Cambridge, Mass. (January 27) – In the next installment of the "Meet the Coaches and Staff" series by the Department of Athletics, Physical Education and Recreation (DAPER), we spotlight Stephanie Smith, who enters her 15th year at MIT and third as the Director of Recreation.
In addition to this written piece, watch the video below to learn more about our outstanding staff in DAPER and what it's like to be part of the MIT community.
Where did you go to college and what did you get your degree in?
I did my undergraduate degree at The Ohio State University and I majored in health and wellness. I minored in dance and nutrition and I was about one class away from a minor in women and gender studies. All three of those topics are very valuable and relevant in my day-to-day work, so I'm really glad that I chose all of those paths. Then, in 2012, I got my master's degree in sports leadership from Northeastern University.
What brought you to MIT?
After I graduated from Ohio State, I went on a two-month backpacking trip in Europe. So, I applied for jobs all over the country and was offered the position to manage group fitness at MIT, which was originally my goal. I had never been to Boston. I had never been to Cambridge, but I fell in love with it just in the two days I spent here for my interview. I stayed at what was the Hotel at MIT (now Le Méridien) in Central Square. While I grew up in a really small, generally white middle-class community, I thought the diversity of Central Square was really cool. Especially coming off a trip to Europe, seeing and learning so much more about big cities, I jumped on the opportunity.
What are some of your favorite things about working at MIT?
Some of my favorite things are the sense of community and the feeling of a small town. There are certainly resources outside of MIT that we frequently access, but I really, really love the small-town feel of MIT. I also appreciate the diversity of people and the drive to always grow and develop. It's part of the culture here, to continue to learn; and not only in the student community but also among the staff. Personally, I enjoy our accessibility to Boston and even just the landscape of where we are in the New England area, being able to access the mountains and the coast.
What is your favorite sports memory?
Without a doubt it's the Ohio State-Michigan game, I don't know the exact year off the top of my head, but Eddie George was playing and I was probably in junior high. My dad and I have always enjoyed sports together and he took me to the game. I think I ended up having to wear a full-body freezer suit at the game because it was so cold. Ohio State won the game and seeing Eddie George, just a phenomenal athlete, play in person, that's definitely my favorite memory. In addition to the memories of being at Ohio Stadium as a college student with all my friends and college roommates, another favorite memory is taking my daughter to her first Ohio State game with my spouse and my dad. It was really cool to see my dad with my daughter and that relationship and kind of carrying on the tradition with a new generation.
What is your favorite movie?
If I'm scrolling through TV and I see "Love Actually" come on, I am absolutely stopping and watching it, even if it's not anytime near the holidays. It's just a wonderful feel-good movie. It has wonderful music, the soundtrack is so good, and the different storylines are about valuable, genuine relationships in challenging times, so that is definitely on the top of my list.
What is the last book you read?
I try to piece through books and I actually use Audible more than actually reading books, just generally in my commute. The last book that I listened to in its entirety is "Me and White Supremacy," which was a recommendation from Suzy Nelson, MIT's Vice President and Dean for Student Life.
Which podcasts do you listen to?
I recently listened to "Three Big Points" by the MIT Sloan Management Review, which Tom Cronan, the MIT Director of Sports Medicine, always promotes. Other podcasts I really like are true crime, such as "To Live and Die in LA" and obviously "Serial." I also listen to podcasts by the Chronicle of Higher Education.
What is your dream vacation destination?
I think it would be Bali. It looks amazing and I love everything about being on the ocean and just the exotic part of it. I think right now with two young kids, anything that I would vacation to would be very relaxing and maybe more of a retreat. With the kids, we will probably be going to Disney at some point in the next couple years. My daughter is getting older and my son is drawn towards Mickey and "Mickey Mouse Clubhouse," so I would love to take them while they're young.
What is your favorite location to travel to?
Either Tennessee or Ohio, right now. My parents are in Ohio and my spouse's mom and his family is in Memphis. Maybe the third place would be my sister who's in Corvallis, Oregon. She and her spouse are really active in travel and they always find really cool places to take us to, so I enjoy any trip out to the West Coast to see them as well.
What is your favorite professional sports team?
Probably the Celtics. I follow them the most, out of any Ohio team. I was really stoked that the Browns had such a great season, but I cannot call myself a true Browns fan. I mean, Browns fans are just like really, really into it. But I do watch the Celtics quite a bit. It's something that my spouse and I really love to do together. That's kind of our retreat as we try to get to a few games every year. I think those games are really entertaining and the dance team is involved, which I love.
Which shows have you started watching since you've been working from home?
I've been watching a lot of home improvement shows. My spouse and I are updating a rental home on Cape Cod together. So, that's kind of been a really, really lovely distraction after our kids go to bed. One night, I think we sat around and just talked about paint colors for an hour and a half. It sounds bizarre, but it's been a really fun and creative thing for us to do together. We can sit down and watch "Fixer Upper" pretty much any night of the week or "Vacation House Rules," which is also one of our personal favorites.
What activities have you and your family been doing more of since last March?
Something my family has been doing more of, although we kind of always have been doing it, is dancing a lot as a family at night. My kids love to listen to Kidz Bop and they know the words to some songs now. My spouse loves to dance and I love to dance, obviously. So yeah, we dance around quite a bit or FaceTime are our folks so they can interact with us. Another thing we've been doing as a family is just getting outside. We've explored many of the Mass Audubon parks and reservations. There's also a local pond, Turner Pond, that we walk around quite a bit. It's about a half-mile around, so my four-year old can do that on her own and that's been really nice.
What is a fun fact about you?
I participated in the Henry County Tomato Pageant when I was 18 years old and it was sponsored by Campbell Soup, because there's a Campbell Soup plant in my hometown. Each township or city in the county is represented, so I represented the city of Napoleon. I got second runner-up, so I did not win (I was third place), but I did get "Miss Congeniality." It was a good way to end the summer, since it was at the Henry County Fair and it was right before I went to Ohio State. I met a lot of wonderful women in the community and you know, it was definitely one of those unique experiences. My mom and her friends really encouraged me to sign up for it. I'm glad I did and I won some money to go towards my books for my first year of college.
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