Ms. Smith began her career in education with Teach For America and holds an M.Ed. in Early Childhood Curriculum & Instruction from George Mason University. An award-winning educator with nearly two decades of experience, she has taught PreK-1, PreK-2, Kindergarten, and Grade 2 before moving into school leadership.​​​​‌‍​‍​‍‌‍‌​‍‌‍‍‌‌‍‌‌‍‍‌‌‍‍​‍​‍​‍‍​‍​‍‌‍‌​‌‍​‌‌‌​‌‍‌‍​‌‍‌‌​​‍‍‌‍​‌‍‌‍‌​‍​‍​‍​​‍​‍‌‍‍​‌​‍‌‍‌‌‌‍‌‍​‍​‍​‍‍​‍​‍‌‍‍​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‍‍​‍​‍‌‍​‍‌‍​‌‌​‌‍‍‌‌​​‍‍‌‍​‌‌‍‌​‌‍‌‌‍‍‌‌‍‍​‍‍‌‍‌​‌‍​‌‌‌​‌‍‌‍​‌‍‌‌​​‍‍‌‍​‌‍‌‍‌​‍‌‍‌‌‌‍‌​‌‍‍‌‌‌​‌‍‌​‍​‍‌‍‍‌‌‌​‌‍‌‌‌‍‌‌‌‌‌​‌‍‌‌​​‌‍‌‌‌​​‍‌‍‌​​‌‌‌‍‍‍‌‍‍‌​‍‌‌​​​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‍‌‍‌‍‍‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‍‌‌‌​‌‌‌​​‍‌​‍‌‌‌‍‍‌‌‍‌‌‌​‍‌‍‍‌‌‌​‌‍‌‌‌‍‌‌​​‍‌‌‍‌‌‌​‌‌​‍‌‌​​‌‌‌​‍‍‌​‍‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​‍‌‌​‌‌‍‍‌‍‍‌‍‍‌​‌​​‍​‌‌​​​‍‌​‍‌‌‌​‌​‍‌‍‌‌‌‍‌​‌‍‍‌‌‌​​‍​‌‍‌‍‌‍‍‌‌‍‌‌‌‍​‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌‍​‌‌‌​‌‍‍​​‌‌‍​‍‌‍‍‌‌‍​‍​‍‌‌

Now in her tenth year at BASIS Independent McLean and fourth year as Dean of Students for the Early Learning Program, Ms. Smith is passionate about creating a joyful, safe, and learning-focused environment where every child feels empowered to embody our EPIC values—Empathy, Perseverance, Integrity, and Curiosity—and take ownership of their education. She strives to equip students with the academic skills and growth mindset they need to become the change-makers of the future and considers it a privilege to partner with families in fostering lifelong learners.

Outside of school, Ms. Smith enjoys traveling, listening to Taylor Swift, and doing her best not to kill the plants in her English cottage garden. Most of all, she loves going on adventures with her husband, her daughter Elsa (BIM Class of 2031), and their sheepadoodle, Ölle.