07/07/2020 02:50:20 PMThird Ward native John Smith describes himself as “big on mentoring,” citing the invaluable impact that members of the historic Houston community had on him as a young man. 
“I’ve had mentors that helped mold me to be the man that I am today,” said Smith, a two-time University of Houston alumnus who works as the director of graduate professional programs in the UH College of Technology. “Sometimes you may have those bumps in the road, but they’re there to pick you up, dust you off and make sure you’re still focused on your overall goal.”