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Janaya Smith

1x

Finalist

1x

Winner

Bio

Hi, I’m Janaya Smith Motivated honor roll student and varsity cheerleader with a strong passion for learning and leadership. Actively involved in school and community organizations, holding officer positions in multiple clubs including Future Educators of America, Best Buddies, Black Student Union, and Honoria. Balances academics, extracurricular involvement, and retail employment, demonstrating responsibility, time management, and strong communication skills. Aspires to major in Elementary Education with a focus on mathematics and become a third-grade teacher dedicated to inspiring young learners and making a positive impact through education.

Education

Miami Senior High School

High School
2022 - 2026

Miscellaneous

  • Desired degree level:

    Master's degree program

  • Majors of interest:

    • Education, General
  • Not planning to go to medical school
  • Career

    • Dream career field:

      Education

    • Dream career goals:

      Sports

      Cheerleading

      Varsity
      2025 – 20261 year

      Research

      • Education, General

        Baby Stings Preschool — Preschool Teacher
        2024 – 2026

      Arts

      • Shenandoah Middle School

        Dance
        2019 – 2021

      Public services

      • Volunteering

        Kensington Park ESY Summer Camp — Teacher Assistant
        2025 – 2025
      • Volunteering

        Lifetime Marathon — Volunteer
        2023 – Present

      Future Interests

      Advocacy

      Volunteering

      Entrepreneurship

      Kalia D. Davis Memorial Scholarship
      If I had to describe myself, I would say I am a caring, determined, and hardworking person who wants to make a difference in the lives of others. I am someone who has always cared deeply about people and always tried to help others, even when I was going through my own challenges. Over time, I learned that the challenges we go through in life help shape who we become and what we want to do in the future. One of the biggest things that shaped me as a person was losing my grandmother. She was my biggest supporter and the person who always believed in me and pushed me to do my best. Losing her was one of the hardest things I have ever gone through, and it changed the way I see life. It taught me that life is short and that you have to work hard for your goals and make the people who believe in you proud. That experience made me stronger and more determined to build a future where I can help others and make a positive impact. I plan to make a positive impact on the world through my future career in education. I want to become an Early Childhood and Elementary Education teacher and later become a school administrator. I also want to open my own preschool or daycare centers one day. I want to create a safe place for children where they feel loved, supported, and encouraged to learn. I believe that education starts at a young age, and if children are given the right support and environment early in life, it can change their future. Working with children has already made a positive impact on my life. When I work in a preschool classroom, I feel like I am making a difference, even in small ways. Whether it is helping a child learn how to read, helping them feel safe, or just being someone who listens to them, I know that those small moments matter. I want to be the kind of teacher that students remember as someone who believed in them and encouraged them to keep going, even when things were hard. I believe I can make a positive impact on the world by helping shape the next generation. Children are the future, and teachers help guide that future. By becoming a teacher and later opening my own preschool, I will be able to help children learn, grow, and believe in themselves. My goal is not just to have a career, but to have a career where I am helping people and making a difference in my community.
      100 Bold Points No-Essay Scholarship
      RonranGlee Special Needs Teacher Literary Scholarship
      I am passionate about becoming a special education teacher because I believe every child deserves to feel seen, understood, and valued, no matter their challenges or differences. Some students learn differently, communicate differently, or need more patience and support, but that does not mean they are not capable of success. It just means they need someone who is willing to understand them and meet them where they are. I want to be that person for my students. The quote, “The purpose of teaching is to bring the student to his or her sense of his or her own presence,” means that teaching is not just about academics. It is about helping students realize that they matter, that they are capable, and that they have a place in this world. Many special needs students sometimes feel invisible or misunderstood, and a teacher’s job is to help them find confidence in themselves and believe that they are important and capable of learning and growing. I would guide my special needs students to experience a sense of their own presence by creating a classroom where they feel safe, respected, and encouraged. I would be patient with them and understand that every student learns at their own pace. I would celebrate their small victories because for some students, small victories are big accomplishments. I would make sure they know that they are not a problem to be fixed, but a person to be understood. My mission as a future special education teacher is to help my students build confidence, independence, and self-belief so they can feel proud of who they are and what they can accomplish. My desire to become a teacher comes from my own life experiences and the challenges I have faced. I know what it feels like to go through difficult moments and still have to keep going. I know what it feels like to need someone to believe in you and encourage you. That is why I want to become a teacher, especially for students who may feel different or overlooked. I want to be the teacher who reminds them that they are important, they are capable, and they are not alone. In the future, I plan to become an Early Childhood and Special Education teacher and later continue my education so I can become a school administrator and open my own preschool or learning center. My goal is to create a place where all children, including those with special needs, feel safe, supported, and encouraged to learn and grow. I want my classroom to be a place where students feel confident, included, and proud of who they are.
      Sandy Jenkins Excellence in Early Childhood Education Scholarship
      I am passionate about early childhood education because I have seen how much of a difference a caring adult can make in a child’s life. Working with young children showed me that education is not just about teaching letters and numbers, it is about making children feel safe, supported, and confident in themselves. I realized that when children feel loved and encouraged at a young age, it can change the way they see themselves and the world around them. My passion for early childhood education also comes from my personal experiences and the challenges I have faced in my own life. I have been through difficult moments that affected me mentally and emotionally, and during those times, I realized how important it is for children to have someone who believes in them and supports them. Not every child has a strong support system at home, and teachers often become the people who encourage them, listen to them, and make them feel important. I want to be that person for my students. When I started working in a preschool classroom, I realized that this is where I felt the most comfortable and the most at peace. No matter what was going on in my life, when I walked into that classroom, I had a purpose. Whether I was helping a child learn how to write their name, teaching them their colors, or just comforting them when they were having a bad day, I felt like I was making a difference. Those small moments helped me realize that early childhood education is not just a job for me, it is something I truly care about. In the future, I plan to become an Early Childhood and Elementary Education teacher and later continue my education so I can become a school administrator. One of my biggest goals is to open my own preschool or daycare center one day. I want to create a place where children feel safe, happy, and excited to learn. I want my school to be a place where children are not only learning academically, but also learning confidence, kindness, and how to believe in themselves. I am passionate about early childhood education because I want to make a difference in children’s lives at a young age. I believe that when you help a child early, you can change their future. I want to be someone who helps children grow, learn, and believe that they can be anything they want to be in life.
      Chris Ford Scholarship
      If I had to describe myself, I would say I am a caring, determined, and hardworking person who wants to make a difference in the lives of others. I am someone who has always cared deeply about people and always tried to help others, even when I was going through my own challenges. Over time, I learned that the challenges we go through in life help shape who we become and what we want to do in the future. One of the biggest things that shaped me as a person was losing my grandmother. She was my biggest supporter and the person who always believed in me and pushed me to do my best. Losing her was one of the hardest things I have ever gone through, and it changed the way I see life. It taught me that life is short and that you have to work hard for your goals and make the people who believe in you proud. That experience made me stronger and more determined to build a future where I can help others and make a positive impact. I plan to make a positive impact on the world through my future career in education. I want to become an Early Childhood and Elementary Education teacher and later become a school administrator. I also want to open my own preschool or daycare centers one day. I want to create a safe place for children where they feel loved, supported, and encouraged to learn. I believe that education starts at a young age, and if children are given the right support and environment early in life, it can change their future. Working with children has already made a positive impact on my life. When I work in a preschool classroom, I feel like I am making a difference, even in small ways. Whether it is helping a child learn how to read, helping them feel safe, or just being someone who listens to them, I know that those small moments matter. I want to be the kind of teacher that students remember as someone who believed in them and encouraged them to keep going, even when things were hard. I believe I can make a positive impact on the world by helping shape the next generation. Children are the future, and teachers help guide that future. By becoming a teacher and later opening my own preschool, I will be able to help children learn, grow, and believe in themselves. My goal is not just to have a career, but to have a career where I am helping people and making a difference in my community.
      No Essay Scholarship by Sallie
      Ronald and Betty Thomas Educational Scholarship
      Winner
      One adversity I have faced in my life was losing my grandmother. She was my rock and the person who always believed in me. When she passed away, it felt like a part of me left with her. For a long time, I thought I would eventually get over it, but I realized that losing someone you love is not something you just get over. You learn how to live with it. There are still days when I think about her and feel sad, especially when I think about big moments in my life like graduation that she will not be there to see. Even though it still hurts, I use that pain as motivation to keep going and make her proud. Another adversity I have faced is learning how to stop focusing so much on making other people happy and start focusing on myself and my future. I am the type of person who cares a lot about others and always tries to be there for people, but I had to learn that not everyone will do the same for you. That was a hard lesson for me, but it helped me grow and become stronger. I learned that I have to put myself first sometimes and focus on my goals, my education, and the life I want to build. One thing that helped me during difficult times was working in a preschool classroom. Being there made me realize that teaching children is something I truly love to do. When I am in the classroom, I feel happy and at peace, and it made me realize that this is what I want to do in the future. My goal is to major in Early Childhood and Elementary Education and later get my master’s degree in Educational Leadership so I can become a school administrator. I also want to open my own preschool or daycare centers one day so I can create a safe and positive learning environment for children and help them succeed at a young age. This scholarship will help me achieve my goals by helping me pay for college and focus on my education. It will allow me to continue working toward my career in education and gain the experience I need to become a teacher and later a school leader. Receiving this scholarship would mean a lot to me because it would not only help me financially, but it would also remind me that there are people who believe in me and want to see me succeed. The adversity I have faced has made me stronger and more determined to build a better future for myself. I know that my journey has not been easy, but I also know that I have a purpose, and I plan to continue working hard to achieve my goals and make a difference in the lives of others.