All scholarship recipients have access to life coaches to help them guide their way through their college career. The Life Impact program is a renewable scholarship for students who are also parents to help them achieve higher education. “When we all found out this was something that was happening, we all pitched in, and without them, it would’ve been a lot harder.”Īfter the birth of his son, finances became tight, which is one reason why Smith applied to the Life Impact program his junior year. I will say that I had a really great support system at home,” Smith said. “It was difficult, but not as difficult as some. In the middle of his sophomore year, Smith’s life turned upside down when he found out he was going to be a father. “I felt like there was a connection a little quicker.” Balancing work and family That was when I was like ‘OK, this is really cool,’” Smith said. “By the time of my senior year, I was working with high schoolers. Over the years, he worked at after-school programs in several organizations in Milwaukee, including the Silver Spring Neighborhood Center and the COA Youth & Family Centers. He was placed in after-school programs involving elementary school students. There, Smith learned from his work with inner-city youth how much joy teaching can bring. Passionate about giving backĮarly in his college career, he was looking for a job while attending UWM and chose the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Milwaukee since it fit with his school schedule, although he had never taught. “I love film, but I don’t want to be just a filmmaker,” Smith said. Smith’s passion for working in multiple mediums never faded as he pursued an inter-arts major at Peck School of the Arts with two emphases: visual art and film production. “He is willing to ask for help when he’s struggling and has a calm and gentle nature, making everyone around him really comfortable in his presence.” Reinbold worked closely with Smith his senior year as his life coach. “He enters into all things with an open and honest heart.” “He is one of the most genuine people I know,” said Natalie Reinbold, program director of the Life Impact program at UWM. His films have been shown in film festivals across the nation, including at the Smithsonian African American Film Fest. He created the Afro+ProjectionLAB to get high school students to learn about and engage with black experimental cinema. “The more you grow and mature, the more you become interested in other mediums, other art practices,” Smith said.ĭevon Smith is a UWM Peck School of the Arts alum, class of ’17, who has combined his love for film, visual art and teaching by working as a program specialist at Rebound: Alternatives for Youth in Durham, N.C. As he became older, he became interested in writing stories and learning how they tick. Devon Smith cannot remember a time in his life when he was not an artist.
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