Cynthia Smith, the college and career counselor at Verrado High School, is a staff member who cares deeply about students and their futures. Married to campus security guard Scott Smith, she has a daughter and a granddaughter, and earned a Bachelor’s degree in Business Management with honors.
Before entering education, Smith owned a Farmers Insurance Agency in Washington State. She later decided to leave the industry to pursue work that allowed her to continue helping people and building meaningful connections.
“I spent over 25 years in the insurance industry and enjoyed advising clients on what was best for them,” Smith said. “When the industry shifted away from that personal connection, I decided to make a career change. I found this position in education and realized it aligned perfectly with what I love most–helping people.”
I had the opportunity to interview Mrs. Smith and learn more about her career, and what I learned was not only interesting but extremely helpful for students to know.
When asked about common misconceptions surrounding college admissions, Smith explained that many students misunderstand how colleges evaluate GPA.
“One of the biggest misunderstandings students have is how colleges look at GPA,” she said. Many students think colleges care about their overall GPA, but most colleges actually focus on core classes only–English, math, science, social studies, and foreign language.”
She added that colleges typically calculate GPA using about 16 core classes and focus on unweighted GPA. “For example, Arizona state universities require a 3.0 or higher core GPA,” Smith explained.
Mrs. Smith is also very understanding of the pressure students feel when planning their future, especially when it comes to parental expectations or the belief that they must attend a highly ranked school.
“College is expensive, and attending a school that creates financial strain cam make it difficult to complete your degree,” she said. “I encourage students to create a top five college list: one dream school, two or three schools that offer your desired program, and one school you are confident you can be admitted to.