Today we’d like to introduce you to Catherine Smith.
Hi Catherine, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, you could tell our readers some of your backstory.
As the daughter of a single parent, I’ve always had the odds stacked against me. However, as my mother always says, with grit and a positive attitude – you can do anything and accomplish anything you want.
My journey toward paving the way for my advocacy efforts and current leadership roles began with one spontaneous decision. In June of 2021, I packed up my Goldendoodle Sadie Louann and everything I owned and drove 1,700 miles from my small Wisconsin town to Charleston, South Carolina. Not knowing a single soul in this state, I met my roommate on the day off and took on the beast of law school two months later. I pursued a short tenure at Charleston School of Law as a Juris Doctor candidate. However, in January 2023, I decided to part ways – temporarily – to pursue other advocacy and business ventures. It is here where my true potential and leadership qualities flourished.
In the past six months, I have taken on the role of a Young Adult Presenter for the National Alliance of Mental Illness – South Carolina’s “Ending the Silence” Program, founded my own Consulting and Media Management Business entitled Peak Performance, became a key asset to various non-profit programs within the Adopt-a-Community Program’s initiatives to combat Gun Violence in North Charleston, and even won the opportunity to compete at the prestigious Miss South Carolina Scholarship Competition as your Miss North Charleston 2023.
Would it have been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Like any good book, the road to a happy ending comes with plenty of juicy twists and turns, as a small-town girl paving her way through Law School in the city, a dream of becoming Miss South Carolina, and a new business owner, all. At the same time, managing life in her mid-Twenties can be difficult, but I have found beauty in my adversity along the way. My perspective on life has changed drastically over the past two years, all because of how I have faced adversity. Whether it was overcoming a relapse of my depression and anxiety disorder due to a loved one being placed in the center of the Ukrainian crisis or trying to manage one financially debilitating car issue after another – I have found that through my faith in God and truly letting the motto of “Let Go and Let God” do the work, all the chaos within my misery will subside, and the light to the end of the tunnel will appear.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar, what can you tell them about what you do?
As a young professional, I wear many hats – sometimes more than I intend to. However, every hat has its role in my life’s eventful yet chaotic play. As a social justice reform advocate, I work closely with non-profit and governmental entities to advocate for humanitarian efforts tested by the laws of South Carolina. More recently, I have worked alongside Attorney Ryan McKaig for what South Carolina may call one of its most heartbreaking injustices since 2009, Timothy Taylor – a young man falsely incarcerated for the kidnapping and murder of Brittany Drexel. Since the case is currently an ongoing civil litigation, my commentary is limited; however – the story of Mr. Taylor and how his life dramatically turned upside down due to the debilitating oversight made by the Federal Government and the truly demonic narrative the media made of him, is a matter that we as advocates are trying to repair and rehabilitate.
As a suicide prevention and awareness advocate, I’ve worked alongside various mental health organizations such as Mental Health America, 988 Coalition, American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, and Mental Health Heroes. However, one organization has genuinely stood out in my life not only because of its interpersonal relationship with my healing after a loss but also because of the role I now play in mending others’. Since October 2022, I have taken on the role of Young Adult Presenter (YA) for the National Alliance on Mental Illness’s (NAMI) “Ending the Silence” Program. Since the beginning of my work, I have had the privilege of speaking to over 1,200 students (in-person and virtually), facilitated and presented before various Lowcountry Law Enforcement Departments as a Crisis Intervention Presenter, and have given over 10 Key-Note addresses to non-profit, governmental, and departmental agencies at seminars and conventions state-wide. Here, I present my story of loss, overcoming my adversities, and rising as a champion of my travesty for various Middle School and High School students throughout South Carolina.
As your Miss North Charleston, this role has taken my life in avenues I would have never expected but had always hoped. Thanks to the Miss South Carolina Scholarship Organization and Miss America Organization, I have been invited to tables I have always aspired to have a rightful place at. As a classically trained operatic vocalist and performer since the age of 13, I’ve been blessed with the opportunity to sing our nation’s National Anthem for over 64,000 people to date ranging from audiences of the North Charleston Coliseum at Monster Jam and the South Carolina Stingrays Conference Games to international guests attending the 51st Annual Charleston Scottish Games and Highland Gathering. While the glitz and glamour of Miss America have presented me with various partnerships in the fashion industry, ranging from gowns of Ash and T’s Formals in Summerville, SC, to behind the lenses of major photographers such as Sarah Chase Photography, the service aspect of my role is what has been the ultimate gift that keeps on giving. With over 75 service appearances made to date, my duty as a public servant to this community is just getting started, and I cannot wait to see where this sparkly hat and giving heart takes me.
As an experienced multimedia marketer and content creator, I have a keen eye for detail and the grit to take matters outside of normalcy to bring my clients to the next level. As the owner of Peak Performance Consulting and Media Management, I have worked with major corporations and small non-profit entities to shine a light on their mission and values and bring their profits or donations to their fullest potential. My gift of being a people person and craving for creativity allows my business and my clients to thrive in the current innovative economy we find ourselves to date.
What were you like growing up?
I was a shy yet, curious child. Growing up in a single-parent, single-income home, I had to learn the values of independence and grit at a very young age. While my mother went above and beyond to give me the life she couldn’t have for herself, I still found myself part of a growing generation of children where creativity and curiosity piqued my interests above all materialistic things. I’ll be straight – I was a big tomboy. I loved getting my hands dirty, driving the 15-ton combine tractor during grain season, climbing our local silos to see the beauty of what Wisconsin’s dairyland portrayed, and most importantly, not wearing a lick of fashionable trends until I was at least in Middle School. My young years were the most cherishable years of my life; however, growing pains come with growing pains, and as a teenager, those were the memories. Unfortunately, I wouldn’t say I like to relive it.
At the age of 13, I was severely bullied. I struggled with making friends, self-esteem, and self-identity. It wasn’t until I was 16 that I decided to make the most impactful decision of my teenage years. Then, I picked up everything I had ever known and transferred to a High School I didn’t know anyone. While it was scary at first, I learned I would be okay through the grit and independence my mother instilled in me. Thankfully, due to my passion for music and my craving for friendship, I joined Milton High School’s Show Choir group, and from there, the resiliency of my childhood and music career to date flourished.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.linktr.ee/catherinedsmith
- Instagram: @cattsmithh / @missnorthcharleston2023
- Facebook: facebook.com/missnorthcharleston2023
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/catherinedelindasmith/
Image Credits
Sarah Chase Photography, Ash & T’s Formals, Amanda Upton Photography, Katrina S Crawford Photography, City of North Charleston, Sherri Hill
