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DESTREHAN — Demitra Wells Smith watched with pride as her son L’Bryson, the youngest of her six children, walked across the stage with his diploma in hand.

Together, her children are affectionately known at the “Six Pack.”Lou’Donovan and Lexus Wells were the first of her children to graduate from Destrehan High School in 2013, followed by Lamitra Wells in 2015, Lamarr Walker in 2016 and L’Kyron Walker in 2017. The youngest son, L’Bryson Walker, is part of Destrehan High School’s Class of 2021.

“It feels so good to say I have six high school graduates and two college graduates. I can say I didn’t let my kids down and they really made me proud,” Smith said. “I love the village that helped me along the way, and I am proud to say I have six Wildcat graduates and I am also a Wildcat graduate of the Class of ‘95.”

It wasn’t always an easy journey. Smith became pregnant with her first child when she was a junior in high school. Becoming a mother at only 17 years old meant she had to work twice as hard to keep her grades up and provide for baby boy Lou’Donovan. On March 5, 1994, she secured her first job at Burger King and remained there for 23.5 years, even while working multiple other jobs.

While working hard and keeping her grades up, Smith became pregnant again and gave birth to Lexus in November 1994.

“This time, I was grinding in the books and on the job because I would soon have two mouths to feed,” Smith said. “School was hard not being in the classroom, knowing I had to get my work done and get back to school so I could finish a term paper for English IV to graduate. I must have stayed after school a month straight to finish up. In May 1995, I walked across the stage and received the diploma I had worked so hard for.”

Smith gave birth to her third child, Lamitra, in January 1996, and she became a wife five months later. She became mother to Lamarr in May 1997 and L’Kyron in September 1999. Her caboose, L’Bryson, was born in 2003.

After Smith divorced, she knew she had to march forward because her children were depending on her. She remarried in June 2008 and continued to be the mother who would hold down two or three jobs at a time to make sure her children had everything they needed in life.

“I remember working four jobs at one time when Lexus went off to college. I worked so much, I got days mixed up, but I got through it,” Smith said.

Lexus graduated from college in 2017, and L’Kyron will graduate from college in December 2021.

Smith is grateful for the support team that helped her along the way, including her mother and her son L’Kyron’s godmother.

Smith loves her Six-Pack very much. After years of enduring the struggle, she can now pat herself on the back and say “job well done.”