Brittney Smith

Classroom

Smith is a sociology major at Dartmouth and has also explored other academic opportunities with a Spanish language study abroad program. She spent three months at the Universidad a las Americas in Puebla, Mexico, completely immersing herself in the Spanish language and Mexican culture. Smith has also explored other academic opportunities with a Spanish language study abroad program. During the summer of 2010, Smith worked for the X-Mester program at Vincennes University, which exposes high school students to the college experience for two weeks. Smith was selected to be an Early College Fellow, leading a group of high school scholars in the program and creating and teaching her own curriculum. After graduation, Smith hopes to work for Teach for America.

Character

Smith will serve as a captain this season and she’s one of the most recognizable student-athletes on campus and always carries herself with a high level of character and grace. She has risen to the occasion throughout her college career and has embraced her role as the team’s top athlete while being a good and caring teammate. Simply put, Smith is the definition of grace under pressure. For three years, she shared the basketball court with her older sister, Margaret, who graduated from Dartmouth in 2010. Margaret was the first person in their immediate family to graduate from college and Brittney will be the second. “Brittney is an outstanding, conscientious worker,” coach Chris Wielgus said. “She is an overachiever who will work until she gets the job done and has a positive ‘can do’ attitude. She is well organized, determined and thorough and has an intellectual curiosity, which she actively pursues. Perhaps Brittney’s most distinguishing characteristic is her excellent communicative skills. She is charismatic and outgoing. Her rapport with players, coaches and administrators is outstanding.”

Community

In addition to her fellowship with X-Mester, Smith has engaged in a variety of community-service activities at Dartmouth. She has not only participated in team and campus events, but has also been a leader and started her own programs and events. During her sophomore year, Smith worked as a mentor at the Thetford Elementary School, tutoring children and helping with their daily assignments. She also counseled her mentees on general life issues and was available to them outside of school hours. While in Mexico, Smith volunteered at the Cuetzalan Middle School, teaching students about life in America, painting and decorating the school and teaching basketball. This year, Smith will participate in Dartmouth’s “Big Sib” program through which upperclassmen mentor freshmen. In 2010 as part of Students at Dartmouth for Haiti Relief, Smith organized a successful, three-on-three basketball tournament to raise funds for victims of the Haitian earthquake. Throughout her time at Dartmouth she has volunteered with her team at the Haven, a local homeless shelter specifically for families, and spent many afternoons tutoring children, playing games with them and just being a friend. She also volunteered at the Winter Special Olympics in 2010. Smith is a member of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes and part of Dartmouth’s Rockefeller Management Leadership Development program.

Competition

After her junior season, in which she averaged 12.1 points and 10.2 rebounds per game, Smith was named to the All-Ivy League first team, her second first-team all-conference distinction after winning the Ivy League Player of the Year Award as a sophomore. She was also the league’s Rookie of the Year in 2008. In three years at Dartmouth she has helped the program win two Ivy League Championships and in 2009 she won the Dartmouth Class of 1976 Award, which is awarded to the top female athlete on campus. Smith is on pace to become just the third player in program history to graduate with 1,000 points and 1,000 rebounds. In addition to her double-double last season, Smith led the team in assists, steals and blocks.