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Why do we do you want to serve on La Porte’s school board?
This question is one of the basic questions asked. “Why?”
There’s an old phrase that I use –
“Mis reices estan aqui”. – translated – “My roots are here.”
My family moved, by horse drawn wagon, from Alvin to La Porte in 1912. My Great
-Grandmother Casteel was the first of our family to attend the La Porte schools,
graduating in 1918. Since that time, every generation of my family has received
their educational foundation in a La Porte classroom. My father, Ronald Smith,
met my mother, Pamela Syfert, at La Porte High School – they were dating when
Hurricane Carla struck this area in the early 60’s. After serving in Vietnam,
my father chose to come home to La Porte to live all his days. 22 years ago, I
married my La Porte High School sweetheart, Laura. While we were expecting our
first child, our daughter Crystal, we walked the sidewalks of Main Street over
to 5-Corners and on down Broadway past the Baptist church where we were married,
on to the sidewalks of La Porte Jr. High and La Porte Elementary – where we had
both attended school. Today, wherever I go, when I think of home, I see our La
Porte.
A guiding principle instilled in every family member for years is that the
cornerstones of success are:
Faith
Family
Love of Country
Life Long Education
So why be a candidate now? I have always believed that being a Citizen requires
us to act on our beliefs. Voting is one such act. I strongly believe that a
foundation of education and passion for learning are one of the most important
and long-lasting legacies that we can give our children. My decision to run is
in line with this belief. In this modern world, we, as parents have access to
an endless supply of “things” that we can give our children. But it is an
education that we should always make sure they receive.
Passion. A passion for our town. A passion for our children’s future. That
is my answer to “Why?”.
Were you ever in scouting? Do you remember the pledge?
“I promise to do my duty, for God and Country…”
When we started through Scouting, our Den leader focused on getting us involved
in our community. Looking back at our deeds, we:
Conducted Community-wide Paper drives;
Started a small local recycling center on Avenue A, between S. 3rd and S. 4th streets;
Made crafts for the residents at both Happy Harbor and La Porte Care Center;
Cleared and created trails at the Armand Bayou nature center.
As an adult, starting as a senior at la Porte High School, I began volunteering
in multiple areas throughout our community.
- Youth Sports - over 10 years of coaching baseball in our LPBBA.
- LPISD Schools –
- CPR classes I taught to the kids at our Baker 6th Grade Campus,
- Lessons and demonstrations on the Safety profession for multiple Career days at Bayshore Elementary.
- Strategies for Personal Success for the Teen Leadership classes at LPHS.
- Speaking to countless LPHS Freshmen about the Texas Scholars program and how
getting the most out of their education at La Porte High School will directly,
and positively impact their future. During that time, we have seen the
percentage of our graduating seniors who earn more than a basic diploma grow
from 12% to nearly 50%.
- Over the same period of time, I co-chaired the La Porte Community Health &
Safety Fair, a free event that has logged attendance of over7000 citizens over
the past 6 years.
- Community –
- Oversaw installation and expansion of the community warning system throughout
our La Porte-Bayshore community.
- And Now?
- The choice is yours. My commitment to our town and our schools is about 35 years long – and counting. This is my personal commitment to our citizens, to our educators, and most of all, to all our children.
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