Crystal Smith: Overcoming Hardships with Compassion and Confidence

MEET Crystal Smith ‘24
CURRENT MAJOR: Bachelor of Science in Business Administration with a concentration in Human Resource Management ‘24

When you meet Crystal Smith, you’ll be drawn to her warm smile, happy personality and professional handshake. Package it with confidence, compassion and human relations knowledge, and you’ll swear she is part of an HR team. And you would be correct – she is – for the state of Delaware.

Smith started working at Delaware’s Department of Human Resources, Classification and Compensation Unit in March 2023 as a seasonal/ casual human resource associate which recently accelerated into an internship.

Smith believes her application for an internship is what caught their eye. “It finally got me in the door. When they noticed my resume, I had interviews with the talent acquisition team, the benefits team and the classification compensation team,” she said. “Because of my previous experience, they hired me as a human resource associate. My plan is to work part time while I’m finishing school, and my ultimate goal is to obtain a human resource analyst position when I graduate in May 2024.”

No stranger to hard work, Smith’s journey hasn’t always been easy. As a biracial woman, life has had its challenges, however, her parents worked hard to provide every opportunity for their daughter.

Born and raised in New Jersey, she graduated from Clayton High School in 1998 participating in everything from concert band, jazz band and marching band to becoming drum major in her junior and senior years. Always striving to achieve, she was vice president of student council and played field hockey for two years.

Unfortunately, her father was diagnosed at a young age with early-onset Alzheimer’s disease. The family held close together through those difficult times as she helped her mother to take care of her father and little brother. Smith had just turned 20 years old when he passed away.

Remaining steadfast and strong, Smith enrolled in college and completed classes at Gloucester County College (now Rowan College) and Delaware Technical Community College while working full time before transferring to Goldey-Beacom College as a freshman in 2022.

Since arriving at Goldey-Beacom, she has earned her way onto the spring 2022 Dean’s List and the fall 2022 President’s List. She was inducted into the National Society of Leadership and Success and has joined the GBC Entrepreneurship Club and GBC Commuter Council. She plans to take three classes this summer, and in the fall, will take five classes while serving an internship.

Now at 43 years old, Smith’s life is the definition of busy. In addition to school and work, she is her mother’s caregiver, she is a wife of 10 years and she remains steadfast on her journey toward achieving a college degree.

If it wasn’t for grants and scholarships, Smith says her education would be impossible. Receiving a GBC academic achievement scholarship has made a profound difference in her life and will allow her to graduate next year.

This article was previously featured in The Goldey-Beacom College Magazine