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In 1964, Alton Smith, Ed.D., became the first person in his family to complete high school.

“Growing up in southeastern Louisiana, people who looked like me could pick cotton or strawberries for minimum wage. The only people who could do other things were people who had education skills,” Smith said. “Back then, they did not have the financial aid packages they have today. You had to make it happen on your own.”

Smith dreamed of going to college since seventh grade, when he started milking cows after school for $60 a month, setting aside half of everything he earned for his college fund. He supplemented the rest by working part-time during the school year and full-time during the summers while he was a student at Southern University and A&M College.

Federal affirmative action programs helped Smith land his first job out of college working with Shell, and he stayed at the oil company for the next 30 years. During that time, he took night classes and earned additional degrees to prepare for a new phase in his career.

Smith took a significant pay cut to become a special education teacher. He worked in Klein ISD from 1998-2001, where he was also a counselor, assistant principal, principal and HR director.

Unsatisfied with retirement, Smith would also go on to work as an adjunct professor, secure a seat on Aldine ISD’s board in 2005 and serve on the Lone Star College System Board of Trustees from 2014-2020.

“Lone Star College System has changed the lives of a lot of people,” Smith said. “You can come out of high school with an associate degree from dual credit classes and then get a bachelor’s degree or take part in innovative workforce programs. LSCS is constantly looking for ways to make sure training and educational opportunities are available for all, regardless of socioeconomic level.”

From his own experience, Smith knows that education can lead individuals out of poverty. He now serves on LSC Foundation’s Board of Directors and has established a scholarship endowment to help other students get where they want to be in life.

“LSC Foundation works hard to keep students in school,” Smith said. “Most folks think they only provide scholarships, but we also meet needs such as food, storm damage recovery and other things that might prevent students from completing their education. They just have to ask for help.”

To learn how you can volunteer with LSC Foundation, visit LoneStar.edu/Giving.