Eva Smith, who starts graduate school in the fall, is living proof that good friends, good teachers, a good principal and a good school can make a difference in the life of a troubled teen.
“I really just want to share my story and the impact that educators can have on students that are maybe less fortunate than others,” Smith told the Corbin Board of Education during its regular monthly meeting.
“My story starts in sixth grade when I showed up to the alternative school (now the Corbin Education Center). I thought I knew everything about the world. I was good on my own. I could do anything that I want. This landed me in the alternative school,” Smith said.
Not too long after that, Lori Barton became principal at the school.
“She changed everything. She changed the rules. She changed the environment of the school. She changed opportunities. She changed everything about this place. Although I didn’t know it at the time, she also changed my life. She gave me opportunities that I wouldn’t have had anywhere else,” Smith said.
Smith was 13, 15 and 17 when she ended up in juvenile detention.
“I spent most of my teenage years in trouble in and out of juvenile facilities and in foster care. At 16, I think I was in 14 different homes in eight months. It affected me a lot. It affected the way I behaved in school. It affected how the people around me behaved,” Smith said.
Smith noted that there is a thing studied in sociology called the labeling theory where somebody is given a certain label for acting a certain way and they continue to act that way.
“It progresses where they internalize it, and that can really affect a child’s psyche,” Smith said. “Going to the alternative school and having teachers, educators, even friends who care about you and know what you are going through, impacted me so much. I didn’t have the best home life. When I came to school, it was a place where I felt like I belonged.”
“The opportunities and education that I got at the school helped me so much. In my adult life, I see it every single day. Since I graduated early, I had that time to still mess up and learn how to be an adult.”
She graduates college next month and will start her post graduate work at the University of Kentucky in the fall studying criminal justice and social work.
“I hope to change lives like Mrs. Barton did for me,” Smith added.
Smith noted that Barton did a great deal for her while she was in school, including going above and beyond the call of duty. There was the time Barton convinced Smith’s parole officer to not only let her go on a field trip while she was wearing an ankle-monitoring device, but to cross state lines with it and to go to Dollywood. At the time, Smith was on house arrest and could only go to school, home and church.
Barton got reacquainted with Smith when she got a call after Christmas from Smith asking if she remembered her.
“I was like how could I forget you. I almost quit a couple of times,” Barton told the board laughingly.
Smith wanted to speak to the Corbin Education Center students and she did.
“It was powerful. She talked to all of our kids,” Barton said.
Superintendent Dave Cox said that people like Smith, who are willing to come back and share their story, only help others.
Board Chairperson Carcille Burchette added that she thinks Smith needs to speak at a Kentucky School Board Association meeting.
Burchette said that Smith’s story shows how important it is to be in school and to have people that care about you in school.
“It could change lives,” Burchette noted.
Board Member Kim Croley said that the school very much believes that every child can and will learn.
“We will support them and make that happen,” Croley added.
Thursday’s meeting was held at the Corbin Education Center.
The school has five full-time teachers, including two high school, two middle school and one special education in addition to some other staff.
The school services children ages 10 – 18 years old.
Most of the students are court ordered, and are required to attend and complete the program, although a few students are voluntary.
This year, the school also has nine children ages sixth grade and below. The school tries to integrate the elementary school students back into the regular classroom as soon as possible, Barton told the board.
This year the Corbin Education Center has 10 students, who graduated in December, and has another seven students, who will graduate in May.
In addition, during Thursday’s meeting, the board reviewed the district’s mission and vision statements and discussed attendance this school year. Cox noted that attendance this year hasn’t been as good as last year, but that it has picked up recently and is better than the state average.
