Eric Smith
Born in Chattanooga, Tenn. in 1956, Eric Smith soon realized he needed to overcome “the roaring lion of rejection” that came with being a stutterer. He fought every day to overcome his fear of public speaking and the shame and pain that went with not being able to express himself.
Influenced by former Real Estate developer Mr. Hugh Huffaker Jr and Bank CEO Mr. George Clark Jr, Eric challenged himself and took jobs that forced him to speak. He was a waiter, a real estate agent, and a professional in the banking industry. He served in the U.S.Navy for eight years and is currently a business owner of The Caring Painters Inc. and a disabled veteran.
Smith was an older student when he enrolled in Grossmont College in the 1990s. English instructor Cathy Harvey was his first teacher. He remembers not liking her at first because she would return his papers filled with red ink and point out ways to improve his words. Now, the two are great friends, and he often speaks in her classes.
Like everything else in his life, he overcame his problems with writing. He published a book titled “From Crack to Clergy: Provoking Thoughts.” He writes about “bad starts” and the fears that led to his addiction. He also talks about how he triumphs his addiction and how his faith, influential people who showed they cared for him, saved him. As he said: “I believe that we all can do more than we think we can, but how does anyone know that except when someone comes to shake them, touch them, show them that they are more than they think.”
After two years in the Ethnic Studies program at Grossmont College, he transferred to Christian Heritage College, where he received his bachelor’s degree in Human Development. Rev. Smith entered the ministry in 1999 and founded the nonprofit Loving Care Outreach Church to serve the public and those in need, including addicts, alcoholics, inmates, and troubled youth. Later, he founded The Loving Care Center, helping the elderly who live in skilled nursing facilities and Reading Changes Lives Inc., a nonprofit literacy organization geared to helping those disenfranchised youth and adults learn to read.