Anne Arundel County Public Schools, MD / Then & Now: Alumni Success Stories

Fox45, National Geographic, and now TLC—Katie Wilhelm Smithson has spent her career sharing stories through video and television. That passion was ignited at South River High School, where she learned the writing skills to tell a story and was given the freedom to be herself on and off camera.

Matthew started his journey to the Olympics as a Broadneck Bruin. With the support of a his coach, who fostered and encouraged Matt’s natural potential while at Broadneck, Matt has been able to follow his passion as a professional athlete. Hear his incredible journey to bring home a gold medal in 2016 and break the American record and the family that was behind him every step of the way.

After a negative experience in one of her high school classes, Iris Crankfield turned to the support of her principal and other teachers to share her ideas and help change the culture of her school. This experience fueled a passion for writing and teaching that has allowed her to inspire a new generations of change makers. Now, as an English teacher at South River High School, Iris helps her students see that they, too, have a voice and it deserves to be heard.

Mark Chang always had a heart for public service. With the support and encouragement of his teachers and classmates, Mark found his niche in Glen Burnie High School’s Student Government Association. Now, as a Maryland Delegate for District 32, Mark is able to continue following his passion for giving back to the community that gave so much to him.

Jordan has always loved cars. In high school, Jordan joined the Automotive Technology program at the Center of Applied Technology (CAT) South and started an internship with Tif's Foreign Car Care, a specialty shop that focuses on high-end vehicles. Five years later and under the mentorship of Tif Davis, the shop's owner, Jordan is still following his passion at Tif's.