FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Marlen Zarcone
mzarcone@acteonline.org
ACTE Announces Arkansas Retired Teacher as National Award Finalist
ALEXANDRIA, VA—Today, the Association for Career and Technical Education (ACTE) announced Mary Smith, Retired Family & Consumer Sciences Teacher in Manila, AK as the 2025 ACTE Region IV Lifetime Achievement and Hall of Fame Award recipient. This award recognizes the finest career and technical education (CTE) educators at the middle/secondary school level who have demonstrated innovation in the classroom, commitment to their students and dedication to the improvement of CTE in their institutions and communities.
Mary Lindsey Smith began her teaching career in January 1983, stepping into what was then known as Home Economics with the Etowah School District in West Ridge, Arkansas. Initially planning to teach for just a semester before returning to graduate school to pursue a career as a dietician, Mary quickly discovered that teaching was her true calling. The small, close-knit community and supportive environment of her first school made a lasting impression, and by the end of that first semester, she knew she had found her lifelong profession.
Over the years, Mary has taught nearly all of Arkansas’ Family & Consumer Sciences courses, in addition to Career Orientation and 7th grade Life Science. Her dedication to her students extended beyond the classroom, as she also coached tennis, track & field, and cross country, sponsored junior and senior classes, drove a school bus, and advised an active Career and Technical Student Organization (CTSO), leading students to participate in local, regional, state, and national programs and competitions.
Mary’s involvement in the broader educational community has been extensive. She has been an active member of the Arkansas Association for Career & Technical Education (AACTE) and has served as a committee chair and board member of the Arkansas Association for Teachers of Family & Consumer Sciences (AATFACS). In collaboration with Arkansas Career & Technical Education, Mary helped develop and author several Family & Consumer Sciences courses, including those in the Nutrition Science & Dietetics program of study.
Throughout her career, Mary has shared her expertise through professional development sessions at the school, district, state, and national levels, including presentations at ACTE’s Vision conference. Her passion for teaching life skills to today’s youth has been a driving force in her career, and even as she prepares to retire from the classroom at the end of the current school year, Mary plans to continue supporting her colleagues and contributing to professional development in any way she can.
Mary firmly believes that the skills taught through Career and Technical Education, and Family & Consumer Sciences in particular, are essential to the success of not only her students but society as a whole. Her dedication to education and her impact on countless students and educators throughout her career leaves a legacy.
Smith is one of five finalists for the 2025 national title. The national winner will be announced at the ACTE Awards Gala, an award presentation recognizing the best CTE educators in the country. The event will take place on December 4, 2024, at 7:00 p.m. The Awards Gala is sponsored by Express Employment Professionals, Goodheart-Willcox, The Army, and Stratasys. For more information about the ACTE Excellence Awards, visit our webpage.
###
About ACTE
The Association for Career and Technical Education (ACTE) is the nation’s largest not-for-profit association committed to the advancement of education that prepares youth and adults for successful careers. ACTE represents the community of CTE professionals, including educators, administrators, researchers, school counselors, guidance and career development professionals and others at all levels of education. ACTE is committed to excellence in providing advocacy, public awareness and access to resources, professional development and leadership opportunities.
