Alumni Speaker Series David Smith-Tilley

Most of us can only imagine what it’s like to work on a NASCAR pit crew – but ’96 Alum David Smith-Tilley understands the demands of this high-pressure job. He recently spoke to our middle and high school students about the importance of grit when facing adversity, and he shared some interesting stories from his NASCAR days.
 
Mr. Smith-Tilley loved cars and racing from a young age. After graduating from WCA, he attended Guilford College, where he played football after healing from a knee injury. He married his wife Meghan, and he is the proud father of three sons. His long career began with an internship at Richard Petty Enterprises and led to several NASCAR business ventures, including development of a company that helps race teams staff well-trained pit crews and manage travel logistics.
 
Mr. Smith-Tilley is still involved with NASCAR – he works with teams to produce video for TV. And if he isn’t busy enough, he is also in the horticulture business, which adds to his travel schedule! 
 
We love it when our alumni visit campus and share their stories (along with a few life lessons) with our students. Thank you, Mr. Smith-Tilley, for reminding us that you really can start here, go anywhere!
 
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