Being led by Smith is the best a fire-science student can hope for, 23-year-old Andrew Chappelear said.
“She is straight and to the point and tells you everything like it is,” said Chappelear, who was among the students going through their live-fire exercises earlier this month as one of the last steps toward earning their Ohio firefighting credentials. “Everything she tells us is something we will take directly into our career. Watching the fire was definitely mesmerizing, and she was like, ‘Let’s go! Let’s go!’ She’s great.”
That happened to be a student talking about Smith and her work at Columbus State, where she is an adjunct professor. But the sentiment is the same no matter whom you talk to.