Conway Corp recently recognized Kait Smith as the 2025 Teacher of the Year in the Conway Public Schools System.
Smith teaches tenth through twelfth grades ESL Sheltered Biology and ESL Sheltered Environmental Science and serves as an ESL Designee. She has been in education for 11 years, including five years of teaching high school science and two years in her current ESL support role. Her work has been instrumental in supporting multilingual learners and ensuring they have equitable access to a high-quality science education.
She was presented with an award and a $2,000 check from Conway Corp at the Conway Chamber of Commerce Teacher Breakfast and Education Fair on August 14.
In May, she was named the District Teacher of the Year and was honored as one of the Top 15 finalists in the state of Arkansas at a ceremony at the Governor’s Mansion last month.
In 2013, Conway Corp pledged a $440,000 gift over four years to endow the award and to support Teacher Impact Grants presented by the Conway Public School Foundation.
“We are proud to follow the tradition our company was founded on by supporting education in our community,” Conway Corp CEO Bret Carroll said.
Conway Corp was established in 1929 as the community faced the threat of losing Hendrix College and Central Baptist College. At that time, Conway Corp was given the lease on Conway’s electric system. Bonds in the amount of $215,000 were issued and given to each of Conway’s three colleges, along with the public and parochial schools. Since then, Conway Corp continues to invest in local education from preschool to grad school by supporting area students, teachers, schools and scholarships.
Photo: (L-R) 2025 Conway Corp Teacher of the Year Kait Smith, Conway Public Schools Foundation Executive Director Marti Jones, Conway Corp Marketing & Communications Manager Beth McCullough Jimmerson and Conway Public Schools Foundation Vice President & Baptist Health Medical Center President April Bennett
