February 20, 2025
For Drew Smith, Pearl River Community College isn’t just an alma mater—it’s a family tradition that launched a remarkable journey of teaching, writing, and unexpected adventures. A PRCC alumna with deep family ties to the college, Smith is making waves in both education and literature, with a potential Hollywood adaptation on the horizon.
Ties to The River run strong for Smith who says it’s a family tradition to have passed through the doors of PRCC. The tradition started with her grandparents, Karen and Darryl Smith, with her grandfather teaching HVAC until retirement. Her father, Corey Smith, graduated with a degree in instrumentation and HVAC and now facilitates career projects for the CTE program at PRCC through his job at the Naval Oceanographic Office. Her mother, Sarah Smith, graduated with an associate degree before transferring to university and is the Program Coordinator in the PRCC Financial Aid Department. Her brother Turan received a degree in instrumentation, and her brother Jace is in the same program.
Smith came to PRCC immediately after graduation from Poplarville High School in 2015 where she was Salutatorian of her class. She worked on a general Associate of Arts degree, intending to transfer to a university. While on the Poplarville Campus, she was a member of the Baptist Student Union and William Lewis Honors Institute. Additionally, she participated in the work study program.
Several faculty and staff members helped her find her passion for education while also nudging her to step out of her shell. As a natural introvert, Smith found her voice thanks to the supportive Wildcat family members.
“Just being in the college environment like that, staying on campus, forced me to get out of my shell, meet new people, talk to new people,” said Smith. “By the time I transferred, I felt confident and independent.”
English instructor Dr. Justin Williamson challenged her to be a better writer, providing feedback that helped tremendously after years of getting high marks with few red marks. Sociology Instructor, and then Director of the Honors Institute, Dr. Stephen Black, encouraged Smith to get involved and provided study tips for a successful college career. She contributes much of her social growth in college to him and his constant pushing to step out of her comfort zone.
“Drew was a wonderful student,” said Black. “I am sure that her experiences here at The River prepared her for a successful career.”
Online Instructor of Speech Mrs. Christina Miller was Smith’s advisor. She not only helped her pick career paths, but she was also a listening ear for me when she was struggling.
“She is one of the hardest-working and brightest students I have had the pleasure of advising,” said Miller. “From our very first meeting, her curiosity and determination set her apart.
“Her relentless drive to achieve her goals is truly inspiring. No matter the task, she consistently gives her very best, demonstrating an unwavering commitment to excellence.”
Smith’s first work-study position was as a tutor for Student Support Services supervised by Lauren Baker. She internalized the knowledge gained in that role and has used it in her role as an educator.
“Drew always had a joy about her and loved coming in to inspire others in their studies and furthering their educational goals,” said Baker.
After her time at PRCC, Smith transferred to Mississippi College where she received a Bachelor of Science in Political Science with a minor in history in December 2019. Immediately afterward, she pursued a Master of Art in Teaching from Mississippi University for Women.
Her teaching career began at Union Baptist Academy in Picayune, where she was a history teacher. Then she received a call about an application she submitted years before to teach in Alaska. In the summer of 2022, she began working as the 10th grade world literature teacher and Activities Director at Kenai Central High School in Soldotna, Alaska.
WRITING CAREER
While pursuing a career in education, Smith was also building up a portfolio of published romance novels. She began writing for fun during the COVID lockdown, self-publishing seven titles under Taylor Made Publishing. Her books are romantic comedies written from a Christian worldview and are set in fictional Mississippi towns.
“After first working on a dystopian piece, I discovered ‘closed-door romance’ genre and realized that few books incorporated both faith and clean romance,” said Smith. “The books are for flawed Christian women showing real struggles, real miscommunication, and real issues, rather than setting unrealistic expectations instead of presenting perfect characters.”
A four-book series, “Designated,” takes place in the fictional college town of Juniper Grove, with inspiration pulled from both Oxford and Tupelo. “The Politics of…” series has two books completed. Finally, “Emma Jane’s Guide to Matchmaking the Mayor” is a tie-in novella for both series set in the fictional town of Hartfield, inspired by Natchez. It is reimagining the popular Jane Austen novel, “Emma.”
Smith has four books scheduled for publication in 2025, including the new expanded and revised edition of “The Politics of Love,” to be released on March 4, 2025. The other three novels will tie into previously published work. Titles are not set, but there will be a dark fairytale reimagining, a summer vacation romance, and a holiday romance.
Smith’s writing may be headed to the screen. “The Politics of Christmas,” set in the fictional town of Dasher Valley, inspired by her hometown of Poplarville, has been optioned for film adaptation by seasoned producers Ashley Williams Allen and Cami Kinahan with Front Row Entertainment.
LOOKING AHEAD
While she has enjoyed her time in Alaska, Smith is already considering a move back to her home state of Mississippi. She is currently pursuing a Master of Art in Literature through Liberty University with the desire to teach at the collegiate level. She plans to continue writing and has explored freelancing as a editor.
Along with her author and teacher careers, Smith feels called to serve others. When she was in Mississippi, she worked with youth ministry, focused on teen girls. In Alaska, she is mentoring a few teen girls and seeks to be more active in ministry at her church.
A member of various online communities for writers, Smith realized most of them are heavily slanted toward married women with kids. She is working to launch Single Sister Scribes, a free online community for single Christian female authors.
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Article by Laura O’Neill. Photos supplied by Drew Smith.
