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Aulbrey Smith is pictured working on the interior of the apartment he and his parents built atop a garage at their home on Grandview Mountain in Rhea County.
Nov. 8, 2019
By Bob Fowler
Roane State staff writer
He was a football standout in high school and also became skilled in home improvement projects, thanks largely to parents adept at Do-It-Yourself projects.
Now, Aulbrey Smith is stepping away – at least for a bit – from football and is studying mechanical engineering at Roane State Community College.
Smith, 18, won several awards for his gridiron performances at Rhea County High School and during his senior year played both offense and defense for the Class 5A team.
As a result, after his graduation in May he was offered partial scholarships at two Kentucky colleges and a preferred walk-on status at University of Tennessee-Chattanooga.
Instead, Smith opted to pursue an associate’s degree at Roane State, and he’s keeping an all-A grade point average as his first semester winds down.
“It was time to take a break from football,” Smith said of his decision. “And at Roane State, I can get my core classes out of the way and not spend as much money.” The Tennessee Promise scholarship program is covering his tuition, he said.
After he obtains his associate’s degree from Roane State, Smith said he’d reconsider the option to become a walk-on for the UT-Chattanooga football team while seeking a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering.
Long term, Smith said he’d like to design cars at an automobile manufacturing plant. “Cars are advancing every day, and I’m interested in making them better,” he said.
His interest in mechanics and engineering came naturally, he said, because “my family is mechanically advanced, and I was nurtured in that atmosphere.” His dad, Richard Maerki, graduated from Roane State with a degree in environmental science and is now an environmental inspector at Huber Engineered Woods in Rhea County. His mother, Tara Smith, is a hairstylist and a fan of Do-It-Yourself shows.
The family worked together to build an apartment for Aulbrey Smith on top of a garage at their residence on Grandview Mountain in Rhea County.
They’ve also converted a medium-sized school bus into a recreational vehicle that they’ve taken on vacations.
Aulbrey Smith said those projects taught him many construction skills, from installing sub-flooring to plumbing to putting in ceiling fans in his apartment, which he said “turned out great.”
Thus far, Smith is giving thumbs-up reviews for his Roane State experience. “I like Roane State and I like all of my professors. They’re really engaged with their students and try to challenge us.
“That’s important. You have to overcome challenges to do well in life.”
Roane State is a two-year college providing transfer programs, career-preparation programs and continuing education. Founded in 1971, the college has campuses in Crossville, Harriman, Huntsville, Jamestown, Knoxville, LaFollette, Lenoir City, Oak Ridge, Wartburg and Clinton.
For more information, visit roanestate.edu or call (865) 882-4554.
Remember, eligible adults can now attend Roane State tuition-free with the new Reconnect grant. Learn more at www.roanestate.edu/reconnect.
Roane State Community College does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, creed, ethnicity or national origin, sex, disability, age, status as protected veteran or any other class protected by Federal or State laws and regulation and by Tennessee board of Regents policies with respect to employment, programs, and activities. View full non-discrimination policy.
