Daija Smoot came to Alabama A&M University from Chicago without any immediate family ties to the institution, but she quickly found a place where she could grow. She later learned that her cousin, Demico Cole, attended AAMU in 1993 as a civil engineering major, a discovery that added another meaningful connection to her journey on The Hill.

2025-11-27T12:00:00-08:00Daija Smoot smiles while standing in front of the AAMU Event Center/_images/smootlredit.jpgChicago Native Begins Her Career at Lee High SchoolChicagoNative Begins Her Career at Lee High Schoolhttps://www.aamu.edu/about/inside-aamu/news/chicago-native-begins-her-career-at-lee-high-school.html