Smith gets an early start

Any butterflies that 14-year-old Greg Smith might have had about fitting in as a graduate student at U.Va. have stopped fluttering.

“I was concerned that I would experience a very impersonal atmosphere at U.Va. I am pleased to say it has been just the opposite,” Smith said. Professors and administrators have been supportive, “and the students and staff have been especially friendly.”

Smith has been making headlines since an early age as an academic prodigy and an advocate for international youth programs. In May, he became the youngest person to graduate from Randolph-Macon College, and in June he registered for graduate studies at U.Va.

Now he’s settled in comfortably and is working on his Ph.D. in mathematics — one of several doctoral degrees he plans to earn.

Fitting in — he’s not alone, as one of four teenage graduate students at U.Va. — doesn’t mean he’s inconspicuous. He is easily recognized and stopped frequently. “The students have been very respectful and have approached me appropriately. I enjoy meeting them and encourage their friendship,” he said.

While academics take top priority, Smith devotes considerable energy to initiatives such as International Youth Advocates, an organization he founded to promote programs for children around the world. The group recently provided funding and supplies for an educational complex in Kenya.

“We also have sent three complete computer stations to a Head Start program in Colorado and continue to support a peace school in Kenya, community training centers in Brazil and Rwanda’s first public library,” he said.

In addition to activism and academics, Smith has another passion — athletics.

“I am a sports enthusiast, both as a participant and spectator,” he said. “Look for me on the courts playing pick-up basketball or tennis and running on the track. And I’ll be cheering for the Hoos at football and basketball games.”