Hometown Hero Honor

Hometown Hero Shanelle Smith was honored during a KC Current’s game for her work with her HBCU Walking Billboard nonprofit. Photo Courtesy of KC Current.

Shanelle Smith, the principal at Lincoln College Preparatory Academy, shares her experience being nominated as Hometown Hero and what that means to her.

“I felt honored to be recognized on such a big stage for just doing something I love,“ Smith said. 

In a recent interview, Smith revealed that she had recently won the award of Hometown Hero, this is primarily due to her role as founder and president of HBCU Walking Billboard, a non-profit organization that promotes awareness of, attendance to, and graduation from historically Black colleges and universities. This nomination comes to no surprise to those who know Smith’s unwavering dedication and positive impact on our community. Smith continues to foster a supportive learning environment that goes above and beyond for students.

During July of this year, Smith was nominated for the prestigious award of Hometown Hero. It is awarded to individuals that make positive contributions to impact the greater KC community. Smith smiles proudly as she explains her feelings during the entire award ceremony. Smith received the award in August at the KC Current Match where she walked onto the field to receive the award. 

“I felt very nervous, they were expecting me to have a big smile on and wave for what felt like so long,” Smith said. "I was awkward, but overall I had a great, fun experience and I got to meet some really cool people.” 

For Smith, being Hometown Hero is more than an award, it’s a lifelong goal to continue to aid students and inspire the future generation of learners. 

“Being Hometown Hero is a huge accomplishment for me because it means I’ve made positive contributions to impact the greater KC community,” Smith said.