A four-year (2005-06 through 2008-09) member of the Emory Women's Basketball program, Lora Turner Smothers ranked among the University Athletic Association's top performers. She ended her Emory career playing in 99 games and placing third on the school's all-time scoring list (1, 312 pts) and standing eighth in rebounding (615 reb.). A double-figure scorer on 74 occasions, she wrapped up her stint as an Eagle No. 2 all-time in program history in both field goal percentage and free throws (278). She garnered First Team All-UAA accolades as a junior and senior and was a second-team pick as a sophomore. During the 2008-09 campaign, she topped the conference with a school record .596 field goal percentage mark.
Q: Occupation and where do you live. And, can you provide an update on some of your experiences post-Emory to where you are now?
LTS: I live in Athens, Georgia. I moved here to get my Master's Degree in Gifted Education at the University of Georgia. I met my husband Solomon during grad school, and we got married during my last semester back in 2011.
After graduation I started working at a magical place called Freedom to Grow Unschool, a home school learning center for kids ages 6-12. I often describe Freedom to Grow as Mrs. Frizzle's classroom meets special ed meets a nature connection program. I served as Teacher/Owner/Director of Freedom to Grow for seven years, and then I got my teaching certificate in secondary science and taught middle school science for two years. When I became pregnant with my second child, I decided to take a step back from teaching, so now I work for Downtown Ministries, a non-profit offering programs for underserved youth and their families here in Athens. My position is Director of Downtown Life, and I oversee all of our outreach programs, which really plays on my strengths in both education and ministry. My favorite part of my job is leading Our Daily Bread Community Kitchen, which annually serves over 75,000 meals to neighbors in need.
Q: How did you decide to go into occupation that you are in?
LTS: Honestly, when I graduated from Emory with a BS in Neuroscience and Behavioral Biology, I didn't really know what I wanted to do for a career. I decided to study education because school has always been the center of my life. But once I began to study gifted ed, my views about education radically changed and I came to see the many ways that our current education system is inhumane, especially for marginalized groups. My dream now is to serve an as incubator for revolutionary educational spaces that uplift marginalized groups and allow children to be un-rushed, messy, active, nature-connected, critically thinking, leaders and citizens.
Q: What were the primary factors in you choosing Emory as your college?
LTS: I loved that Emory allowed me the opportunity to get an excellent education and also play the sport that I love. It didn't hurt that I received the Robert W. Woodruff Scholarship too! :)
Q: Can you reflect upon your time at Emory, both as a basketball player and as a student?
LTS: My favorite thing about Emory was the camaraderie that I experienced with other athletes as well as some incredible times I had in the city of Atlanta. Some fun memories that come to mind are...
- Getting to see Common, Neyo, John Legend, and Pharrell in concert on Emory's campus
- Cuttin' up in airports and on long bus rides with the women's and men's basketball teams
- Prank wars with the boys downstairs at Clairmont
- Smuggling food out of the DUC for my roommate when she tore her knee in volleyball freshman year
- Seeing the Dalai Lama and Jimmy Carter on the regular
- Pamela Scully's Violence and Memory in Contemporary Africa class and then studying abroad in her home country of South Africa
- Taking a Music and the Brain class taught by the head of the neuroscience department and a string quartet
- Singing in Lessons and Carols every year with the University Choir
Q: Who are some people who play an influential role during your time at Emory?
LTS: Some of the people who had the greatest impact on me at Emory were my basketball coaches Christy Thomaskutty and Tony Ciccone. They were both there for me during a really tough time for me as a transitioned to college life my freshman year. Coach T offered me grace even when I was really unkind to her and Coach Ciccone always kept us laughing. I also loved our strength coach, Steve Lewis, who was so encouraging and kind. I still use most of the tips he gave us today.
Dr. Pamela Scully and Dr. Lawrence Jackson's classes were the first classes I ever took that centered on black history. That was huge for me, as a black woman. The first day of class Dr. Scully put a blood-stained T-shirt on the table in front of us - a T-shirt she had worn while getting arrested at a protest with the UDF amidst South Africa's freedom struggle. My world was SHOOK! The last person I have to mention is Dr. Eric Nelson, conductor of all of Emory's choirs. I literally tear up when I think about him. The way he can get 500 people in a room to love the same tiny detail about a piece of music that he loves...it's remarkable. Singing under his direction provided some of my dearest spiritual moments during my time at Emory.
Q: Are there any of highlights that you remember while competing at Emory?
LTS: I will never forget my senior Think Pink game... I hit a three in the first 30 seconds of the game, the only three of my career! Lol! I also remember during conditioning my sophomore year, our trainer Becca told us that if anyone could beat her in a sprint that she would cut our conditioning a day short. The whole team was so sure that I would beat her...as was I...and she DUSTED ME! It was hilarious. Another fun memory was being on road trips with the men's team. I seem to recall that we would often place bets on whose luggage would come out last at the airport. We also met Dawn Staley in an airport once.
Q: You were a three-time All-UAA honoree, finished your career third at Emory in scoring, eighth in rebounding, second in free throws, etc., and were a two-time Academic All-District selection ... Are there any particular accomplishments you are extremely proud or that stand out?
LTS: Honestly... my proudest achievement is the free throw record. I made 16 in one game, at Piedmont I think. And if anyone has ever seen me play, they know that's a miracle!
Q: Speaking of academics, how did you balance the workload between athletics and in the classroom?
LTS: I did one single all-nighter my freshman year and after that I vowed I would never do that to myself again. My trick was to wake up at 5:00 am and do all the work that was due in class that day. I also had several classes with my roommate and best friend, Lulu, and we did several class projects together just to make things more convenient. Also, I did most of my work in my room or in the DUC Down Under but never the library... the library was like one big party. Too distracting. :)
Lora Turner Smothers lives in Athens and work for Downtown Ministries.