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Alumni Spotlight: Autumn Smith '11

From Cleveland, Ohio to Tokyo, Japan to Monterey, California, Class of 2011 alumna Autumn Smith has found herself all over the world. Thanks to her supportive teachers, college prep curriculum, Corporate Work Study job, and activities such as theater, dance, and art, Autumn set out on her path to success thanks to her jump start at Saint Martin.

After graduating from high school in 2011, Autumn began her college career at Wittenberg University located in Springfield, OH. During her undergraduate years, she designed her own major in East Asian Studies and Japanese, earning her bachelor’s degree in 2015. Shortly after graduating from Wittenberg, Autumn relocated to Japan and began teaching English. She then moved on to work for Cafe Company Inc. in Tokyo before returning to the United States in 2018 to obtain her master’s degree from Middlebury Institute of International Studies in California.

Looking to channel her passion for Japanese culture, Autumn was introduced to the field of localization and began working for Facebook, specifically on the Instagram team. Her current role is to ensure that Instagram is successful in non-English speaking markets. This includes ensuring marketing, design, and translation of the product to ensure it operates on a global level. She hopes to one day own her own localization and translation company for Japanese language services.

Reflecting back on her success, Autumn emphasizes how Saint Martin has helped her get where she is today. “Saint Martin gave me opportunities that helped me launch myself into the world from a stronger starting point. It showed me possibilities I didn't know were out there which is really priceless.” Because of her high school education, she gained professional experience before her peers and learned what responsibilities and skills go into a career from the Corporate Work Study Program. In fact, while doing her work study at Four Walls, a wallpaper design company, she was introduced to Adobe Suite, which she still uses today.

Along with the opportunity to gain professional knowledge Autumn is extremely grateful for her Saint Martin teachers who invested time and effort into her and other students. She recalls teachers staying up until 8:00 or 9:00 PM to make sure the students were succeeding. Even today, a decade after she graduated, she still has a connection with her former instructors and knows that she can reach out, and they will be there to give her advice.

If Autumn could thank Saint Martin for one thing, it would be the unwavering support. “Saint Martin recognizes that students have potential and they are intelligent but they may not have resources that other people have readily available. Everyone wants to help you grow and pushes you to be your best self.”