By james art 
Florida A&M University student Ashanti Smith’s “caring” and “fiery” personality is what her peers remember her for after she was killed in a fatal car crash a few days ago.
“She was tough on the outside, but on the inside she was very nurturing and caring,” Jaylen English, a 24-year-old FAMU senior, told the Tallahassee Democrat Monday. English is one of the students who helped organize a candlelight vigil held Monday night at Eternal Flame on campus to honor Smith, 22.
A Broward County native, Smith died Sept. 29 in a head-on collision in Woodville. A 21-year-old man driving an SUV crossed into oncoming traffic and crashed into his sedan traveling in the opposite direction, Florida Highway Patrol reports.
Smith was a first-year criminal justice major at FAMU who transferred to the university in the fall of 2023 from Tallahassee State College. She became president of The Lovely Ladies of TorQue dance team on the FAMU campus and was also an active member of the FAMU section of the National Council of Negro Women.
Smith also worked as a prison officer at Wakulla Correctional Institution in Crawfordville. As a member of The Infamous Boyz of Poison — FAMU’s counterpart to The Lovely Ladies of TorQue dance team — English says his and Smith’s membership makes them “brother and sister.”
“She had high spirits, whether she was dancing at pep rallies or on Fridays,” English said. “She always made sure she was there, showing off to other students.”
With Smith’s death, FAMU Vice President for Student Affairs William E. Hudson Jr. says he lost more than 50 students during his tenure.
“It’s always a sad situation, especially when you have a tragedy like this with a car accident,” Hudson told the Democrat. “I pray for the family and for all of our students, especially those who were close to her through the organizations she was involved in and led.”
Although Smith was a FAMU student, her death broke the hearts of other students off the FAMU campus who knew her well.
Florida State University student Faburla Georges met Smith through the FAMU dance team, which is open to other students in the Tallahassee community. She explained how they have a lot in common, including how they both came to Tallahassee from Broward County to pursue criminology.
“Ashanti had a fierce and fiery personality with a very big heart,” Georges said. “She had intent and earned respect for her aura. I watched her grow into a beautiful young lady as we pursued our shared dreams of being successful.”
Before FAMU’s Monday night vigil in Smith’s honor, several students came together Sunday night to hold their own candlelight vigil on East Gaines Street. There they blew out their candles while saying “Justice for Ashanti” in unison, followed by releasing pink and white balloons into the night sky while saying “Long Live Ashanti”.
The university has not received an official copy of Smith’s obituary from her family, according to a FAMU spokesperson.
(This story has been updated to add new information.)
Contact Tarah Jean at [email protected] or follow her at X: @tarahjean_.
This article originally appeared on the Tallahassee Democrat: FAMU freshman Ashanti Smith dies in fatal car accident