Superintendent’s Spotlight: Reagan Smith

For Warwick Valley High School senior Reagan Smith, leadership is about kindness. Whether she’s planning school events, competing on the track, or representing her peers, her focus is always on listening, connecting and creating meaningful experiences for her classmates.

Smith is a senior class officer and has been vice president of the Class of 2026 since her freshman year. She’s also the tutoring coordinator for Mu Alpha Theta Math Honor Society and one of three student liaisons to the Warwick Valley Central School District Board of Education. In the latter role, she and her fellow student board appointees Sophia Amato and Hank Wendell give students a voice in district conversations.

Outside the classroom, Smith is a middle-distance runner and captain of the track team, and a volleyball player. She is also a member of the WVHS chorus. She’s also active in the SADD Club, Creative Calm Club, and Sports Medicine Club. Reagan’s involvement across so many groups gives her a uniquely panoramic view of student life at Warwick Valley, which is precisely why she chose to apply for a position on the Board of Education.

“I’m in chorus, I run track, I take honors classes, so I really touch all areas of the school,” she said, noting that this wide reach gives her an advantage when it comes to gathering feedback and amplifying student voices.

“That’s really what our duty is,” she said. “To hear perspectives from all across the school.”

Smith’s main goal as a student liaison is to make a difference, and she also sees it as an opportunity for growth.

“I’ve always loved public speaking, and this will only make me a better speaker,” she said. “Talking in front of school leaders will definitely prepare me for college and make me even wiser.”

Smith is the type of person who looks for lessons in every experience, even in difficult and unexpected situations. Over the summer, she broke her foot when a family member accidentally ran over it with a car. As she’s navigated the past few months in an orthopedic boot, she found herself reflecting on her response to the situation. She realized that her instinct at that moment was to comfort her family member, who felt terrible about the accident, rather than focusing on her own injury. That moment revealed something deeper about her character.

“My college essay was technically about my foot, but really it was about empathy,” she said. “In that moment, I cared more about how they were feeling than about my own pain. There have definitely been ups and downs since then, but I learned a lot about myself through it.”

Empathy is at the heart of her leadership approach. As the senior class vice president, she plays an active role in student senate initiatives and many of the high school’s most anticipated events. Whether it’s planning homecoming events or fundraising for senior class trips, Smith makes a point to listen to her peers and include their perspectives.

“I guess I just go about it by being more relatable,” she said. “When [people] talk down to you or patronize you, I know exactly how that feels, and I don’t want to lead that way.”

For Smith, being a leader isn’t about being in charge or controlling others, but building trust, inspiring others and making moments meaningful. Even with the long list of achievements she has, Smith is most proud of the relationships she’s built.

“I’ve gotten leadership awards and MVP awards for track,” she said. “But overall, I’m most proud of the relationships I’ve built with teachers and my closest friends. I want to leave here knowing people will remember me as a good person, not just the vice president.”

She is especially grateful for the relationship she’s built with WVHS teacher and track coach, Shawn Thomas.

“He really cares about the team and takes time to ask how everyone’s doing,” she said. “And especially through this process with my foot, he’s been checking up on me.”

Looking ahead, she said she plans to study engineering in college and hopes to continue running track at the collegiate level. In the immediate future, she’s excited to get her boot off this week and hopefully return for her senior season on the track. She’s also eager to embrace the remainder of her high school experience.

“I’m really looking forward to the Board of Education meetings,” she explained. “Other than that, I just want to enjoy [the year] with my friends, make the most of it and live in the moment.”

Her advice to others is rooted in the way she approached her high school years and what it taught her.

“You don’t come to high school to accomplish – you come to experience,” she said. “I’ve tried a bit of everything, and even when things didn’t work out, they were never really mistakes as long as I was able to learn something from them.”