Church, family make county special for Smith

Editor’s Note: Franklin’s Future is a regular feature spotlighting a high school senior in Franklin County and what they have planned for life after graduation.

Russellville High School student Hunter Smith has been involved in activities both in school and in the community for most of his high school career.
The 17-year-old senior said he stays pretty busy, but he doesn’t mind because the things that take up his time are all worthwhile in his opinion.
At the top of his priority list are the activities he participates in with his church – Calvary Baptist Church in Russellville.
Smith is an active member of the church youth group, World Changers, Student Life, mission trips and anything else that comes along.
“When it comes to things that I fill my time with, church activities are always top priority for me,” Smith said. “When you become a believer, it is your duty to go out and minister to people and be active in church, so that’s what I try to do.”
Falling just behind church activities on his priority list are his school activities, which are numerous for a high school senior who could easily be prone to a case of “senioritis.”
Smith is the president of the Future Farmers of America and the president of Students Against Destructive Decisions. He has also been a member of the student council, Science Club, Chemistry Club, Spanish Club, Future Business Leaders of America, Junior Leadership, Show Choir, National Honor Society, Golden Tiger Anglers and the Envirothon team.
“I think it’s good to get involved at school,” he said. “When you’re involved, you know what’s going on and you can take a more active role in your high school experience.”
Smith said he’s enjoyed his time in high school and the fact that he’s been a Russellville student since kindergarten.
“I really like going to Russellville because I love the school spirit we have and the pride we have in our school.”
He said that since he isn’t on the football team, he and several of his friends make it a point to “liven up” the student section at the football games.
“We’ve been known to paint ourselves from the waist up and do other things just to get pumped up for the game,” he said. “It’s a good way for us to show our support for the team and the school.”
Smith said the football games and pep rallies have been some of his best high school memories so far even though he’s sure there will be many more memorable moments this coming year.
“I plan to enjoy every minute of this last year of high school,” he said. “There are things about high school that I won’t miss, like getting up at 6 a.m. and having to write research papers, but I’ll definitely miss other things.
“I’ll of course miss the relationships with teachers and friends and I’ll just miss the daily routine that I’m used to, so I just want to soak it all up while I can.”
After he graduates in May, Smith said he plans to attend Northwest-Shoals Community College to get his basics before transferring to Auburn University or Mississippi State University.
“I want to major in something related to biology, wildlife or forestry and I know both of those schools have good programs relating to those fields, so that’s why I’m leaning more towards those two universities,” he said.
“Since I was two or three years old, I’ve always been on the farm hunting or fishing; Just being outdoors and in the middle of God’s creation is something I just love to do, so being able to have a career where that’s what I get to do every day would be perfect for me.”
Once he graduates from college, Smith said he would more than likely move back to Franklin County to start his career and settle down because to him, it’s just home.
“I love the friendly people you can find in Franklin County and just the environment here,” he said. “The lakes, the outdoor recreation – all of those things are things that are important to me wherever I plan to live.”
Franklin County is also home to most of his family. Living here would put him close to his mom and stepdad, Stephanie and Mike Mayfield; his dad and stepmom, Tim and Debbie Smith; his twin sister, Caitlan; his younger sister, Anna; his grandparents, Johnny and Patricia Smith, Linda Madden (and the late Billy Madden), Mae Mayfield and Fleeta Scott; and his stepbrothers and stepsisters.
“Family is important to me, so it would be good to live near them in the future,” he said.
When he isn’t at church, at school or planning for his future, Smith said he enjoys hunting, fishing and trapshooting at the Cedar Hill Trap Range near Frankfort.
Smith actually came in third place in his division at the Grand American World Trapshooting Championship, which is the largest trapshooting tournament in the world.
As he begins his last year of high school, Smith said he had a few words of wisdom he would pass along to the younger crowd.
“For guys in particular, my advice is to stick with the Lord and stay away from women,” he said with a laugh. “Seriously though, focusing on God and school is really the best thing to do.
“And just advice in general, I’d say to just be yourself and don’t try to change who you are to fit in. There are too many people who do that these days.”