Meet Cypress Creek High School junior Collin Smith in this "Student of the Week" profile.www.cfisd.net17-year-old Smith was instrumental in helping found the Mental Health Alliance Team and Film Club at Cypress Creek, as his teachers credit Smith's innovation in finding solutions.Favorite class: "This year my favorite class is AP U.S. History. I have some fantastic people with me in the period and an absolutely awesome teacher. In this class, we aren't only taught history, but moral lessons. We're shown how political and social decisions of the past - right or wrong - still affect the world today and that when faced with these decisions (policies, legislation, elections, etc.), regardless of opinion, we can either be a voice of change or a voice of complacency, and that choice is ours to make."Favorite things to do after class: "I founded Cy Creek's 'Film Club' earlier this year with the help of some of my friends and hosting the meetings is my favorite thing to do after school. We meet every 3-4 weeks and the meetings are always a blast. We have a great group of 30 or so kids and we go over movie news, discuss the importance of film and challenge one another creatively assigning video and short film projects."Favorite song: "Homecoming by Josh Ritter. I first listened to it my sophomore year and it's stuck with me ever since, as I heard it at a time when I needed it most. The song is based around the idea of coming back to the person you were before you lost sight of yourself, and I feel regardless of one's upbringing, job or personality, at some point in their lives everyone can relate to that idea and feeling of a 'homecoming.'"Favorite website: "My favorite website is YouTube, not because it provides a way to entertain yourself but because it is a fantastic creative outlet. Ever since middle school, the platform has allowed me to express myself creatively in ways not possible on other sites. From old gameplay videos to discussing news, documenting parts of my life and more recently, being a way to share the short films my friends and I make."Favorite TV show: "The Walking Dead has been my favorite TV show for as long as I can remember. Since the premiere of its second season in 2011, my father and I have been watching each new episode together. In a way, this show that I've grown up with for the past eight years in my life has become a family tradition for the two of us."Favorite movie: "The End of the Tour follows the true story of an interview between author David Foster Wallace (played by Jason Segel) and Rolling Stone reporter David Lipsky (played by Jesse Eisenberg) on the last few days of Wallace's book release tour. The movie tackles the subject matter of the importance of being your own person and the value of life. The film holds a special place I my heart, not only because its core messages, but because I was able to see it during a family trip in Los Angeles and there was a surprise session at the end of the screening with the director and Segel."Ambition: "I've always viewed working toward the betterment of others and myself as my main purpose in life so it has become my main ambition. Through a long course of negative and positive experiences, I was able to help myself and others in ways I hadn't thought were capable. From then on, I've worked for a decent part of my high school career to spread mental health awareness and even plan on majoring in psychology to continue my efforts on this path."
What topics/things are you passionate about?: "Film, history and politics and psychology. Film has always played in integral part in who I am and challenges me to grow and perceive the world differently. History and politics are not only important to learn about but one of the most important ways to make a change in society. Psychology because it not only is the study of what makes us who we are but also provides the knowledge necessary to help myself and others in regards to overall mental health and wellbeing."What inspires you?: "Those who always stand up for what they believe in no matter the consequences. Civil rights heroes such as Martin Luther King, Jr., John Lewis and Nelson Mandela have always inspired me. Also, even though they're fictional, comic book superheroes like Superman and Spiderman have inspired me since I was a child. They taught me the difference between right and wrong and the importance of doing the right thing."What three things can't you live without?: "My friends, even though we drive each other crazy, keep me grounded and they keep me laughing. My video equipment, as it allows me to challenge myself creatively and venture outside of my comfort zone. Optimism, as positive thinking has allowed me to grow into the person and I am today and find the strength to keep going."What are you most looking forward to this semester?: "I am looking forward to Cy Creek's participation in Mental Health Awareness month in May through our MHA organization."