Mariah Smith’s parents are her biggest inspiration. They are her role models and the driving force behind her decision to study physical education teacher education (PETE). They both work in education (so does her older brother).

Her parents have also dedicated their lives to helping underprivileged students and volunteering. “I don’t think there’s anything my parents wouldn’t do for their students,” she comments. “They raised me to always help if there was someone in need.” 

Smith started getting involved in her hometown community—Crystal, Minnesota—in ninth grade, volunteering as much of her free time as she could to various causes. In 2020, George Floyd’s death and the rise of the Black Lives Matter movement inspired her to fight for change even more than she already was. “There’s something inspiring about helping other people and giving your life to other people,” she says. 

This drive for activism and involvement carried over to her time at UMD: she’s helped run clothing drives, food drives, and the Arrowhead youth games. She has also volunteered in the Multicultural Center and has helped run the Office of Diversity and Inclusion’s Kickoff event, which welcomes first-year students of color and members of the LGBTQ+ community, providing an opportunity to get to know their fellow students as well as resources and supports that are available. 

She has also been heavily involved in the Black Student Association (BSA) starting in her first year at UMD. She hadn't been involved in Black culture that much before coming to college despite being mixed race, and wanted to learn more about it.

As a first-year representative, she focused on recruitment, planning events, tabling, and spreading information about the club. The year after, she became the vice president and got involved in the more creative side of the club’s functions, as well as speaking on behalf of the student administration and embodying what the club is.

She became president of the BSA during her junior year, but had to make the difficult decision to step down from her position at the beginning of the spring semester due to family matters. “After doing something for three years, I felt like I was leaving it in good hands,” she says, “although, I was sad to leave it behind and not finish out this school year on the board.”

Smith aims to continue her community involvement and make a difference in her future career by working in a more diverse environment, particularly in inner city or Title I schools. “My main goal of being an educator is to get more students of color into higher education,” Smith says. “I want to work where I can make the most impact.”

She cites college readiness programs (such as Advancement Via Individual Determination, or AVID,) in middle and high school as a specific place where she could make a difference. “I was in one, and I think that class prepared me so much for college. I would love to be an AVID teacher,” she comments. “It helped me think that college was possible.” 

After graduation, she plans to become a physical education teacher, and eventually, she wants to get her master’s degree and become an administrator or athletic director. She’ll be happy with whatever job will take her, so long as her career creates the opportunity for her to give back to her community and family who supported her. 

This story was written by UMD student Jax Wilder, who is majoring in psychology. Jax assists Lissa Maki with communications for the College of Education and Human Service Professions.