>>> WE ARE BACK WITH
"CELEBRATING SERVICE."
THIS MORNING, IT IS A SPECIAL
ONE.
WE ARE HONORING NATIONAL TEACHER
APPRECIATION DAY.
>> YEAH.
JENNA MADE HER WAY DOWN TO
TEXAS, WITH A TEACHER WHOSE
GREATEST LESSON IS NEVER GIVING
UP.
HI, JENNA.
MORNING.
>> HI, MORNING, GUYS.
I CANNOT WAIT TO INTRODUCE YOU
TO MRS. SMITH.
WANDA HAS AN INCREDIBLE JOURNEY.
SHE GREW UP HERE IN BRENAM,
ALWAYS HOPING TO RETURN TO
TEACH.
AFTER A LONG AND DIFFICULT
JOURNEY, SHE DID JUST THAT.
>> WHEN I STAND IN FRONT OF MY
CLASSROOM, THAT IN ITSELF, MY
CLASSROOM
CLASSROOM, I AM LIVING MY DREAM.
>> Reporter: TEACHING HAS NEVER
BEEN JUST A JOB FOR WANDA SMITH.
IT’S HER LIFE PURPOSE AND HER
GREATEST ACCOMPLISHMENT.
>> WE’RE GOING TO GO WITH THE
PINEAPPLE.
>> Reporter: AND NOT ONE THAT
CAME EASY.
YOU GRADUATED FROM HIGH SCHOOL,
AND YOUR DREAMS, YOU WERE GOING
TO BE A TEACHER.
BUT LIFE HAD A DIFFERENT PATH.
>> MY PLANS WERE TO GO STRAIGHT
INTO COLLEGE, BUT THEN MY MOTHER
GOT SICK.
AND SO THOSE DREAMS HAD TO BE
DEFERRED, AND I JUST GOT A JOB
AND STARTED PROVIDING FOR THE
FAMILY.
>> Reporter: SHE COULDN’T STAY
AWAY FROM THE PLACE THAT FELT
LIKE HOME.
MRS. SMITH WORKED AROUND THE
CLOCK AS A BUS MONITOR AND
CUSTODIAN FOR THE SCHOOL
DISTRICT, WHILE CARING FOR HER
FAMILY.
YOU WERE WORKING, LIKE, CRAZY
HOURS.
>> I WAS WORKING 3:00 TO 11:00
AT NIGHT FOR CUSTODIANS.
I’D GET UP AT 6:00 IN THE
MORNING TO BE A BUS MONITOR.
SOMETIMES, I DIDN’T GET TO
SLEEP.
I NEVER REALLY THOUGHT ABOUT IT.
I JUST DID IT BECAUSE IT HAD TO
BE DONE.
>> Reporter: YEARS LATER, SHE
BECAME A TEACHER’S ASSISTANT AND
DECIDED IT WAS TIME TO GIVE HER
DREAM A SHOT.
AT THE AGE OF 37, WANDA ENROLLED
AT A NEARBY COLLEGE.
WERE YOU NERVOUS ABOUT GOING
BACK TO SCHOOL?
>> YES.
I WAS TOTALLY NERVOUS.
ALL OF THE CHILDREN IN THERE,
THEY WERE CHILDREN.
SOMETIMES I WAS OLDER THAN THE
PROFESSOR.
>> Reporter: TAKING CLASSES AT
NIGHT, SHE PUSHED THROUGH, BUT
NOT WITHOUT SOME SETBACKS ALONG
THE WAY.
FACING INCREDIBLE PERSONAL LOSS.
>> I LOST MY MOM, MY SISTERS, IN
MY JOURNEY.
>> Reporter: BUT YOU KEPT GOING.
>> I WAS SO HAPPY TO TELL THEM
THAT I WAS GOING BACK TO SCHOOL.
THEY WERE SO PROUD OF ME.
MY SISTER WOULD BE THE ONE I’D
TALK TO AT NIGHT WHEN I WAS
COMING HOME.
THEN WHEN I LOST HER, THAT TOOK
A LOT OUT OF ME.
YES, I DID WANT TO STOP, BUT MY
HUSBAND, HE SAT ME DOWN AND HE
LET ME KNOW THAT I WASN’T THE
ONLY ONE THAT MADE SACRIFICES.
AND SO I WAS LIKE, OKAY, I CAN
DO THIS.
I CAN KEEP GOING.
>> Reporter: HER HUSBAND,
DARREN, AND THEIR THREE KIDS
SUPPORTED HER EACH STEP OF THE
WAY.
TEN YEARS LATER, WANDA SMITH
JOINED THE GRADUATING CLASS OF
2010.
>> WANDA DIANE SMITH.
>> I GOT A DIPLOMA.
I MEAN, SOMEBODY GROWING UP IN
THE PROJECTS, THAT PEOPLE
COUNTED OUT, I GOT A DIPLOMA.
>> Reporter: MRS. SMITH BECAME A
FIRST GRADE TEACHER AT BRENHAM
ELEMENTARY, THE SAME SCHOOL SHE
ONCE CLEANED.
>> WANDA SMITH IS THE PORTRAIT
OF AN AMERICAN TEACHER.
SHE’S SUCH AN INSPIRATION TO US
ALL.
>> Reporter: IN THE LAST YEAR,
AS SO MANY STRUGGLED DURING THE
PANDEMIC, MRS. SMITH STEPPED UP
WHEN HER KIDS NEEDED HER THE
MOST.
YOU STARTED DELIVERING PACKETS
TO SOME OF YOUR KIDS’ MAILBOXES.
>> A LOT OF MY KIDS ARE FROM
SINGLE-PARENT HOMES.
SO WHEN MY PARENTS WOULD CALL
ME, BECAUSE I WAS CHECKING IN
WITH THEM, AND THEY’D SAY,
"MS. SMITH, I HAVE TO WORK."
I’D BE LIKE, OKAY, GIVE ME YOUR
ADDRESS.
IT WAS NOTHING BECAUSE WE HAVE
TO HELP ONE ANOTHER.
>> Reporter: HER PERSEVERANCE
AND DEDICATION, ONE OF THE
GREATEST LESSONS FOR HER
STUDENTS.
>> SHE’S THE BEST TEACHER EVER.
>> SHE HELPS US WITH EVERYTHING.
>> I WANT THEM TO KNOW THAT
SCHOOL, THESE ARE GOING TO BE
THE BEST YEARS OF YOUR LIFE, AND
I WANT THEM TO LOVE SCHOOL
ENOUGH THAT THEY WANT TO COME
AND SEE ME EVERY DAY.
IF THEY LOVE ME LIKE THAT,
THEY’RE GOING TO COME AND SEE ME
EVERY DAY.
>> MRS. SMITH, I KNOW THAT YOU
THINK THAT WE ARE HERE JUST TO
TALK ABOUT TEACHING DURING THE
PANDEMIC, BUT IT IS TEACHER
APPRECIATION DAY.
WE WANT TO LET YOU KNOW THAT WE
APPRECIATE YOU.
THERE’S SOME OTHERS THAT WANT TO
DO THAT, TOO.
WALK WITH ME.
WATCH YOUR STEP.
WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT WATCHING
YOUR JOURNEY ON TV?
>> IT WAS GREAT.
YOU DID A GOOD --
[ CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ]
>> YOUR STUDENTS.
COME ON.
IT IS SO HARD NOT TO HUG YOU,
MRS. SMITH.
WALK WITH ME.
THESE ARE ALL YOUR KIDS.
THEY LOVE YOU.
THEY LOVE YOU SO MUCH.
SO THEY ARE YOUR FIRST SURPRISE,
AND PROBABLY YOUR BEST.
BUT LET’S STOP RIGHT HERE.
WE GOT SOME MORE.
>> OH, GOSH.
>> MRS. SMITH, STEP BACK JUST A
LITTLE.
>> DR. ALYSSA WHITE, THE
PRESIDENT OF SAM HOUSTON STATE
UNIVERSITY.
DR. WHITE, WHAT DO YOU GOT?
>> I’M EXCITED.
SO, WANDA, YOU’RE AN INSPIRATION
TO US ALL.
ON BEHALF OF SAM HOUSTON STATE
UNIVERSITY, WE’VE CREATED A
SCHOLARSHIP IN YOUR HONOR.
IT IS THE WANDA SMITH MAKE A
DIFFERENCE SCHOLARSHIP.
IT’LL GO TO A SAM HOUSTON STATE
UNIVERSITY FIRST GENERATION
STUDENT TO LAUNCH A CAREER IN
TEACHING.
CONGRATULATIONS ON YOUR
ACCOMPLISHMENT.
>> THANK YOU.
THANK YOU.
>> THAT AIN’T IT.
SORRY, I KNOW I SHOULDN’T USE
BAD GRAMMAR IN FRONT OF
MRS. SMITH.
THIS IS THE MAYOR OF BRENHAM.
MAYOR TATE, YOU HAVE SOMETHING,
TOO.
>> WANDA, YOU ARE NOT JUST AN
INSPIRATION TO YOUR STUDENTS,
BUT ALSO TO OUR COMMUNITY.
AND IN THAT REGARDS, I WOULD
LIKE TO, AS MAYOR OF THE CITY OF
BRENHAM, DECLARE, MAY 4th, 2021,
BE THE BEST YOU CAN BE WANDA
SMITH DAY.
WE THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE TO OUR COMMUNITY.
OUR COMMUNITY.
>> TODAY IS WANDA SMITH DAY!
THAT’S PRETTY COOL.
COULD YOU EVER HAVE IMAGINED?
>> NO, NEVER.
>> GOING TO SCHOOL HERE, AND ONE
DAY, YOU’D HAVE A DAY NAMED
AFTER YOU.
>> DAY NAMED AFTER ME.
OH, WOW.
>> YOU NEED MORE THAN A DAY.
THAT’S NOT IT.
HERE IS OUR FINAL THING.
OUR FINAL THING.
I THINK YOU KNOW YOUR PRINCIPAL,
WHO HAS SOMETHING FOR YOU.
>> MS. SMITH, YOU INSPIRE US
MORE THAN YOU KNOW.
YOUR DEDICATION TO CHILDREN, FOR
BEING NICE AND WORKING HARD
EVERY SINGLE DAY, FOR GOING
ABOVE AND BEYOND, WE THANK YOU.
CONGRATULATIONS.
WE LOVE YOU.
>> A BENCH FOR YOUR SCHOOL, FOR
YOU.
AND THERE’S THREE PEOPLE BEHIND
THAT BENCH.
THREE PEOPLE BEHIND THAT BENCH
WHO LOVE YOU SO VERY MUCH.
YOUR HUSBAND, DARREN, AND YOUR
TWO KIDS.
YOU CAN GIVE THEM A HUG.
YOU WANT TO?
KIDS, IF YOU WANT TO COME OVER,
COME ON OVER!
>> CONGRATULATIONS.
>> WONDERFUL JOB.
WONDERFUL JOB.
YOU’RE CRYING.
>> HERE ARE ALL YOUR KIDS.
MRS. SMITH, WE KNOW THAT YOUR
ONE REGRET IS THAT YOUR MOM AND
SISTERS WEREN’T HERE, BUT WE
KNOW THAT THEY ARE LOOKING DOWN
SO VERY, VERY PROUD OF YOU TODAY
AND EVERY DAY.
>> THANK YOU.
>> THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT, GUYS.
ALL RIGHT, GUYS.
WE NEED ALL THE KLEENEXS SS SS I
WORLD.
>> MRS. SMITH.
>> THANK YOU, GUYS.
>> HODA, HODA?
>> YES?
>> HODA, I TOLD MRS. SMITH THAT
YOU HAVE BEEN REALLY LOOKING
FORWARD TO MEETING HER.
SHE’S BEEN LOOKING FORWARD TO
MEETING YOU, TOO.
>> MRS. SMITH, WE’RE SO HAPPY TO
HAVE WANDA SMITH APPRECIATION
DAY.
IT SHOULD BE EVERY DAY.
YOU’RE GOING TO COME BACK AND
JOIN US AGAIN ON THE FOURTH
HOUR.
WE LOVE YOU SO MUCH.
THAT WAS THE MOST BEAUTIFUL,
BEAUTIFUL TRIBUTE TO A BEAUTIFUL
EDUCATOR.
WE GOT ANOTHER SURPRISE OR TWO
UP OUR SLEEVES FOR LATER, ALL
RIGHT?
>> MAN.
>> YOU KNOW THERE ARE FOLKS
WATCHING RIGHT NOW WHO ARE SO
INSPIRED BY HER.
>> TO GOD BE THE GLORY.
>> WANDA’S STORY CAME BACK
AROUND.
NEVER THOUGHT TODAY WOULD
HAPPEN.
IT’S AWESOME.
>> ISN’T IT AWESOME?
>> AWESOME.
>> BEAUTIFUL.
>> WE’LL HAVE MORE, HODA AND I,
IN THE 10:00 HOUR.
>> LOVE YOU.
LOVE YOU, JENNA.
>> OUR OWN MRS. SMITH WHO
INSPIRED US AND PUSHED US ON
LIKE THAT.
>> BOY, THAT WAS -- I MEAN, I
EXPECTED AN AMAZING STORY.
I DON’T KNOW IF I WAS PREPARED
FOR THAT.
>> I THINK OVER THE LAST YEAR,
OUR TEACHERS HAVE GONE ABOVE AND
BEYOND.
THAT WAS APPROPRIATE FOR US TO
RECOGNIZE SOMEONE WHO, LIKE
WANDA SMITH, MY GOODNESS.