Ellington

The strength and tone of his voice reminds you of the late and great Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Knowing Carlos Smith's passion and dedication to helping others succeed, you can literally see Dr. King's dream at work.

At only 22 years old, Smith has filled his plate with some very large tasks. He is a Boys and Girls Club volunteer, senior class president at Tougaloo College, state coordinator for the NAACP Youth and College division, a member of Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity, campus coordinator for the Partnership for a Healthy Mississippi, participant in the Young Democrats of Hinds County, and a member of the Reuben Anderson Pre-Law Society.

When does he have time to breathe? "I don't," Smith said, "and I shouldn't breathe. I should do this. This is breathing for me."

A native of Collins, Miss., Smith says that coming to Jackson and attending Tougaloo College was not a very big adjustment for him. "As far as being connected, Jackson is just as connected as a small city," Smith said, "so it was not a huge difference for me."

Despite the fact that it is one of the lowest-paying professions, Smith plans to enter into the field of education. "Education is my passion," he explained. "It is important, African Americans especially, that we get a quality education."

After Tougaloo, Smith is looking to attend the University of Mississippi to get a master's in English with an emphasis in rhetoric and composition. "My goal is to come back to my alma mater and give back by teaching in the English department," he said.

Smith fills the down time he has with running, reading, watching movies and last weekend his plans were to see "The Gospel at Colonus."

"I know no one does this anymore, but I like to write letters when I have the time," he said. "I also try to mentor. I don't think that the work should stop with me. If I drop dead, someone should be able to pick up the slack."

Smith says no one knows he has a rock collection. This collection is very dear to his heart because each rock represents a time, he says, that was special in his life. "I found my very first rock after a parade at home for writing the best short story in grade school," he said. The next rock he plans to pick up will be in May at his graduation from Tougaloo.