A Miami native, Matrell Smith grew up in Liberty City from where she commutes every morning. Reminiscing about her childhood, she describes it as “decent and nothing out of the ordinary.” Ms. Smith has been working at Ransom Everglades for 20 years. She works in the dining hall: preparing the food for lunch, organizing and serving the food. Without fail, Ms. Smith can be found behind the bustling lunch line, dedicating herself to serving students and faculty members. Her hobby is to change her hair style, add hair extensions one day or come to work with short hair the following day!

After being at RE for so many years, Ms. Smith has seen “plenty of good” changes including, most recently, the Fernandez STEM center. She has enjoyed seeing the students coming and going off to college. One of Ms. Smith’s biggest joys in working in our community is the relationship she developed with Monique Regis. Mrs. Regis and Ms. Smith have been at Ransom Everglades together for years and Ms. Smith highlights that she and Mrs. Regis have become a pillar for each other in their lives.

The impact of Ms. Smith on Ransom Everglades students is particularly noticed when even after graduation, many students who return to visit the campus remember her, tell her about their careers and she is always proud of their accomplishments and growth in life. We thank Ms. Smith for her devotion and dedication to making sure lunch is always ready when we come into the dining hall!