Isabella High School’s Nicole Smith loves math more than most people.

She’s even willing to pursue a career in accounting. That will leave plenty of Aprils for her to look forward to, as friends and customers are left scratching their heads and asking for income tax advice.

The senior will graduate from IHS next Thursday and soon enroll in Troy University, where she hopes to obtain an accounting degree.

“I just want to do something with math, and I didn’t want to teach,” Smith said, continuing that her cousin Erik Box, a Troy graduate and current national guardsmen, followed a similar path.

Along with Box’s influence came IHS math teacher Yvonne Markovitz’s, whose wisdom gave Smith the knowledge and positive self-gratification to find success in numbers. Smith cites Markovitz and history teacher Rex Littleton as comforting and sensible voices that helped her through her high school years.

“They would push me to do my best by giving me good advice on what to do,” Smith said.

Born in Clanton, Smith is the daughter of David and Sherry Smith. She is a dedicated member of Liberty Hill Baptist Church, where she spends much of her precious free time working with the Truth or Dare drama team or Third Degree Ministry. For years, her church has provided a relief on which she’s always relied.

As the high school clock ticks down to zero, Smith admits the time flew by faster than she thought it might. She attended her last class at IHS on Monday and said the milestone hadn’t quite hit her just a few days removed from those hallways.

Fond memories of senior year include a memorable football season and homecoming festivities.

She walks away from her new alma mater with a particular pride she hastily divulges.

“My grandparents, Bill and Molly Smith, both went there,” she said, also pointing out her father and uncle attended for a short time. “It’s just a small community school, which I like because you pretty much know everybody. You have an easier one-on-one ability with the teachers, who are always helpful.”

Smith will begin classes at Troy in August.