DR. LATONIA COLLINS SMITH Makes History As Harris-Stowe’s First Female President, Plans to Build Within the Community

Words by Jasmine Osby

“I saw black and brown students with backgrounds similar to mine who wanted to excel and they wanted more in life,” Smith said. “And this was a space in which I can show up every day as my authentic self and walk away knowing that I helped somebody.”

In her new role, Smith plans to continue furthering the mission of the university and remain an advocate for youth who may feel attending college is unattainable for them.

“We’ll stay committed to our mission to provide an affordable, accessible, and diverse education for the under-resourced and underserved,” she said.

“We’re unapologetic about that and we want to make sure that those who think going to college is impossible because of how they ended their high school career or because of finances, we want them to understand that college is affordable and that you can achieve that dream of going to college.”

Although the school took a hit due to the pandemic, Smith and her team are hitting the ground to increase enrollment and are partnering with an array of organizations to spread their footprint in the community. Under Smith’s leadership, they will continue to contribute to the statewide STEM initiative by sewing into the STEM community and encouraging minorities to enter into the field. They will also break ground on multiple construction renovation projects throughout the city in addition to reopening the Vashon Center and incorporating the Black Radio Hall of Fame into their campus. Fundraising and alumni engagement will also be at the forefront of HarrisStowe as the HBCU aims to further the resources and opportunities it can provide to the St. Louis region.

With a solid plan and a team of dedicated professionals working alongside her, Smith is determined to propel Harris-Stowe in a progressive, innovative direction. Driven by her passion for her community, Smith’s fully invested in the work it will take to accomplish its goals.

“It’s heart work, not hard work, it’s heart work and when your heart is in you can move mountains and you can achieve a lot in a short period of time,” she said.

“If you look at some of the things in the last eight months, it’s only up from here.”

A St. Louis native, Smith is dedicated to bringing more diversity and inclusion, not only to Harris-Stowe but to the under-resourced and underserved communities across the city. By identifying closely with the student population, Smith believes that their success is a direct result of the enrichment and care provided by university staff.

“Our students that come here, they’re not just a number, they have a name,” she said.

“And they’re able to connect with someone on this campus to help them to become successful. So their success is our success.”

As a pivotal piece of St. Louis history, Smith hopes Harris-Stowe will continue to be embraced by the community as they strive to connect more with the residents who live there. A unique fabric stitched into the fabric of the city, Smith plans to build the school even more as a resource for everyone to benefit from.

“Harris-Stowe is a critical jewel in St. Louis’ crown,” she said. “It has so much richhistory and I am a product of St. Louis public schools and so I am so happy to work in this space.”

With her journey as President just beginning, Smith is taking her new role very seriously and describes the appointment as surreal. While it is an honor to serve as the first black, female President in the history of HarrisStowe State history, we also pay homage to Ruth Harris being the first Black woman who led Stowe Teachers College in 1940, but Smith looks forward to a day where being the first black woman to accomplish a feat isn’t so shocking. She imagines aday when everyone will fill spaces minorities have long been excluded from.

“I look forward to us having an equal seat at the table and that there will be more of us who are leading the helm,” she said.

Although equipped with a strategic plan to advance the school’s vision, Smith is calling on the community for support as the school rolls out new initiatives and hits the pavement to connect with and impact the lives of St. Louis residents. With more community support and involvementshe believes the opportunities for empowerment are endless.

“There’s room for everybody and there’s room for this institution to grow and to continue to be a beacon of light,” she said.