Bio

Jimmy Smith, Jr.
Engineer, Educator, John Marshall High School
Cleveland, Ohio
ACE Mentor Program of Cleveland

Jimmy is an engineer turned teacher, coach, counselor and ACE Mentor Program advocate, who shares his enthusiasm about his chosen profession with young people, all the while molding them into community-conscious human beings. A Cleveland native, Jimmy started his career as a mechanical design engineer. Ten years ago, Jimmy took a slight detour to become an educator teaching engineering at John Marshall High School. He believes his Project Lead The Way (i.e., Introduction to Engineering Design) class provides “the tools to chase success AND be productive people in society.” That class is also his ACE Mentor Program connection. What makes his recruitment extraordinary is the level of attention Jimmy pays to the student. Mentors and school officials say that Jimmy has such a connection with his students that they interact not just inside the classroom but outside as well through ACE Mentor Program projects. He has brought many students into the program as freshman and sophomores, allowing them to become immersed in the opportunities available in the AEC fields early in their high school careers.