“I really appreciate being in a position to be able to help students,” he says. “I’m glad to play a small part in helping them be successful, be able to reach their dreams.”
Smith estimates that he has chaired more than 100 doctoral dissertations throughout his career. At Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, the majority of Smith’s Ph.D. graduates in counselor education and supervision have been Hispanic students. “I’m very proud of that,” he says.
Smith says his greatest sense of accomplishment comes from helping students who enter his program with low levels of confidence. “To watch them thrive and shine during the time they’re here and then to help them in getting a position, often as a faculty member across the country, when they would have never thought of or seen themselves [succeeding] … I see life-changing things happen, not just for them, but for their families, their children and for generations to come. I have a real sensitivity toward that.”