Susie
Smith, a Mexican American mother of one, has always
allowed others to dictate her life and she's ready for a
change. Born into a Mexican immigrant family of crop
field workers, Susie and five of her siblings began
working alongside her parents at a young age and the
other three siblings were raised by Susie and her
siblings. She has struggled ever since, but has overcome
many personal challenges.
Tired of working hard and being poor, Smith vows to
devote the rest of her life to her needs. After years of
allowing others to influence her life, she's decided to
stop and dedicate this next chapter to herself, and
taking part in SURVIVOR was the first step and second
was showing her son, family, friends, and students that
all it takes to change any part of your life is to just
TRY.
Smith has been married for 25 years. She currently works
as an assistant teacher and hairdresser. She teaches
English to non-speaking English children from
kindergarten to 8th grade. When Susie is not teaching,
she enjoys working as a hairdresser where she has many
wonderful clients. Her hobbies include photography,
watching movies, eating out, sewing and gardening. She
describes herself as encouraging, moody and talkative
but with a big potty mouth.
Bold and brassy with a huge zest for life, Smith
believes SURVIVOR will finally be the opportunity she's
needed to turn things around. She has a huge desire to
win and won't let anyone get in her way.
Smith currently lives in Charles City, Iowa with her
husband, Todd, son, Trent, and two dogs. She is a
graduate of the Marshalltown Cosmetology School and a
graduate of North Iowa Area Community College.