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Be a mentor, be kind, be an inspiration to other women around you
It is important for women in government to mentor, train, and prepare the next generation to take their seat at the table of government and then use that influence to empower women. Councilwoman Ceretta Smith is on a mission to do just that, but this journey began many years ago. She recalls a conversation she had with her father one day when they were driving that planted a seed to dream big.
I cannot remember exactly how old I was, but I remember my father stressing to me the importance of getting a good education and working hard. I remember him telling me that with a good education and a good work ethic, I could be anything I wanted to be, even President of the United States, he said. Now I’m sure that every father dream big like that for their daughter, or at least they should. A seed was planted that day and I set out to get a good education, work hard, and chase my dreams. At that time I really did not know what those dreams would look like, but I knew I wanted to do something that would change people’s lives for the better.
There is another event that took place in my formative years that shaped me to serve and lift others up. I was in fourth grade and I adored my teacher Cynthia Williams. She was beautiful and although she was firm, you could feel the love and care she had for her students. She always pushed me to make straight A’s. One day she approached me and told me she needed my help. Of course I was excited to help her with anything, but this would forever change my life. There was a girl in our class and she kept to herself and was very withdrawn. She often did not look or smell the best. She never smiled and always looked so sad and I noticed a few bruises on her arm. Ms. Williams asked me to just talk to her and I did, and she was not receptive at first, but after a while she warmed up to me and I remember the first time she smiled. I will never forget that feeling.
I am thankful that for however short the time was, she felt loved and that someone cared about her.
One day Ms. Williams asked my mom if she could take me to McDonalds after school with my new friend and my mom agreed. Ms. Williams sent a note home with my friend asking the same thing of her caretaker and she never came back to school after that day. Ms. Williams had social services look into the matter and when they went to the home she had moved. My heart was broken and to this day I have always wondered where she is and what happened to her. It is clear now, after all these years, that she was probably being abused – that explains why she was so withdrawn and didn’t trust easily. I am thankful that for however short the time was, she felt loved and that someone cared about her. Hopefully it was enough for her to rise out of that situation when she was able to take control of her own life. And I believe that since that day I’ve been a mission to help every person that I can.
Women of influence in every industry must teach, train, equip, and prepare the next generation of women.
While I believe great strides have been made in empowering women and offering them the same opportunities as men, there is still work to do. Women of influence in every industry must teach, train, equip, and prepare the next generation of women to take their seats at the table. We cannot rest until we have emptied ourselves of the knowledge and insight from our own experiences as influencers to give women the best possible chance of rising to all that they have been purposed and destined to do.
Councilwoman Ceretta Smith is a proud Army Veteran, mother, wife, small business owner, Civic Leader, and Faith Leader in her community. She is a native of Fayetteville, NC and currently resides in Grovetown, GA where she lives with her husband, Retired Sergeant First Class Sterling V. Smith. Ceretta has spent decades serving her community and her country in various roles.