Logan Smith has a pretty busy schedule, but he took time to soak in a great accomplishment over the summer. Smith, a senior in the Class of 2023 at Science Hill, joined the less than 0.5 percent of ACT test-takers who earn a perfect ACT score each year.
“I think I just about fell out of my chair,” said Smith through a smile about learning of the perfect 36 ACT score. “I was shaking really bad, pretty much until I got home. I was super-duper shocked because I didn’t expect it at all.”
A perfect ACT score is remarkable, but even more impressive is that Smith earned the accomplishment while also participating as a cellist in the Science Hill Orchestra, a three-year State qualifier on Science Hill’s swim & dive team, and participating in Boy Scouts. Smith plans to soon add another accomplishment as he is finishing up his final project for his Eagle Scout Award. Smith plans to add five raised garden beds to expand the community gardens at Munsey Methodist Church in downtown Johnson City.
Those are Smith’s current plans, but he is a little unsure of his future plans. Smith and his family are spending some of their spare time traveling to visit different colleges. While it won’t be hard for Smith to find a college, he wants to explore the opportunities that are available. Currently, he feels like he might want to be a teacher or professor. Two of his math teachers, Josh Berry and Eric Wondergem sparked that interest in him.
Smith hopes to go to a college that will allow him to learn a lot of things and find what he is really passionate about. Smith said, “I’ve always considered myself to be a math kid, and I really enjoyed Mr. Berry and Mr. Wondergem.”
“Something about the way Mr. Wondergem taught,” Smith continued, “made me picture myself in sort of the same position, I think, so that was an experience that made me consider teaching.”
Smith noted that the positive teachers he had during his time at Science Hill helped him earn his perfect ACT score.
“I’ve had a lot of really good teachers that have helped me learn and helped me enjoy learning,” he said. “So, I think with their help, I was prepared well (for the ACT).”
That quality teaching was the only practice he had for the ACT besides a math practice test he took.
“If I’m honest, I went into that one as a trial run,” said Smith about taking the ACT in March. “I didn’t really prepare much for it.”
That, he said, could have been the trick as he didn’t put a lot of pressure on himself to do well.
“I think that definitely helped,” Smith said. “Instead of being so overly stressed about it and having to prepare and be nervous. I think I was more relaxed and wanted to try my best, and I think that attitude helped me.”
The only previous time Smith had taken the ACT was in 7th grade as a student at Liberty Bell, and even then, he was able to score a 32.
Recently, Smith spent the month of June with 50 other students his age as they participated in the Governor’s School for Humanities at UT Martin. He said the opportunity to be around other highly motivated students seemed to motivate him even more.
“It was one of the most amazing things I’ve ever done,” Smith said. “I was definitely a little nervous going into it. But it was like getting a foot in the door to what college will be like.”
But before he enrolls in college, Smith just wants to soak up his final year as a Hilltopper.
“It’s my last year,” Smith said. “So, I want to make sure I hang out with my friends and enjoy it before we all go off to college.”
Logan is the son of Rick Smith and Allison Smith (SHHS Class of ’92) and the grandson of Gary Speer (SHHS Class of 1959) and Sue Oaks Speer (SHHS Class of 1965) of Johnson City, and Ben and Katie Smith of Thomaston, Georgia.
