Asa Smith may be more on the soft-spoken side, but Woodlawn Prep’s 2023 valedictorian’s intelligence is anything but quiet. A very well-spoken and thoughtful young man, Smith is ready to take the world on and hopes to be fortunate enough to help others through education.
Smith said it’s an honor to be Woodlawn’s valedictorian, especially because he knows how hard salutatorian Alonnah Patterson worked and how close their final standing was.
After finishing his finals, Smith went to the mall to get a few things when Principal Darin Tubb called him to tell him the news that he had earned his way to the top of his graduating class.
“I was so happy. I was like over the moon,” he said.
Although he doesn’t know where he’s going to college quite yet — he’s considering both Southern Miss and Pearl River Community College — Smith plans to pursue political science and potentially become a college professor. He’s always had an interest in politics and discussing all the variables that go into it. His family has always been plugged into the news and interested in what’s going on in the world.
“We just grew up learning to learn basically, and a lot of times that was with current events and history,” he said. “History was my original focus, but we grew up trying to understand things. I think that really led me towards a career where I can teach and learn myself, talk with others, express opinions and listen to other people’s.”
Smith said it would mean a lot to him to be able to share his knowledge with others through education. That’s actually why he enjoys politics — he loves learning about things and studying things that are oftentimes controversial.
“You’ve got a lot of people (in politics) that are intending to be good, and to me it’s very interesting to see you have people with the same interpretation of good and totally different means to get there and they just hate the other people trying to do the exact same thing in a different way,” he explained. “That’s always been very interesting to me when you have people working towards the same goal but have very different theories and views to get there.
“Sometimes there’s a little bit of bitterness and resentment that comes from that, so I think it’s interesting to teach people how to listen, teach people how to learn again, teach people how to listen to things that are outside of their community and culture and listen to people within their own community and culture. I think everyone has something somewhat valid to say, and I think you can learn from absolutely every person on the planet and their experiences.”
He added that he has learned a lot from his dad, Steve, as well as Tubb, who he called the most hands-on principal he ever met. That was very evident on the morning of Smith’s interview as Tubb had jumped in his vehicle to go pick Smith up himself because he wasn’t sure if Smith had a ride. As Tubb was about to leave campus, Smith pulled up, but it showed the type of commitment Tubb has to his students.
“That really does help,” Smith said of Tubb’s style of administration. “My teachers (have also helped me), Mr. Walters in particular. He helped a lot of that interest in psychology and politics. He really nurtured that and encouraged us to ask questions and be curious.”
Smith would also like to thank Robert and Sheri Goss, who he has worked for doing some lawn care and other things. He said they were willing to take a chance on him and give him his first stable job, which has meant a lot to him to be able to have some money in his pocket.
Woodlawn Prep, much like Woodlawn Church, has quickly established a tight-knit community, and Smith said he’s going to miss the people more than anything.
“I have a lot of friends here. There’s a lot of really great people at this school. It’s a very kind school, and it’s a tightly-knit school, especially with people who have been going here longer,” he explained.
With Woodlawn offering small class sizes and more hands-on learning, Smith said he knows it’s going to be an adjustment jumping to college, especially if he ends up choosing USM.
“This semester I didn’t really have any in-person classes; it was all dual-enrollment. Last year was mostly dual-enrollment. Going from basically being in a class by myself and before that in a class of five, maybe 10, people, it’s going to be a jump I think,” he said.
Smith said it’s hard to identify any particular memories that stand out above the rest during his seven years at Woodlawn Prep, but he had a great time enjoying his whole experience at the young school.
