By Jimmy Aaron

Trey Hamsmith is on a mission to bring the Legend experience to Metro State University, and beyond. Throughout his educational experience, he’s been nothing short of a pioneer.
As a member of Legend’s first wave of students, the Class of 2012, the school has been his canvas.

“We are very fortunate for the class of 2012. We had a lot of leaders. We wanted to lead this place knowing it would be a great home. We wanted to leave our mark,” Hamsmith said. “I wanted to make Legend a place people can find their home in.”

In return, Trey was Legend’s canvas. Holding the title of Drum Major of Legend’s marching band for four consecutive years required great discipline and responsibility on Trey’s part. The level of responsibility band director Mr. Otis gave Trey was of a magnitude that reflected a great deal of trust.

“Mr. Otis really trusted me with students and parents,” Hamsmith said. “I represented the students and teachers. I was given the leadership to represent the rest of the school.”
“When people at college hear about this experience, they envy it,” Hamsmith added.

Trey displays this level of investment in Legend in his daily life, from his actions and mentality to the clothes he wears.

“I still wear my Legend gear. I have a right to be proud. I don’t care if people make fun of me,” Hamsmith said.

The passion he holds for Legend wasn’t inherent in Trey, but taught to him. His father started him on the path, and his time at Legend shaped that passion into something far greater.

“Leave the place better than what you came to. If you didn’t make the mess, clean it. Pay it forward,” Hamsmith said, quoting his father.

Academically, he’s a Music Education and Composition student. But he is also very much a teacher, passing on the lessons he learned from Legend to his fellow academics.

“I’m taking that passion I learned and trying to help the [college] community,” Hamsmith said “What we created and left behind made me want to create that same situation in college.”

Trey was forged a Titan, and he will forge others in the same manner. According to Trey, this is done by encouraging everyone to be proud of what inspires them, and pushing them to go forward with that.

Trey was a student who became a teacher, and will teach other students to become teachers. He has started a chain reaction of Titanic values that will widen in scope, starting with lower classmen at Legend, then fellow academics at Metro State, and finally into the community itself. He got the ball rolling, and it’s snowballing into something much greater.