By Isabella Pilot ’18

We’ve all heard it a million times before; the story of the American Dream. Someone leaves their home country to come to the land of opportunity, and is greeted by Lady Liberty upon arrival. At this point it all seems a little cliché. But walking beside us in the halls, using the same desks we do is proof that the American Dream is still very much alive. This proof is junior Renaldo Smith.

Smith moved from Kingston, Jamaica to Maryland in 2014, and has been attending school here ever since. “My life was pretty hard in Jamaica. The reason why is because my mom died and I started doing a lot of bad things,” said Smith, but you would never know about his rough past from his persona. Anyone who has met Smith can agree that he is one of the most charismatic, cheerful members of the student body. This optimism comes from his drive to succeed, particularly in track and field.

“I started running when I was four years old. When I was six, I started running track for my preschool, then through middle school. No other sports, just track all my life.” Smith has used track as his biggest tool in adjusting to the new environment. “The transition was so easy because my mind was so focused on track. Back home in Jamaica, track is the main sport. Everybody wants to be fast. The fastest man, Usain Bolt, lives there, so everybody wants to be like him,” said Smith. ” I can only be myself. I set my own standards. Hopefully I can go far in this thing.”

But in order to remain eligible for track, Smith must keep his grades up. He has studied hard and is now expected to graduate in 2017, a year earlier than originally planned. School in the United States is very different from his school in Jamaica. “Here I get more help. Back there, the teachers just expected you to figure things out yourself, but here I get help from teachers and honor society members.”

Smith plans on attending a culinary arts school to study his other major passion, cooking. “My love for cooking is out of this world. I enjoy it because it is an art, and when I cook I love to see people happy,” said Smith. He takes cooking classes at Sherwood, and hopes to one day become a head chef at a restaurant.

Rather than covering up his mistakes, Smith is growing and becoming the best version of himself. He has opened up to his teammates and his friends, informing them of his life in Jamaica and trusting them to help him get through high school so he can move on to bigger and better things. “Watching him grow is remarkable. I’m so proud of him and all the progress he’s made here. He’s the most amazing guy I know,” said sophomore Amy Guenterburg, one of Smith’s closest friends on track.

So whenever you start to believe that the American Dream is dead, keep Renaldo Smith in mind. This is only the beginning of a successful journey for him in the United States.