Sara Smith is an instructor in the Advertising & Graphic Design Department at Fayetteville Technical Community College (FTCC) in Fayetteville, North Carolina. She is originally from Hull, England and emigrated to the U.S. in 1979. Throughout her life she overcame many obstacles. At the age of 38, she received her GED and earned an Associate Degree in Advertising & Graphic Design at FTCC. From there, she was on her way forward, challenging her new skills and raising the bar for her future. Employed before she graduated from FTCC, Sara has gone from designing collegiate apparel for a huge screen-printing company working as a production artist. She became the Art Director on several local publications, has done agency work and worked at newspapers and printshops. She has also worked in large format printing/designing for several military contractors creating graphics for military bases around the country. Her work can be seen in the office of the Deputy Director of the Department of Defense. In 2017, a door opened for a teaching position at FTCC. She jumped at the opportunity and hasn?t looked back since. A lifelong dream was achieved! This is her first `official? award as an instructor, but she takes great pride in being part of the positive development of students' lives, helping them navigate life?s personal challenges and achieving their goals in education. Her passion for teaching gives her the chance to engage with students to ensure their success inside and outside the classroom; whether it be connecting them with the appropriate resources for assistance in their personal lives or guiding them in a creative learning environment. Some of her positive character traits are honesty, empathy, a passion to learn, and a need to help others. Additionally, she desires to improve learning in the classroom by making lasting and positive connections with the people she meets. Sara also works as a freelance graphic designer in her spare time. She enjoys spending time with her daughters, granddaughters and fiance. She loves to spend time outdoors. She is currently pursuing her bachelor?s degree.