Smith strongly considered attending the University of Tennessee to play college basketball for the Volunteers. She later decided to “go to Gatorville” and play for the University of Florida after she was offered a scholarship.

“Before I could get there, however, another chapter of my life began.”

Smith could not accept the scholarship because she got pregnant in August 1995.

“My husband and I had already decided that we were going to get married before we found out I was pregnant,” Smith said. “So we got married on May 4, 1996. Our first son, James Smith III, was born the next day. And on June 2, I graduated from high school.”

Embracing her new role as mother and wife, Smith entered the workforce as an employee at Krystal, where she quickly advanced to shift manager. Smith eventually left Krystal to work at Dillard’s.

“I spent two years at Dillard’s. After I had my second son, Jarius, I went to Convergys, where I served as a supervisor. After working there for seven years, I realized that I had gone as far as God wanted me to go at Convergys. So I decided to go into law enforcement.”

When asked what influenced her decision to do law enforcement, Smith replied, “I don’t know. I really don’t know.”

Whatever the reason, Smith initially applied for a position at the Lowndes County Sheriff’s Office.

“I had gotten hired, but they decided to review my driving record and discovered I had a heavy foot,” Smith said with a giggle. “Ultimately, I couldn’t work there because I was high risk. I was disappointed, but I figured it was just part of God’s plan.”

Smith then applied at the Valdosta Police Department and got an interview with Chief Frank Simons and Cmdr. Brian Childress, who was a captain at the time.

“I nailed the interview, and I was very upfront about the tickets I had gotten for speeding. However, when we got to the psychological evaluation process, the molestation came out.”

The fact that Smith had never gotten professional help after her molestation hindered her from getting the position.

“I knew I wanted this job, and I didn’t want anything to stop me from getting it. I eventually called the police department and spoke with Capt. Bernard Robinson, who was a lieutenant at the time, and asked him what I needed to do to get the job. He mentioned that I needed to seek professional help for the molestation.”

Smith received counseling at the South Georgia Psychiatric and Counseling Center. After several sessions, the center submitted a written letter of recommendation to the police department for Smith.

Smith went on to complete the police academy in September 2006 and then went through fast track training at the Valdosta Police Department.