Smith named Young Citizen of Year

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ENON – Greenon High School Senior Sarah Smith is continuing a family tradition and has received a prestigious distinction once held by her big sister, Rachel.

Smith has been named the 2016 Enon Community Young Citizen of the Year by the Enon Village Council, which was announced during the March 14 village council meeting. The annual award recognizes a local teen who has served as an exemplary role model in the community.

“Sarah’s activities and achievements are pretty incredible for a young lady still in high school. However, when I was told that she was the younger sister of the 2012 Young Citizen of the Year Rachel Smith, it makes sense. I know her parents are very proud of her accomplishments,” Enon Mayor Tim Howard said. “It is rare to have two members from one family receive this award, and now it has happened two years in a row.”

Smith said she was completely surprised upon learning that she had been chosen as the recipient of the award during an evening rehearsal for the Greenon High School Musical “When in Rome.”

“My dad sent a text to me about the news when I was in the wings practicing my lines, just before I went on stage. I was super excited. I wanted to squeal, but I had to remain quiet and keep my reaction to a squeak,” Smith said. “It is certainly an honor to receive such a prominent award.”

Alike her sister, Smith excels in academics and truly encompasses those qualities of an outstanding young citizen, according to Greenon High School Guidance Counselor Lauren Spencer who nominated Smith for the award.

“Sarah is a wonderful leader at Greenon High School. While at Greenon, Sarah has been involved in many extracurricular activities and community service projects and has received several awards for her outstanding performance within each organization,” Spencer stated in her nomination letter. “From dedicated band member, to tutoring students in need, to participating in school plays and musicals, Sarah has just about done it all and has done so with ease, leadership, and integrity.”

Spencer noted that Smith currently ranks ninth in a class of 122 high school seniors, with a 4.117 grade point average. Throughout her high school career, Smith has earned academic honors and has been a member of the Greenon Spanish Honor Society since 2015 and a member of the Tri-M Music Honor Society since the fall of 2016, where she currently serves as president. Smith was inducted into the Greenon High School Chapter of the National Honor Society in the spring of 2016, where she currently serves as the treasurer of the local high school chapter.

Described by Spencer as a motivated student who is not afraid to roll up her sleeves and take on multiple tasks, Smith has shown exceptional commitment as the vice president of her high school class during all four years she has attended Greenon High School and as a peer tutor for algebra II, Spanish and seventh-grade math. She also delivers the morning and afternoon announcements at the high school and works as a teacher’s assistant during study hall periods.

As a four-year member of the Greenon Knights Marching Band, Smith has taken on several leadership roles. In 2014, she served as the backfield commander of the high school marching band and since 2016, has proudly led the marching band as drum major. Smith is also a member of the high school wind ensemble, pep band, jazz band, and extracurricular concert band.

Since her freshman year at Greenon High School, Smith has participated in the Ohio Music Education Association (OMEA) band competition, including the OMEA ensemble performance in 2014 and solo performances in 2015, 2016, where she received a superior rating, and 2017, where she received an excellent rating.

As a student leader, Smith has led by example, according to her fellow band students. The high school band members chose Smith as the recipient of the Most Outstanding in Band Award in 2014, 2015, and 2016 and as the recipient of the Knight of the Year Award in 2015.

According to Spencer, Smith has received several accolades during her high school career. The honor student was the 2013 recipient of the Daughters of the American Revolution Scholarship Award. She also received the Grand Master’s Excellence in Youth Award for the eighth Masonic District during the Grand Master’s Reception in March 2016. In August 2016, Smith received the illustrious title “Student of the Week.”

Aside from her classroom achievements, Smith has taken part in a number of community activities. Since 2013, she has participated in the Carillon Park Concert Band, a summer concert band for high school students in the Miami Valley. For 13 years, Smith has been involved in many dance recitals and performances while attending the Miami Valley Dance Center in Fairborn. Her volunteerism has also spanned to the Yellow Springs area where Smith has assisted with the Yellow Springs highway cleanup on Route 68 and the Yellow Springs Masonic Lodge Special Olympics fundraiser.

The Greenon High School senior will be attending Wright State University in the fall where she will be pursuing a duel major in accounting and marketing and a minor in management.

Smith will be honored along with 2016 Enon Community Citizen of the Year, Marjorie Travis, during a special presentation ceremony at 2 p.m. Sunday, May 7, at the Knob Prairie United Church of Christ, 203 W. Main St. in Enon.

Submitted photo Sarah Smith, a senior at Greenon High School, has been named the 2016 Enon Community Young Citizen of the Year.
http://aimmedianetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/50/2017/03/web1_Sarah-Smith.jpgSubmitted photo Sarah Smith, a senior at Greenon High School, has been named the 2016 Enon Community Young Citizen of the Year.

By Linda Collins

Fairborn Daily Herald

Linda Collins is a freelance reporter for Greene County News.

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