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RAYMOND – Goals have always played a part in Tarlys Smith’s school life, in one form or another.

Initially, Smith, of Jackson, chose ��ż��� to because he wanted to continue his education and play soccer.

“I had a good bit of offers, but the school that I had offer from did not have my major at the time,” Smith said. “I decided to go to ��ż��� so I could give myself a little more opportunity to decide on colleges afterward. I fell in love with soccer and the engineering curriculum.”

Tarlys Smith

Smith was a defender on the 2019 Mississippi Association of Community and Junior Colleges North Division soccer champions and played in the 2019 All-Stars Game, on the North squad. He reached his goals in the classroom just as successfully and on many levels.

“My experience at ��ż��� has been significant for my personal growth,” he said. “When I came to ��ż���, I was still a little undecided on what I wanted to do. I met many teachers and mentors who guided me along the way to make me the most successful student possible.”

He became active in multiple student organizations, including the Gamma Lambda chapter of Phi Theta Kappa honor society on the Raymond Campus, Honors Forum and Men of Excellence.

This fall, Smith will attend Mississippi State University is pursuing a career in biomedical engineering and plans to attend medical school afterward.

Along the way, he was recognized for his achievement by being named among 28 students given 3E awards for spring 2020. The designation stands for Emphasis on Excellence and Enrichment and the student must carry a 3.5 GPA or higher. He was also among those named Who’s Who Among ��ż��� students.

Smith, along with the rest of the student body at ��ż���, had his classes switch to online instruction after campuses closed in March amid the coronavirus pandemic.

“I finished with a 4.0 GPA with some of the hardest classes ��ż��� has to offer, like Deferential Equations, Calculus and Physics,” he said, adding his faculty adviser, Nancy Gray, was there for him at every step.

“She has messaged me, checked in on me and has made sure I am on-point with my work,” he said. “She tells me to stay positive and supports me through all my classes. I appreciate her so much.”