A zigzagging path to power

PHOTO: Wellington Smith, coordinator for the California Department of Education

By Evridiki Vougiouka

BlueDevilHUB.com Staff-

Students often believe that their major in college determines their future career linearly, but the path to success isn’t always straightforward. For Wellington Smith IV–now the Statewide Coordinator for the California Department of Education– the path to success was a zigzag pattern.

Smith’s first job was mowing lawns for neighbors. He was paid $5 to mow the lawns, $7 to mow and edge them, and $10 if he did an excellent job. Smith’s original goal was to raise enough money to buy the expensive shirt he wanted, but the experience taught him more than just how to save money. “The experience afforded me an important lesson in understanding my power; [it helped me see] what my ultimate goal was, and what mountains I needed to climb to get there,” Smith said.

Soon after, Smith worked his second job. On a family trip to Disneyland, Smith’s father paid him $1 an hour to hold the camera bag and document the trip. “I could not be immersed in Disneyland, I was holding the camera that was recording the rest of the family. That shaped a lot of my perspective in understanding what process means in terms of growth and being successful,” Smith said.

According to Smith, those two experiences influenced his future. “My path to higher education was directly impacted by those two jobs–how I approached what college I would go to, how I was going to do it, and if I were to stumble or fall, how I would recover.”

Smith went on to play basketball at college. His father was a basketball coach, among many other things, and Smith’s passion for the game fueled his desire to play Division 2 basketball. 

At college, Smith decided he wanted to pursue a business and advertising degree after being inspired by a 90s movie. However, he quickly understood that business was not his true passion and that basketball was not helping him realize his dreams. “I realized the choices I was making because of business and marketing were not lining up with my true passion– being a creative, that is,” Smith said.  

Following this realization, Smith moved to CSU Sacramento and changed his major to mass communication, something which allowed him to gain valuable experience in reaching diverse audiences.

Out of college, Smith worked as a marketer for Verizon for three years. “I was a top salesman […] It was an invigorating experience to feel a sense of competition […] it was a moment to ‘hold up the mirror and look at yourself’ in terms of what it means to be powerful. I allowed my heart to take me places and help me work with people, from large businesses, like Wells Fargo and the Sacramento Kings, to grandmas who needed a phone to call their grandchildren,” Smith said.

Smith then occupied a few other positions before finally being recruited as a Statewide Coordinator for the California Department of Education, where he is responsible for many things. “My job involves state-wide programming, working with the state Superintendent of Public Instruction, with the Youth Advisory Council, and also working with school districts throughout the state to provide equitable change for all in our education system,” Smith said.

Through this job, Smith has directly and indirectly touched the lives of many students across the state. Taryn Thomas, a former member of the Youth Advisory Council that Smith directed thinks of Smith as an extraordinary mentor. 

“Working with Wellington is nothing short of transformative. His ability to create inclusive and supportive atmospheres fosters growth on both personal and professional fronts. He’s supported me and has been there for me countless times…,” Thomas said.

Smith admits to three secrets behind his success, the first of which is always to stay curious. “I think that’s the first pillar of being a powerful person; do you have the ability to be curious in all moments rather than close-minded from the get-go?” Smith said.

Smith’s second secret to success is to stay up-to-date on things, or, in other words, to constantly update his personal software. “If you look at people who are successful and powerful, they all have one thing in common: that is the ability to change with the decades,” Smith said. 

His final secret to success is to let his experiences shape him into a more well-rounded person. “I believe that a person can simply go out and live their life, and, just doing that, makes them wiser. People often say, ‘Well, what if you’re having a horrible time or negative experiences?’ Well, that means you’re having a human experience! How you learn from that human experience is what makes you truly powerful.”