It was as easy as one, two, three for one La Porte woman when it came to choosing a career. Edgewood Elementary Principal Kristin Smith had education ignite her core passion, and she hasn’t let the spark dim over the years.
Smith was born and raised in La Porte County and attended the local schools. Her love of education came from her very own English Language Arts teacher, Greg Fruth. He held his students to a different standard, and Smith wanted to evoke the same standards and passion Fruth instilled in others.
“Mr. Fruth held me to a high expectation, and it instilled in me this desire to want to help others to perform at their highest potential,” Smith said. “After that class with Mr. Fruth, I had determined that I was going to change trajectories for other students throughout my educational career, and that's what led me to teaching.”
After graduating from La Porte High School, Smith went to Purdue University Northwest (PNW) where she obtained a bachelor's degree in education. After graduating with her bachelor’s degree, she then pursued a master’s degree from PNW. With a strong skill set under her belt, Smith started uplifting the youth through teaching.
Smith started her early childhood education at Springfield Elementary School in Michigan City where she worked for the next 12 years. Smith came back home to La Porte County to be an instructional coach at Edgewood. After being in the classroom for over a decade and an instructional coach, Smith had the opportunity to become principal. After receiving her administration license from Ball State University, she became the principal of Edgewood in 2019.
“I consider Edgewood my home away from home,” said Smith. “Every day is different. It starts with greeting the students and growing alongside my team and supporting teachers.”
Since her time as principal, Smith has implemented changes to better serve her students’ needs to help guide them to success. She has overseen the addition of the Edgewood School Association, a program that does anything from fundraising for student events to having guest speakers come in. All Pro Dad — a program started for students to have their fathers or father figures come in to help bridge the gap between home and school — has breakfast and works on life skills just as much as education. Her greatest accomplishment so far is What I Need (W.I.N) time, which allows students to have a better understanding of their academic struggles, focus on them, and gain new skill sets to improve them.
“Bridging the gap between home and school has always been a passion of mine,” Smith said. “When I was in school, my teachers and building principals did their personal best to ensure that my family and myself had that support, so I try to do the same for my students in any way that I can.”
Smith gave great praise to her dedicated staff and the community in which she lives. Her community helps these students as much as they do because they are investing in their futures, and she couldn’t be more grateful for that. Smith has made great strides in her career in education and continues to do so. Overall, she looks forward to seeing the growth of her students during their time at Edgewood and the immeasurably valuable feeling it gives her.
“I look forward to celebrations of learning and the accomplishment of student goals. That’s the biggest thing — seeing their accomplishments throughout the year and watching them grow into leaders of their own,” Smith said. “I’m very proud to serve Michigan City Area Schools to change children's lives and trajectories by being in the field of education.”
When she is not hitting the books and sharing knowledge, Smith loves to spend time with her family. She also loves being outdoors, gardening, and being in nature. With the purchase of a new home, Smith has found a passion for home remodeling and looks forward to more improvement projects this year.