You can learn a lot about the character of young adults by how they treat and respect their parents.
And if that’s an accurate benchmark, then Tharptown High School’s Class of 2025 Valedictorian Cortney Elizabeth Gelene Smith will be as successful professionally as she will be personally.
The bond between Smith and her parents, Jerry and Darlotte Smith of Tharptown, is unbreakable, particularly with her 81-year-old father.
As Smith prepared to deliver her Valedictorian address last Thursday evening, she reflected on her father and how blessed she is to have him as a centerpiece of her young life.
“My mom told me when my sister graduated from Tharptown (nine years ago) my dad wasn’t sure he’d get to see me graduate because of his age and some health problems,” Smith said.
“Now he’s getting to see this day and it makes him so happy. When I tell him about the awards I received, and being number one in my class, he was so excited for me and he shows what a father truly is. I owe everything to God and to my family for protecting me and pushing me every day,” she added.
Jerry Smith was always straightforward with his daughter about his advanced age compared to parents of her classmates and friends. What could have been a challenge for Cortney became a blessing though.
“My dad was 64 when I was born. My parents were always older than everyone else’s but my dad promised he would never miss anything in my life. He works and my mom works, but they’ve always supported our family and the reason I pushed so hard in school was because my dad never wanted me to settle for anything less than my best,” Smith said.
“He’s been a great dad, a great role model and he never gave up on me—never. He wants a great life for me and I wouldn’t trade my family for anything,” she added.
In large part due to its close proximity to Tharptown, Smith will attend the University of North Alabama this fall on an academic scholarship. She plans to major in History and will pursue a career in education.
“I’ve wanted to be a teacher since I was 12. I love helping people and I love talking. History really has attracted me the last two years and that’s due to a great teacher, Samantha Flannagin, who motivated me to learn about history and economics,” Smith said.
Smith started taking dual enrollment classes her sophomore year at Tharptown, where she earned college credits at Northwest Shoals Community College. Those credits will allow her not to have to repeat those courses at UNA.
Teaching appeals to Smith because of her passion for helping others, but she also realizes there is a shortage of teachers and she knows how important it is for students to have teachers who motivate their students to learn and challenge themselves.
“I want to be the type of teacher where my kids enjoy being there. I never want them to dread coming into my classroom. I want to be a teacher they can talk to about anything and one who uses fun and creative projects and different ideas to motivate their students,” Smith said.
“If you make your class enjoyable then your kids want to learn, and that’s how I’ll know I’ve made an important impact on the kids I’ll teach. I know how it feels to walk into a class with no excitement where you’re dreading it. My goal as a teacher is for that to never happen. Ms. Flannagin made our class fun and interesting with projects, creativity and she made it exciting to come into her classroom,” Smith said.
Cortney hopes to return to Franklin County to start her teaching career, whether that be in the Franklin County or the Russellville City school systems.
At Tharptown, Smith is a member of the National Honor Society. Smith served as an Ambassador starting in sixth grade, and the last three years of high school. She played softball through her junior year and tried basketball in eighth and ninth grade before realizing that ‘wasn’t her sport.’
While she may not have been involved in as many school activities as other students, Smith prioritized her focus on academics, making it a goal from ninth grade to finish first in her class.
“From my first day at Tharptown to my last, I wanted to be first in my class. I always did my best and was fortunate to achieve that honor. I never gave up because I always had my dad motivate me and remind me ‘you’re not done.’ I couldn’t give up on myself because I had people I love rooting for me and I didn’t want to let them down. I always wanted to make my dad proud and I never forgot that,” Smith said.
As she prepared to address her classmates and their families at graduation, Smith thought about her father, who told her he was ‘so blessed’ to see his kids grow up and graduate.
After talking with her for just a few minutes, you soon realize Smith is the one who truly feels blessed.
“My family is the greatest gift I could ever have, better than any awards or scholarships I could receive. They’re definitely the reason why I’m the person I am today and I could not have done this without their love and support,” Smith said.
