Cornelia
Connelly
School's Sophomore Imani Smith was chosen by radio talk show host Tavis Smiley as one of The Smiley 100 Young Leaders of the Decade. Imani is an ambassador for Connelly - meeting with and escorting prospective students on campus. She is a member of the Hearts in Hands Club and recently launched the school's new Random Acts of Kindness Club "to promote kindness throughout our communities, even when no one is watching."
Connelly's Director of Admissions Abby Vanausdoll said Imani is a strong leader among her peers. "Leadership requires the ability to listen to others, take initiative and tackle projects with energy and conviction, and I believe Imani possesses all of these. She is an intelligent young lady respected by her peers."
Her goal for the group is lead a teddy bear drive and collect bears for local police and fire stations to give to injured and frightened children. Imani established an annual holiday book drive, and distributed more than 1,000 gently used books to local hospitals. She volunteers as a Senior Youth aid with Urban Community Outreach in Long Beach during the summer and occasionally at her grandmother's residential care facility serving adults with developmental disabilities. Imani plays soccer at Connelly and runs track on a club track team. Imani's future goals include "attending and graduating from Stanford University, becoming a successful entrepreneur, and continuously serving the community and spreading joy to those in need."
