weight as I originally thought. I am realizing now that this is just the beginning. I can be more, I can do more, this is just a title. I know that I could not have done this without the support of my parents and those around me. This is a great town and I am proud to call it home.”
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Smith’s plans for the future include attending college at Arizona State University. At this moment, she intends to major in secondary education. However, she said, “I’m not sure that I will be able to make the impact that I want. I thought I wanted to be a teacher, but I want to help people. I am looking into other majors related to non-profit management and other ways to make a difference. Maybe one day I will work in education, but I am so passionate about community service and helping kids like me that came from similar backgrounds. Not a lot of stories like mine end up like this. I want to develop more programs that show kids like me that there is a light and that it is possible.
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She believes in challenging herself and did this school year. “I took and completed the Certified Nursing Assistant program. After seeing some of the things that that job requires, I decided it was not for me. I think everyone should try things before they decide what they want to do with their lives. Life is too short to not take those chances and face those challenges. On the other hand, I am a person that likes and craves stability, since I didn’t have much of that growing up. It is scary to not know what is next, but I am ready for the next step. My goal is to help people, I want to spread light where I can.”
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In her address to her classmates as valedictorian, Smith said, “Do what you want with your life. Don’t put your wants on the backburner because tomorrow isn’t promised. Don’t let others define who you are and realize that success is different for everyone. Appreciate and strive for your own version of success. You can graduate high school and go straight to work or go to college or anything you want. I don’t believe you have to do amazing things to live an amazing life.”
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