Confidence plays a huge part in moving to a new place. Maddy Smith ‘22, “formally Madeline, but I think that’s too long,” didn’t expect the people at West to be so nice because she had never been to what she considered a stereotypical normal high school. Smith’s previous school, a visual and performing arts school in Oklahoma City, was a very expressive one. “Kids would walk down the hallways singing, and they would always be dying their hair and wearing extravagant or flashy clothing,” she said. The Classen School of Advanced Studies is a very diverse place, where kids whose tastes and interests are outside of the mainstream feel comfortable truly expressing their personalities.

“Sports aren’t as big of a thing at my last school…we didn’t have football, we didn’t really have cheerleaders, [though] we did have a dance team,” Smith said. Anyone from West High who has ever spent a Friday night at Trojan Field cheering on the football team would know this is a major difference between the two schools. Even without many sports teams, The Classen School of Advanced Studies still attracted kids that would have to commute for as long as 30 minutes to get there.

Smith might never have ended up at such an unusual type of school had it not been for her unique upbringing. As a young child, Smith had not one, but two active-duty military parents. This was the reason she ended up living in Oklahoma City. Though she never considered herself an “army brat,” Smith did have her fair shares of moves. All of the moves were minor, however, and she never had to live in a different country, like some of the other kids she knew.

But there were times when her dad had to go away for short periods in order to fly. “I remember seeing my dad in his flight suit and thinking I want to do that [when I grow up] and it really made me think that I wanted to help people,” Smith said.

Having parents in the military can be scary, but Smith also recalls all the fun times had on her father’s base. During one particular Halloween party, which happens to be her favorite holiday, all the adults decorated the base and the kids got to go around and go trick or treating. Later on, when her sister was born her mother joined the reserves, and not long after her father did as well.

At West High, Smith is a member of the West High Cross Country team and wants to get involved with as many other activities and clubs as time allows her. Although Ella Woods ‘22, one of Smith’s teammates said of her: “She’s always at every practice and she cheers on everyone. She’s always doing her part.”

Smith is a strong and compassionate soul with a love for music and athletics. “My favorite thing about her personality is her humor,” said a friend of Smith’s, Carmen Crabtree ‘22. Smith’s favorite quote, which happens to suit her quite well is “Be the change you wish to see in the world,” and she certainly does a great job making a difference. In the future, Smith’s dreams include attending college in California and becoming a biochemical engineer.