With her red collared shirt and cash register nearby, the orders start flooding in. From all-day shifts, to handling a multitude of meals, senior and Celebrities social officer, Shelby Smith, moves back and forth on the daily between long shifts at Chick-Fil-A and massive amounts of stress from school, while handling the duties, obligations and expectations of being a Celebrities social officer. 

Smith put a start to her taxing dance and working career at the beginning of sophomore year when she was only 15. She said that even though she might be drained at the end of the day, that it would all be worth it for the experiences and knowledge she would receive.

“I believe that there is an importance to working throughout high school in order to teach myself financial discipline and time management skills,” Smith said. “My job outside of school, plus my role on the dance team, has shaped my mindset for the better and has given me the desire to constantly pursue self-development.”

Throughout her years working both on and off school grounds, Smith said she has grown a desire to improve and excel in academics and life itself, thus leading her to apply for the Remarkable Futures scholarship provided by Chick-Fil-A.

“I applied for the Remarkable Futures scholarship because I believe that I am a leader in my community and am passionate about going above and beyond in college,” Smith said. “While working for Chick-Fil-A for many years, I have grown fond of my company and loved the idea of applying for a scholarship from them.”

It came as a surprise when her entire Chick-fil-A staff came trailing down her street, along with the cow, on April 25. Over 20 friends and family lined up along her street while social distancing to congratulate her while she was awarded a giant check with $2,500 towards her college education.

“Being awarded the scholarship I worked so hard for came to me as a shock; I was so in awe and grateful for the opportunity I had been given and awarded,” Smith said. “Working both for my dance team and my job at Chick-Fil-A have truly been a blessing and I cannot wait to see what God has in store for my next four years in college.”

While adapting to this new norm, Smith said she has continued to keep up with her studies and look forward to the future and the many great things that God has in store. There is not much to do as a social officer with the year coming to a close, although an online Celebrities banquet has been put in the books. 

Since Smith’s last semester at high school was cut short, she missed out on prom, her last spring show and so much more. She said she has found ways to occupy her time in her work at Chick-Fil-A with less hours, but still the same workload. Leaving hope for the summer and the plans she has made, Smith continues to go on with her daily life and said she tries to stay positive.

Smith is headed to Austin Community College for a year while majoring in Communications, in hopes to be able to transfer into Texas A&M in years to come.