 Growing up in State College,
Pennsylvania, Stephanie
Smith never imagined the
road that lay before her at Greenville. In high school she developed a passion for performing music so when the time came for her to choose a college,
she looked no further than Greenville’s
Contemporary Christian Music program. To
this day Smith understands the importance
of her decision. “God knew where I was
supposed to be and I just believe that this is
the right place,” said Smith.
She enrolled in the fall of 2002 and by the next spring, she was singing for a crowd of 5,000 on the main stage of Agape
Music Festival. For Smith, this was only
the beginning of her transitional college
journey.
During January of 2004, she decided
to take her education to a global level by
traveling to Guatemala with an interterm
class. The following fall she spent an entire
semester in Mozambique through the
Greenville in Africa program. “I had no idea
what an impact my semester abroad [in
Africa] would have on me. I am still learning
from my experiences,” said Smith.
Smith returned from Africa prepared to
finish her junior year at Greenville and was
again presented with an opportunity to play
at the Agape Music Festival. After winning
the annual Agape battle of the bands event
(with an ensemble she constructed in only
two weeks) Smith found herself performing
on main stage. This time she did more than
just amaze a few thousand people in the
audience, she gained the attention of a
record producer and a major record label.
This led to a professional relationship that
developed further as Smith traveled to
Nashville, TN for the summer of 2005.
In Nashville, Smith connected with
record producers and GC alumni in the
area. Smith admits that the music industry
in Nashville can be rather daunting, but the
support she received from alumni made
the process seamless. “My experiences in
Nashville would not have been the same
without the alumni who were incredibly
generous and believed in me from the start,”
said Smith.
Now a senior seeking to graduate in
the spring of ’06, Smith plans to return to
Nashville in January to further develop the
relationship with her record label. Even
with a bright future ahead Smith admits
that leaving Greenville may be difficult.“Although I am excited to make my way
south - back to Nashville - Greenville has
been a place of community and growth for
me, so it will be extremely difficult to leave. I
am thankful for the relationships I have built
here, and I am looking forward to see what
the Lord has in store,” said Smith.
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