Ashlie Smith

Ashlie Smith, a science teacher at Cranbrook Kingswood Middle School for girls, recently won the AFA’s (Air and Space Forces Association) Thompson-Mallett National Teacher of the Year award. Her love of science first began in her teenage years.

“I just remember my high school experience,” she said. “The teachers in the science department were very hands-on and that’s what drew me in. The teachers had a very enthusiastic way of teaching the subject. That's what made me want to pursue science.”

Smith realized she wanted to be a teacher after she graduated from Michigan State University.

“My focus at Michigan State University was marine biology. But, I got a job at Sea Camp in the Florida Keys at the Newfound Harbor Marine Institute. That sparked my interest and led me to teaching.”

Smith began teaching at Cranbrook Kingswood Girls Middle School in the fall of 2003.

“I’ve been in the same position for 23 years,” she said. “The thing about teaching, in an environment like this, is that you have a lot of autonomy.”

Smith is able to incorporate AFA into her curriculum.

“AFA provided a different opportunity for me,” she said. “They do a lot of outreach and have a lot of free resources for teachers. It gets you excited about aviation. I’ve been able to go on flights and refueling training sessions. The idea is that they give you an opportunity and you can bring it back into the classroom. I’ve brought in a female pilot to talk to the girls about her experience and education.”

Introducing young women to aerospace and aviation is especially important to Smith.

“Exposing girls to females in these careers is critical, “ she said. “They can see themselves in their shoes. Most of my speakers are women from different fields and different ethnicities. They see that you’re so excited about something and they get excited about it.”

In 2024, Smith traveled to Lagos, Nigeria, as a Limitless Space Institute Teacher Ambassador. She helped to facilitate a space education workshop which sparked an international collaboration between her U.S. classroom and a Nigerian girls’ school.

“We went to one of the biggest cities in Nigeria,” she said. “The resources and money they had available was nothing compared to even intercity Detroit. They use a lot of recycled materials. We had to come up with the materials they have access to. The idea was to get the kids in Nigeria connected to my kids in Bloomfield Hills. They could collaborate, communicate and build something awesome.”

After all her years of teaching, winning the AFA’s (Air and Space Forces Association) Thompson-Mallett National Teacher of the Year award was particularly meaningful to Smith.

“I was driving when they called and I had to pull over,” she said. “I was shocked. I was beyond excited and I was just proud to represent Michigan and the AFA.”

In the future, Smith hopes to continue teaching at Cranbrook Kingswood Middle School for girls and keep on inspiring her students to be interested in science, aerospace and aviation.

“I just want to keep doing what I'm doing,” she said. “I have passion and excitement.”

Smith’s two sons attend Cranbrook Schools and she feels blessed to work in the serene environment.

“I love walking the grounds at Cranbrook. It’s a way to relax and get your thoughts together. It’s just a very peaceful place in a very hectic world.”

Story: Katey Meisner

Photo: Laurie Tennent