(This week The Columbian-Progress spotlights East Marion High School senior Lia Smith.)
Q: When and where were you born?
A: I was born Dec. 16, 2002, in Hattiesburg.
Q: Where do you attend school? What grade?
A: I’m a senior at East Marion High School.
Q: What do you plan on doing after graduation?
A: I plan on going to college and might play sports. I’m going to major in being an electrician. I’m waiting on an opportunity to see if I can play in college, and if I don’t get one I’m going to go to Jackson State.
Q: What are you planning to do for your career?
A: I want to be an electrician. At votech I take HVAC, which is now electrical, and we get to wire plugs and switches. I got to wire a stove. It’s just fun, and I like it.
Q: What is your favorite part about school?
A: My favorite part about school is being able to play basketball.
Q: What do you enjoy about your school in particular?
A: I enjoy all the nice people around here, and there’s always good energy.
Q: What clubs and extracurricular activities are you involved with?
A: I play basketball and volleyball and am a cheerleader. I’m also a member of student council, National Honor Society, National Technical Honor Society and Family Career and Community Leaders of America.
Q: What is the most challenging aspect about school?
A: The challenging aspect is being virtual right now and having to do everything on a computer. Sometimes you can’t ask people questions when you need help, so that’s pretty hard for a lot of people, including me. We pretty much do everything virtually on a computer.
Q: If you could change any school rule, what would it be?
A: It would be not wearing uniforms. I don’t like wearing uniforms. Anybody should be able to wear what they want as long as it’s appropriate.
Q: What is your favorite class?
A: My favorite class right now is study hall because I’m just in the library not doing a lot. My favorite class throughout high school has been math because I like math.
Q: What have you learned in school that you think will help you as an adult?
A: Since I take all different kinds of subjects for educational purposes, I think that will help me further in life. I know more now than I used to. That will be a big help.
Q: Who are your parents? Do you have any siblings?
A: My parents are Steven and Cassandra Smith. My mom is a GED teacher, and my dad works at the Palace Casino Resort on the Coast. I have a sister, Dru Smith.
Q: Where do you go to church?
A: I go to Hub Chapel United Methodist Church.
Q: Who are the people who have been most influential in your life?
A: My mom and my grandma, Essie Johnson, because they have taught me a lot of things like what to do and what not to do. I’ll always carry that with me.
Q: If you could have anything for your last meal on earth, what would it be?
A: A hamburger and fries. It would be homemade because my mom throws down in the kitchen.
Q: If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would you go?
A: I want to go to Australia because I like the way they talk and the wildlife. It would be cool to see the kangaroos.
Q: What hobbies do you like to do in your spare time?
A: I like to exercise, watch TV and be on TikTok.
Q: What is your biggest guilty pleasure?
A: My biggest guilty pleasure would probably be being on my phone on Facetime with my boyfriend, Vashon Sims.
Q: What do you enjoy about Marion County?
A: It’s where I grew up, and it’s adding a lot of stuff now that is fun, especially downtown Columbia. There is a lot of good stuff to do there.
Q: If you could have lunch with anyone from your life or history, who would it be?
A: I would have lunch with Martin Luther King Jr. He’s a legend and just amazing. I just want to speak to him about all the ideas he had and how he helped this whole generation. I’d want to talk to him and ask him questions.
Q: What is one thing you want to do that you’ve never tried?
A: It would probably be skydiving. It would be very scary, but I want to do it.
Q: Using one word for each, what are your top three defining characteristics?
A: Hard-working, determined and consistent.
Q: When you look back at your life in 50 years, what do you want to be able to say about it?
A: I want to be able to say I lived my best life to the fullest.
— Joshua Campbell
