MSCC Recognizes Jeremy Smith as Outstanding Alumnus

Jeremy Smith a 2003 graduate of Mid-South Community College has been named the college’s Arkansas Association of Two-Year College’s Outstanding Alumnus for 2012-13. Smith serves as director of MSCC’s Pharmacy Technology program.

“It feels very rewarding to receive an honor of this significance,” Smith said. “When I graduated from high school, I was the probably the least likely out of all of my family to go to college. That makes me appreciate the award even more.”

Two coworkers at MSCC praised Smith for his approach to his profession.

“I would consider Jeremy Smith a ‘natural instructor,’” said Dr. Craig Lafferty, MSCC Academic Coordinator for Allied Health & Natural Sciences. “Jeremy has adapted extremely well in the academic environment, and students have informed me that they love his teaching style because he is very personable.”

“Jeremy’s commitment to improving education and to helping his students can be seen clearly when working with both his students and the faculty at MSCC,” said Pam Capps, Medical Assisting Technology Program Director. “He truly wants to see students succeed and always has their best interest at heart. He has been a great addition to the Allied Health team.”

A graduate of Marion High School and a lifelong resident of eastern Arkansas, Smith enrolled at MSCC in the fall of 1999 and graduated in 2003.

“I would not say I was the best college student,” Smith admitted. “Like in high school, I figured I could study the night before the exam and make it work. That wasn’t the case. “

“You can get away with that sometimes, but when it gets into the science field, you can’t cram the night before. That takes some preparation. There was a learning curve there. MSCC kind of makes you find out who you are.”

He took additional classes at the College before transferring to Arkansas State University to pursue a science degree, starting out with a double major in chemistry and biology. He later focused on the pre-pharmacy track in chemistry.

“I just kind of fell into pharmacy,” he said. “I’ve always been interested in pharmacy, how a drug has a therapeutic window where if you have too much or too little, it’s bad. There is a magical little spot where it provides a benefit. I’ve always found that interesting.”

“I like building stuff and hands-on activities which really does play into pharmacy. If you’re compounding or doing an IV ad mix, you have to take these ingredients and be able to make them just right. I enjoy that.”

After earning his four-year degree, Smith went to work at Walgreen’s and earned national certification as a Pharmacy Technician while an employee there. He later accepted a position in Crittenden Regional Hospital’s Pharmacy Department where he advanced his skills in IV and Sterile Compounding. After a year at the local hospital, Smith agreed to coordinate the Pharmacy Technology department at MSCC.

Other than conducting some training for Walgreen’s employees, Smith had never worked as a teacher. He is enjoying his new profession.

“I’ve yet to have a bad day,” he said. “I like seeing how students think about things. I know the way things work in my mind, but then hearing the way that they logically progress doesn’t necessarily mesh with the way I think. It’s a challenge to help them find their direction to where the right answer is.”

Smith had praise for his coworkers Lafferty, Capps, and Janet Weathers, who directs the Respiratory Care program at MSCC.

“The people in Allied Health have been very helpful to me,” he said. “There have been days when I spent more time than I needed to on projects, and someone would come in and say, ‘Well, you can do it this way and cut out this extra leg work.’ That’s helped a lot.”

Smith is married, and his wife works at the Marion School District. In his spare time, he does some volunteer work and hunts.

“I try to be active as I can in the community,” he said. “My wife is more of the extrovert; I’m more introverted. I like to be facilitating from the background.”

Smith joins previous Outstanding Alumnus award winners Gil Freitas, Chris Davis, Charles Beard, Ben Barber, Josh Dotter, Sandra O’Sullivan Webb, Whitney Ashley, April Thompson De Freitas, Cassandra Thornton, Hung-yu “Henry” Tseng, Johnny Washington, and Melvin Adams.

The statewide award program is designed to recognize the professional success, civic involvement and, public service activities of distinguished alumni from the state’s technical and community colleges.