Marie Smith would fondly recollect the day she set foot on Vanguard University (Southern California Bible College at the time). She was a new believer and hungry to know more about God and His purpose for her life. It was here that she met Willyla Bushnell, a Vanguard professor, who became her mentor. Willyla had a profound effect on the young Marie Smith and helped her navigate her formative years in college. It was here that she developed a love for learning and teaching, and what it meant to surrender everything to God and to submit to His plans.
Following her graduation in 1955, Marie felt the call to work in a small Alaskan town where she taught at a school. Eventually she found herself in Anchorage, Alaska teaching at a school on Ft. Richardson Army base. While she was there, she met her future husband, Bob Smith, a red-headed Texan who worked as a medic at the base. A few weeks after they were married, Bob, who was an electrical linesman, suffered an accident that resulted in the loss of his legs and one arm. This tragic accident only served to deepen Marie’s faith and trust in God’s plan. Bob recovered from his accident and went on to have a successful career as a contractor.
Marie was one of 70 people selected nationwide to attend a special science program through the University of Alaska that led to her attaining a master’s degree in science. When Marie and Bob moved back to southern California, Marie began teaching science at a junior high school in Garden Grove where she worked until she retired.
Marie helped establish the Willyla Bushnell Endowed Scholarship in 1997 to honor the memory of her mentor. Marie explained, “I know what these young people are going through because I was there once.” Marie passed in 2019, but the scholarship continues to benefit Vanguard students who are eager to learn as Marie was when she was younger. Marie was grateful for her Christ-centered education, and she was passionate about giving back to the institution that had given her so much. She saw the future generations of students to be very much like her, and she knew that Vanguard would continue to prepare them for a life of service after they graduated.