Lorraine Smith is a former pageant queen and now a counselor at Francis Howell North. She uses the skills she gained from pageantry in her line of work today.
“Confidence is the biggest skill I have gained,” Smith said, “It has helped me with job interviews and talking to my peers.”
She tries to instill these qualities she has gained into her students as they grow into young adults. She was introduced to pageants after two of her friends won Miss Ohio Teen USA and the other won Miss Ohio America’s Teen.
“I remember going to watch the Miss Teen USA pageant with her family, and it was so much fun,” Smith said.
Smith then decided to participate in one herself her junior year of high school. After that, she didn’t compete until later, when she was in college where she won the state pageants and was able to compete at nationals.
“I loved getting dressed up and being in the gown,” Smith said, “All the hair and makeup. The girly parts. I just thought it was so fun.”
After her success in pageants, she took on the workforce in education. She worked in the classroom for many years in all things music before becoming a counselor.
“It has been really helpful for me to have worked in the classroom first and understand what teachers experience from their side of things on a daily basis,” Smith said.
Her impact did not stop there, as she is making a mark in many students’ lives at Francis Howell North. Sophomore Michelle Rothweiler is one of these students.
“I remember when I first had to sign up for classes and had no clue what to do,” Rothweiler said. “She sat there with me through the whole process to make sure I was prepared and ready with the classes I wanted.”
These simple acts make a huge difference in students’ lives. They make students feel seen, heard, and important at times others would feel invisible.
“When I first met Ms. Smith, I was not ready for the transition, not just from middle school to high school, but a school full of people I had never met,” sophomore Julia Kreifels said. “Ms. Smith made me feel like I was the most important one there. I felt like I had someone I could comfortably talk to.”
