ORANGE PARK – There were moments when Hannah Smith paused to capture a thought of her mother, Hillary. Each glimpse was followed with a smile and another happy memory.

Hannah could dwell on her mother’s sudden and surprising death, but she decided long ago to use her mother’s love and impact as a positive force that will take her across the graduation stage with a weighted 4.5 GPA.

Hillary died in her sleep two years ago of an undetected heart ailment. Hannah got the news from her father on the first day of softball practice at Ridgeview High. She knew something was wrong, because she didn’t have her cellphone at practice and he wouldn’t have come to the school if it wasn’t important.

“I was at softball practice,” she said. “Obviously, you don't have your phone on you during practice. It's tryouts – actually, the first day of tryouts.”

Hannah misses her mother, but she doesn’t consider the loss as a glass is half-empty.

“I take it day-by-day and I’m lucky for what I do have, not what I've lost,” Hannah said. “I remember her. I remember what she would want me to do. She's always been my biggest cheerleader. She's always the one that's pushing me to do my best.

“She's still there for me. She still wants me to do my best.”

In addition to being an honor student and playing first base on the softball team, Hannah also was on the Panthers’ bowling team.

Following her high school graduation, Hannah said she will attend the University of North Florida with hopes of becoming a pediatric occupational therapist. And she will enter college with the same attitude that got her through the last two years of high school.

“I wouldn't say it's moving on, but it's learning to live with it,” she said. “Like I said, being grateful that I have every day and grateful for the people around me. That's really what's inspired me the most is having such a great support system.”

Hannah also credited Ridgeview Principal Becky Murphy with helping her adjust following her mother’s untimely death, especially since she was at an age when an impressionable girl needs direction.

Her sister was in fifth grade when their mother died, and Hannah quickly filled her mother’s void.

“I couldn’t take her role, but I could be someone my little sister could count on,” Hannah said.

Another pause. Another smile. Her mother would be proud.