Dr. Lacrecia Smith is a BHS alumna from the class of 1988. Lacrecia was born and raised in Buford to her parents, Anna Sue Smith and Marcus Smith Sr. She has two siblings, Marcus Smith Jr. and Sonya Lott. Both of them are also BHS graduates of the classes of 1991 and 1985, respectively. Lacrecia started at Buford in 1975 at the half-day kindergarten, and she attended Buford City Schools until her graduation.
During her time at BHS, Lacrecia was an avid athlete, running track all four years of high school, as well as competing on the cross country team. She participated in the 1986 State track meet in the 200M race. Her 4×100 relay team held the school record at BHS for more than 20 years. In her senior year, Lacrecia received the scholar award and the coach’s award for track. In addition to athletics, Lacrecia was a member of the band from eighth to 12th grade, earning several first-place awards at band competitions. She also was a member of FBLA, BETA Club and the Talent Search Program.
Lacrecia was an excellent student in her high school years. Her favorite subject was English. She said she loved to listen to her teachers read aloud in class, and she was always captivated by the teachers’ abilities to use literature to transport their students to other worlds beyond Buford.
Lacrecia remembers the day she first met the new principal, Mrs. Beauty Baldwin, when she was a fifth grader at Buford Middle School. She remembers how Mrs. Baldwin always carried herself with great poise, dignity and grace. The phrase “representation matters” always stuck with Lacrecia. She always wanted to be like Mrs. Baldwin, and her presence always motivated Lacrecia to strive to be an even better student. Something Lacrecia learned at BHS that has been significant to her throughout her life is the importance of setting goals and not allowing anything or anyone to stand in the way of her own progress. She said it is a satisfying feeling to achieve both short- and long-term goals, and you never know who is watching and being inspired by your journey.
After high school, Lacrecia attended Albany State University where she earned her Bachelor of Science in early childhood education in 1992. She also earned her Master of Education in early childhood education at Albany in 1996. She earned her Educational Specialist Degree in early childhood education at Brenau University in 2002 and recently, she earned her Doctorate of Education in curriculum and instruction in 2019. While at Albany State University, Lacrecia earned a track scholarship. She also was an inaugural member of the college’s Kappa Delta Pi Inc. and a cum laude graduate.
Lacrecia works at the BCS Central Office as the Buford City Schools Diversity and Inclusion Manager and the Title III Instructional Coach. She chose to be an educator because of the rewarding nature of the job. She loves that she can see the fruits of her labor every day. As a teacher, Lacrecia uses the knowledge of her students’ cultural backgrounds, academic capabilities and the curriculum to create excitement and energy in her classroom. However, her favorite lessons are the ones that her students teach her.
In her free time, Lacrecia loves to spend time with her mother. They attend church and eat dinner together almost every Sunday. She also volunteers for various projects at her church, Union Baptist Church. Lacrecia is a proud member of the Gwinnett County Alumnae Chapter of the Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Inc. She has served as a volunteer on the Education Development Committee. Lacrecia also co-chaired EMBODI, a male mentoring program that sponsored a community event designed to bridge the gap between youth and the Gwinnett County Police Department. She is currently a part of the Risk Management Team.
Dr. Smith’s work in the Buford school system as a teacher, mentor and coach, as well as local volunteer, constantly benefits the community that so lovingly raised her when she was in high school. Her outstanding achievements and impeccable character make her a role model for BCS students, and we are proud to call her a Buford High School alumna. Once a Wolf, always a Wolf!
— Torin Smith
The Buford High School alumni spotlights are made possible by the generosity of the City of Buford.
