ELMHURST – For York High School Principal Diana Smith, retirement is not the end of her career as an educator, but the beginning of a new chapter of her life.

“Every child in this community is so lucky to have a school like this, but every child deserves this kind of school,” Smith said. “I’m committed to doing some kind of work in the Chicago neighborhood schools.”

Smith, who retires at the end of June, lives in the South Loop neighborhood of Chicago. As a principal of a public school, Smith was naturally intrigued by the idea that most of her neighbors’ children did not attend a public high school.

“No one in my building sends their child to the public high school,” Smith said. “The mayor doesn’t send his child to the neighborhood school, people that could influence the kind of change that needs to happen, they are choosing to pull their kids and educate them where they think they will get the best education. What does it say for the kids that are left there?”

Smith is a natural advocate. She started her professional career in government working for Speaker of the Illinois House of Representatives Mike Madigan before working as a lobbyist and then as a consumer fraud advocate for the Illinois Attorney General’s Office.

“When the attorney general ran for governor and lost, I went back to school,” Smith said.

Smith's father, who was a professor at Northern Illinois University, convinced her that education was a great fit for her personality. In 1993, Smith started working at LaSalle-Peru Township High School as a social studies teacher.

“I loved government and history and was attracted to the idea of helping young people be inspired by public service,” Smith said.

Eleven years later, Smith became the principal of York High School. The position was an opportunity to continue advocating for others.

“To me, the notion of advocacy is very similar when you are in my role to being a lobbyist,” Smith said. “I feel that realistically, when you’re a principal, that is what you’re doing, you’re advocating for the kids and you’re advocating for the teachers.”

During her 12 years as York principal, Smith emphasized strengthening the community. From students, parents, teachers and administrators, she cultivated a culture of inclusion and collaboration.

Smith says being York’s principal is the greatest professional opportunity she could have ever had, in large part thanks to the community that she championed for and represented for a dozen years

“This is what you get, you get a great facility, a supportive community, incredible kids, the best teachers and supportive families,” Smith said. “I’m lucky to have worked here.”

The impact that Smith left in the community is evident by the way in which people have reacted to her retirement.

English Language Learner students, for example, made a big banner with the motto, “This Is York” in Spanish and threw her a small party with food from different countries.

The school also donated a bench and a tree in her name. Additionally, Smith’s office was crowded with parting gifts including, a quilt and a caricature made by a teacher.

During her final staff meeting, Smith was surprised by members of the marching band who performed the Northern Illinois University alumni song that her father composed. The school choir was in on the surprise and sang a selection of pieces from musicals performed by students in the last 12 years.

Those are just some of the events that were held to commemorate her contribution to the school, but she was also recognized for her contribution to the community of Elmhurst as a whole.

Even Elmhurst Mayor Steve Morley and the City Council declared that May 24 was Diana Smith Day in Elmhurst. The proclamation stated that “...though Diana Smith will be missed, she will be remembered and held as an example of exceptional leadership and commitment to her school and her community.”