After Oakdale’s previous principal, Mrs. Donna Clabaugh, all of us were left wondering who her successor would be. This question has one answer: Mrs. Lisa Smith. 

Oakdale High School’s new principal shares her storied past and hopes for Oakdale’s bright future. 

Ms. Smith grew up all over the United States due to her father’s position in the Marine Corps. She was born in Virginia Beach but lived in Quantico, Denver, and Ohio, to name a few. However, after her father left the Marine Corps, her family settled down in Frederick. She attended Walkersville Middle and High schools. Then she went on to study at the University of Maryland and Hood College for her undergraduate and graduate degrees in History and Secondary Education. 

After college, she settled down with her high school sweetheart and had a son and a daughter. Ms. Smith loves spending quality time backpacking and camping outdoors with her family. She also enjoys training for the Gettysburg Half Marathon in her freet ime. 

Before becoming an Oakdale bear, Ms. Smith taught for two years in Prince George’s County and seven years at Linganore. She was then promoted to an assistant principal at Tuscarora and worked there for five years.

Ms. Smith expressed that she was most surprised about, “the positivity and that people want to be here enjoy being here and how much they challenge themselves.” She explained that she believes things are working very well at Oakdale so far, which can be seen through our top placement in AP and PARCC scores, arts, and athletics. 

However, her goals for Oakdale this year are not to make any great changes, but to take time to get to know how things work, and the people who are involved with the school. Therefore, she will be meeting with groups of students this year to hear from them what should be improved.     

Ms. Smith is excited to be apart of our bear family and says she will do whatever possible to keep our school maintaining its high level of success.