Principal Adopts Student After She Was Sent to His Office

When a student is sent to the principal’s office, it usually signifies trouble.

However, what if a trip to the principal’s office led to a completely unexpected turn of events – like being adopted by the principal himself?

In a heartwarming twist of fate, he took on a new role that extended far beyond his administrative duties. This Principal adopted a student after she was sent to his office. But, what made him make this decision and where are the two now? Keep on reading to find out more.

Principal Adopts Student for This Reason

Jason Smith, a school principal with 14 years of experience, met his daughter Raven Whitaker-Smith in 2015 when she was sitting outside his office after being suspended from sixth grade. Since then, they have celebrated nine Christmases together as a family of three in Kentucky.

Jason Smith recalled meeting Raven Whitaker-Smith, describing her as a defeated, sweet-looking child sitting outside his office. She had been suspended for throwing a cup of yogurt at lunch and was waiting to be picked up.

When Jason Smith asked Raven Whitaker-Smith, now 20, if she had ever thrown food in a restaurant, she revealed she had never eaten in one. This is how the “principal adopts student” story begins.

The Story of the Student

At the time, she was living in a group home after years of moving through the foster care system.

He previously said: “At that point, I had felt like she just needed a hand, needed help. I recognized that she needed something to go in her favor, maybe for once, that it hadn’t gone in her favor in the past, but she just needed somebody to help her.”

Smith found his conversation with Whitaker-Smith deeply impactful, yet initially hesitated to discuss it with his wife, Marybeth Smith, upon returning home from work that evening.

Match Made in Heaven

The Smiths faced infertility while trying to conceive and also fostered children in hopes of adoption. Their dream of adoption was put on hold nearly six years ago when three siblings they fostered for nearly a year were returned to their biological parents.

Marybeth Smith shared with “GMA” that when her husband Jason finally discussed his interaction with student Raven Whitaker-Smith, she understood the seriousness of the matter for him.

“This was something that, obviously, he felt pretty passionate about because I’m sure she’s not the only kid that he has dealt with who has been in a similar situation. So something about Raven was special to him, and obviously I trusted him.”

What Happened Next?

In the days and weeks that followed, the Smiths began considering fostering Whitaker-Smith. They contacted her case worker and underwent recertification as foster parents. Once approved, they welcomed Whitaker-Smith into their home in June 2015.

She recalled: “It was really weird at first because, in my mind, I thought of [Jason Smith] as the bad guy because I was always getting in trouble. But then for my first weekend visitation, they made me feel extremely welcome, like I was already in the family. They got everything that I needed without even knowing that I would be there forever. They just did it.”

What About Today?

At the time, Raven Whitaker-Smith viewed the Smiths as another temporary foster family due to her age and history. Looking back, she now acknowledges that she “always knew” they would become her parents. Similarly, the Smiths felt Raven immediately gave purpose to their lives, despite her initial challenges in accepting their consistent love and support.

She admitted: “I gave them a bunch of trouble to see what would happen. I kind of tested whether or not this was real or not to see if they would keep me no matter what, because they would tell me that but, you know, I’d heard that a lot before … I wanted to just challenge and see if they were really willing to accept me.”

Marybeth Smith explained that she and her husband weren’t surprised by the resistance they occasionally faced from Whitaker-Smith.

“She had been disappointed by every adult in her life, so initially, we were just two strangers to her,” Marybeth Smith said.

Principal Adopts Student: The Story Continues

The Smiths not only supported Whitaker-Smith emotionally but also helped her address educational and structural deficits from her early years. With their guidance, she learned basic routines and progressed significantly academically, moving from a third-grade reading level at age 11 to achieving academic parity with her peers in high school.

Marybeth said: “She was willing to do all that extra work. It wasn’t just us pushing her. She saw the benefit in education and wanting to better herself, so she was willing to stay after school.”

The Smiths, as a family of three, defied expectations and on November 3, 2017, formally adopted Whitaker-Smith, who was then a high school freshman.

Whitaker-Smith Today

Four years after her adoption, Raven Whitaker-Smith was admitted to the University of Kentucky, where she is currently a junior pursuing a degree in social work, a field inspired by her personal experiences.

Marybeth Smith fondly remembered when Whitaker-Smith called them after her first social work class, saying, “I’m where I’m supposed to be.”

Whitaker-Smith emphasized the importance of choosing a field she’s passionate about, adding, “It feels really fulfilling to share my journey from the system with my classmates and beyond.”

Annual Celebration

As part of her coursework, Raven Whitaker-Smith shared her personal story in an essay for National Adoption Month, recognized annually in November to raise awareness about adoption issues, as noted by the U.S. Children’s Bureau.

As of 2021, nearly 400,000 children in the U.S. experienced foster care, according to the Children’s Bureau. In Kentucky, where the Smiths reside, more than 8,000 children are currently awaiting foster-to-adoptive placements, as reported by the DCCH Center for Children and Families, which played a role in Raven Whitaker-Smith’s foster care journey with the Smiths.

The Hope of the Smiths

The Smiths aim to inspire others to consider foster and adoptive parenting by sharing their journey.

“I truly believe there are no bad children,” Jason Smith remarked. “Children thrive with the right environment, support, love, and care, and they can all achieve success.”

Marybeth Smith expressed the immense joy Raven Whitaker-Smith has brought into their lives, particularly evident during the holiday season.

Before Raven, they may have put up one Christmas tree almost out of obligation. Now, she has made the holidays so special that they have around 10 trees in our house and stockings on the mantle. They truly adore her deeply.

What do you think of the story of the principal adopting a student?

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