Dr. Cynthia Smith Took Her Jacksonville Journey From Public Schools to a Tuition-Free STEM School

Some people leave their hometown and never look back. Dr. Cynthia Smith did the opposite. She built her career, earned her degrees, learned the education system from the inside out, and then brought what she learned right back to the Jacksonville neighborhood where she grew up.

Now, the educator and entrepreneur is getting attention far beyond her hometown after she and her school were featured in AfroTech, putting a national spotlight on a woman who has spent years creating educational opportunities for students in her own community.

Long before the headlines, Dr. Smith was simply putting in the work.

Her education journey began at the University of North Florida, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology. She went on to earn a master’s degree in Counselor Education and later a doctorate in Educational Leadership from Nova Southeastern University.

At the same time she was earning those degrees, Dr. Smith was building her career with Duval County Public Schools. She started while still in college and spent 16 years moving through different positions, including clerk, bookkeeper, teacher and administrator. That experience gave her a front-row seat to education from several angles. She wasn't just learning about education in a textbook. She was working inside schools, interacting with students and families, understanding the day-to-day challenges and seeing where more opportunities could make a difference.

Her work eventually expanded to Florida State College at Jacksonville, where she served as an instructor helping students earn their GEDs. The more experience she gained, the more Smith considered where she could make an impact before students reached the later stages of their education. That question led to Minds of the Future Academy, the preschool she opened after leaving Duval County Public Schools. The school gave her an opportunity to work with children earlier in their academic journey and help prepare them for what was ahead.

But Dr. Smith wasn’t done building. In 2019, she opened a free-tuition STEM K–12 private school in the same Jacksonville neighborhood where she was raised. This wasn’t about opening a school somewhere far removed from the community that shaped her. Smith brought the opportunity home. Her idea was to create a place where families could access a private-school education without tuition standing between their children and the opportunity.

“My own education inspired me,” Dr. Smith explained. “I learned early that education is about more than what happens in the classroom — it’s about taking ownership of your future.”

That belief is reflected in the way she approaches her students. The goal isn’t simply to get children through another school year. Dr. Smith wants them to recognize their abilities, become comfortable taking responsibility for their education and start thinking seriously about where they want their lives to go.

For families, the tuition-free model opens another door.

“Families shouldn’t have to choose between the education they believe is best for their child and what they can afford,” she noted.

Removing tuition, in Smith’s view, gives parents more room to make decisions based on their children’s needs rather than their household income. It also gives students access to an education designed to help them grow academically while developing confidence and independence.

The message is bigger than simply gaining admission to a private school. Dr.Smith wants students to understand that their ZIP code or family income should not be the deciding factor in how far they can go. That philosophy quickly caught the attention of Jacksonville leaders. Within months of opening, the school received recognition as a one-of-a-kind educational model serving the community.

The school has also grown through programs and partnerships that give students experiences outside of their regular classroom work. For Dr. Smith, those opportunities matter because students need exposure to what’s possible before they can begin making plans for their own futures.

And when it comes to measuring whether that work is paying off, Dr. Cynthia Smith doesn’t stop at grades and test scores.

“We define student success as more than grades and test scores,” she said.

A successful student, in her eyes, is one who is growing academically, becoming more confident and learning how to take ownership of their education. It is also a student who knows how to think, lead, make decisions and advocate for themselves.

“We want our students to leave us not only prepared for what comes next,” she added, “but also knowing how to think, lead, make good decisions, and advocate for themselves.”

That same focus carries into Dr. Smith’s work outside the school. Through the Minds of the Future Foundation, she mentors middle and high school students, provides academic tutoring and awards scholarships to graduating seniors. The foundation gives her another way to stay connected to young people as they navigate the years that can shape what comes next.

Taken together, Dr. Smith’s career tells a story that stretches from the administrative offices of Duval County Public Schools to classrooms, college campuses, a preschool and eventually a tuition-free STEM school in her own neighborhood. It also explains why the “educated entrepreneur” name fits. Dr. Smith has taken what she learned through years of education and professional experience and turned it into institutions, programs and opportunities for other people. Now, with AfroTech bringing attention to her work, more people are discovering what Jacksonville families have already seen: Dr. Cynthia Smith isn’t just talking about educational opportunity. She has spent years building places where students can actually find it. And for the Jacksonville native who chose to bring her work back home, that may be the most important part of the story.

Get connected with Dr. Cynthia Smith on Instagram @drsmithjax904