Beyond Kent: Stories of Community and Purpose

Beyond Kent is a new alumni spotlight series featuring Kent School graduates who carry the School’s Mission into the wider world, contributing to the common good. Each story celebrates engaged citizens living with purpose, strengthening the communities they serve, and making an impact locally and beyond. 

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Alumni Spotlight: Myles Smith '15

Myles Smith lives in New York City and is a project manager with the NYC Department of Housing Preservation and Development. At Kent, he was a tour guide, captain of the lacrosse team, and a member of the football and basketball teams. Myles graduated from Bates College, where he played lacrosse for four years and served as student body vice president for two years. 

Where did you grow up?
I'm a full-bred New Yorker, through and through, Yankees fan, Knicks fan. But when people ask me, where'd you grow up? I always say that in the first half, I grew up in New York, and then in the second half, I really grew up in New England.

Describe what it was like for you to come to Kent. 

I couldn't wait to expand my network and really learn everyone's stories and about their family. Where are you from? Where's home for you? What was your favorite thing to do? Tell me more about it. What made it special to you? I really love that.

I always thank Kent for allowing me to grow and understand more about myself. I just can't believe how lucky I was to be in such a beautiful place that introduced me to my best friends, who I consider family.

Do you have a favorite Kent story?
In my junior year, I became a tour guide just because I loved Kent so much, and I wanted to really convey that through giving a tour — that this is a magical place. It's somewhere you can find a way to grow and find your own path. A student came in from a day school, and he's looking to play lacrosse. I gave him and his father a tour. I told them the things I loved about Kent, and I was able to be completely honest with any questions they asked me. I remember that, at the end of it, they left with the biggest smiles. Fast forward, and he comes to Kent. The next year, we end up becoming roommates, playing on the same team together, and I’m his lacrosse captain. And even faster forward, August 15 of this year, we all went up to Cape Cod, and he proposed to his girlfriend. The crazy thing is, I actually introduced them. So, look how far the tree branches and grows — all from a meaningful connection from that day that I decided to give a tour and talk about what Kent really meant to me.

A lot of my closest friends are from Kent. I talk to those guys every single day. We text and call and check in on each other all the time. How's your week going? How's your day going? We're in a fantasy football league together. We call it the Macedonia League.

After graduating from Bates College, you worked in financial planning and commercial real estate. What led you to the NYC Department of Housing? 
I had time to reflect, and I thought, what is it that I really want to do? I really want to work in real estate. I really want to help people. What does that look like for me?

Describe your work as a project manager for the NYC Department of Housing.
We’re trying to solve the housing crisis day by day. I try to find solutions to help keep housing affordable for low and moderate-income individuals in New York City. I do work all around the five boroughs. I’m trying to figure out the financing needs for a project. How can we help a project operate long-term and remain affordable for those who live in it, and not be priced out? A lot of buildings are financially distressed, which means they don't have enough money to cover their expenses and their day-to-day operations. Or they're physically distressed. They might need a new roof. They might need new elevators. Elderly residents might need more accommodations that are ADA accessible. I work to make sure these things actually happen and that these people are happy, living comfortably, and able to actually live in their apartments. We're advocates of the people of the city.

What about your work is most meaningful?
I really love it. Housing is such a fundamental need. Having a roof over your head is such a fundamental need. And these days, it's scary how the homeless population grows every single day. So if we can have a hand in minimizing that, it's very rewarding. I feel like to be successful in my field, you really have to love what you're doing, and you really have to be passionate about it. I really love what I do, and I love the people I work with and my leadership. Everyone's so passionate about the level of work.

What do you do in your free time? 
This year, I coached lacrosse to sixth graders in New York City, and I loved it. For a lot of them, it was their first time, or they just recently picked up the sport. It was two other coaches and I who were all the same age, and all played in college. And how far these kids came, from day one of figuring out how to catch a throw, to actually running plays and talking with each other and ending up in the right spots — I love it.

What are you looking forward to as a new member of the Alumni Council? 
I love being able to talk to students who are just coming into Kent or leaving Kent and going into college, and giving them advice. I'm excited to be a part of that, help with engagement, and continue creating conversations around Kent and sharing my story of how meaningful it was for me to go to school there, grow up there, and find a family there.

What advice would you give to a new student at Kent? 
I would say, step out of your comfort zone. Sometimes you need to get comfortable with being uncomfortable. That means going and learning about someone else's story, or maybe sitting with someone that you never sit with. Find a way to take in all that Kent has to offer. The sky's the limit from there. Just immerse yourself in the campus, try things that you never thought you would try — maybe be a tour guide, try a sport or a club, start a club, and take that chance. And you never know what it'll lead to, and how much fun you'll have. You'll look back on it as a core memory. It's an awesome time to just discover the world and learn a lot about yourself and the environment that you live in. It's a beautiful thing.