Meet Suzanne Smith! Suzanne graduated from Gainesville High School and recently from the University of North Georgia. She is a lifelong Gainesville resident and she will be speaking at the Womensource Girl Power event on Jan. 26 at the Brenau Downtwon Center. The Girl Power event is designed to empower and inspire middle school and high school girls.

“Elizabeth Burnette reached out to me, she is the director of Womensource, and she said she knew a little bit about my story and that I was public about overcoming an eating disorder. The theme of the event this year is ‘I Define Me’ and so the speakers are women and how they overcame some type of struggle and how they define themselves. I’m really excited about it. You would think I would be nervous because I never would have done this six years ago but I’m excited, I love speaking in front of people now.”
For more information on Girl Power call Elizabeth Burnette: 770-503-9060. Girl Power is from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Jan. 26 at the Brenau Downtown Center and the keynote speaker is Christy Sims.
 
We want to thank Suzanne for sitting down with us recently and telling us more about her life and love of Hall County.
 
Question: What is your favorite restaurant in Hall County, and what do you love there?
Answer: “My favorite restaurant would be La Parrilla, I love Mexican food and could probably eat it everyday of the week! I love to get the Taco Loco or guacamole, that’s really good, too.”
Q: How long have you lived or worked in Hall County?
A: “I actually grew up here, born and raised so 23 years.”
 
Q: Who is the most interesting person you’ve met here in Hall County?
A: “Honestly, the first person that comes to my mind is my grandfather (John H. Smith). As I’ve gotten older I’ve realized how interesting of a person he is and all of the knowledge that he has. It is really cool to know where he came from and how he developed his own business. When anybody knows him or mentions they know my grandfather they always say really great things about him. I hope that people would talk about me that way when I’m his age. He is 80 and still works full time and probably won’t ever retire. I hope to be that way, to find something that I love so much that I never want to retire.”
 
Q: If you could travel anywhere in the world right now, where would it be? And why?
A: “It’s not very far but I’ve always wanted to go to Canada and go skiing.
 
Q: What is your favorite movie?
A: “My favorite movie would be ‘A Star Is Born,’ I feel like I’ve watched it a million times.”
 
Q: What advice would you give a crowd of people?
A: “Learn to be confident in who you are…the best thing that I can be is to be myself. A lot of times when we go through hard things we look down, look up and appreciate where you are in the moment. Own your story and be proud of it.”
 
Q: What is your favorite type of music?
A: “My favorite music would have to be country, I love Jon Langston or Luke Combs, right now.”
 
Q: Choosing anyone non-relative: with whom would yo love to have lunch? Where would you take them?
A: “I’d love to take Lauren Daigle, she seems like you could talk to her about anything. I would choose to take her to Avocados in Gainesville.”
 
Q: What is something on your bucket list?
A: “I’ve always wanted to take my little sister on a trip of her choice since she’s always wanted to travel somewhere.”
 
Q: What is your favorite thing about Hall County?
A: “My favorite thing about Hall County is the support from the community. When I announced I was speaking at Womensource I never expected to get the amount of support that I did. It’s nice to know our community is behind people, it’s really encouraging.”
 
Q: Where do you see yourself in five or 10 years?
A: “Hopefully, I will be established in my career in counseling, I would love to have my own private practice. Hopefully beginning a family and be working with youth.”
 
Q: (Even for friends or family), what is something interesting that most people don’t know about you?
A: “A lot of people don’t know that I was born premature. I was born at 27 weeks and I was only 1 pound and 10 ounces, we stayed in the hospital for three months. When we got out of the hospital and went home, my sister and I both weighed 4 pounds and I think that was the only time we were the same weight.”
 
Q: What are three words or phrases that come to mind when you think of the word HOME?
A: “Family, unconditional love, peaceful.”
 
The Faces of Hall County is a project to showcase the amazing people that live or work in our community. If you would like to nominate an interesting person to be featured please email babernathy@gonorton.com.