Emma Smith of Champion sits at her desk at Maplewood High School. The art teacher recently created a giant banner on the side of the Save-A-Step building in Girard for Trumbull Neighborhood Partnership.

CHAMPION — For as long as she can remember, Emma Smith wanted to be a school teacher.

Smith, 25, an art teacher at Maplewood High School, was homeschooled up until her junior year of high school. She then attended Mathews High School, from where she graduated in 2017.

Smith enrolled at Youngstown State University, where she took general classes her freshman year. It was during the summer before her sophomore year that she chose a major — education — and then chose art as her field of study.

“My mother really inspired me to be an artist,” Smith said. “She was a talented artist in her own right, and because she homeschooled me, it was a natural passing of the baton. She built confidence in me.”

That confidence is now part of the McDonough Museum of Art on the YSU campus, where several of Smith’s creations are on display.

Born in Detroit, Smith’s parents moved the family to Toledo when she was 5. Smith, her two brothers and a sister were homeschooled for good reason.

“Our dad was an engineer in the auto and oil industries and we knew we might not stay in one place very long,” Smith recalled. “Our parents had the great wisdom to homeschool their children, knowing we were going to be on the move. They wanted consistency instead of disruption.”

They moved again when Emma was 11, this time heading to Houston along with their father’s career. Did all of the homeschooling stunt Smith’s social development?

“Not at all,” Smith said. “We actually lived in a homeschooled community near Houston. Other kids were the same as we were. They too moved in from other places and were homeschooled. We had that common bond.”

Another common bond was church as many of the people in the homeschooled community attended the same churches.

“That was a huge social factor for all of us,” Smith said.

In 2015, the Smith family moved again, this time to Vienna. Because she was 16, they decided it was best for Smith to attend Mathews High School.

“We were not going to move again in the next two years, so it made sense to finish high school in a traditional setting,” she said.

After graduating summa cum laude from YSU in 2021 with a degree in art education, Smith and her sister moved to Champion. She began teaching her favorite subject at Maplewood High School, where she has been ever since. She is the only art teacher in the Maplewood Local School District, teaching 8th through 12th grade.

TEENAGE MINISTRY

Religion has always been a strong part of Smith’s life. As her mother inspired her, Smith and her family now inspire others. Through an international organization called “Young Life,” the Smiths have started programs at both Mathews and Maplewood high schools. The ministry focuses on helping teenagers connect socially.

“Many kids struggle socially and may not have a circle of friends that they yearn for,” Smith said. “We make it easy for them to gather and connect with each other. We take those youngsters to camps and social events. Sometimes they are shy and just want to hang out with others.”

Gordon Hitchcock, principal at Maplewood High, sees Smith as a breath of fresh air in the school and community.

“Emma brought a dynamic background to our school,” Hitchcock said. “She’s a personable young teacher who gets along with everyone. Her knowledge of art history and connections with Young Life and the Fellowship of Christian Athletes make her a versatile asset to our school and community.”

Speaking of fresh air, Smith combines her love of art with a love of nature.

“I can sit for hours in a park and just draw what I see,” she said. “I’m not an abstract artist. I like to re-create what I see and what my mind wants to see. I like watercolor art and charcoal art the best.”

Smith also loves to take part in functional art. She makes ceramic mugs and other displays and teaches her students to do the same. She is proud that two of her students this past fall won scholastic art awards — one a Gold key and one a Silver Key – at a Trumbull County art show displayed at YSU.

Her inspiration is contagious. She also coaches the Maplewood Junior High Prep Bowl team that won first place in February.

Smith’s latest inspiration found its way onto the side of a building. The Trumbull Neighborhood Partnership, an organization that promotes healthy eating habits and blight remediation, reached out to Smith to sketch some artwork that turned into a 40-foot vinyl banner on the side of Save-A-Step Food Mart in Girard.

“I guess healthy eating and healthy lifestyle are a part of my love of nature,” Smith said. “I like to hike, ride my bike, run trails and play ultimate Frisbee. If I can help people live healthier lives through my actions or through my artwork, then I want to do so.”

To suggest a Friday profile, contact Metro Editor Marly Reichert at

mreichert@tribtoday.com or Features Editor Ashley Fox at afox@tribtoday.com.