Letter: In Support of Kayla Biagioni-Smith

The campaigns for Tewksbury School Committee are in full swing, and there has been a lot of talk about priorities, budgets, contracts, and new buildings. These are all important topics, but in local elections, we should truly get to know the candidates who will represent the residents in a critically important leadership role. From the perspective of a proud husband, I am writing to explain why Kayla Biagioni-Smith is the best choice on April 2nd for Tewksbury School Committee. 

Kayla and I have been together for almost twenty years, since shortly after I left active military service in 2004. From the start, she was there for me through some rough times transitioning back to civilian life. She is still there for me through all the ups and downs, just like she will be there for every town resident as a school committee member. I would say that she has been by my side, but that is not entirely true: Kayla leads from the front and sets the example. I would not be the husband and father I am today without her constant presence, honesty, and compassion.

In 2006, I told Kayla that I wanted to reenlist in the Army and continue serving our country. She fully supported me, and we made that decision together. In 2008, I told her that I had to move to Fort Bragg, NC, for two years of training. She fully supported the move, and we made this difficult decision together. In 2010, Kayla and I got married and, later in the year, moved to Tewksbury and had our first daughter, Emma. I also informed Kayla that my unit received orders for an Iraq deployment in 2011 and that pre-deployment training started in December 2010. Kayla, unbelievably, took this news in stride as if she expected it. She was newly married with our first child on the way, moving to a new town, and her husband was leaving for almost a year after being away for the last two years. She again supported me and took care of our daughter by herself for ten months in 2011. She knew what she wanted: a family and the life we would eventually build here in Tewksbury. That is the type of commitment you have to look forward to with Kayla on the Tewksbury School Committee.

Kayla was already a superstar mother and wife when I returned from Iraq. I had to catch up. She taught me how to be a good parent and husband. I have never seen anyone take to anything as naturally as Kayla did to being a mother. She had a meal schedule, a sleep routine, clothes ready at a moment’s notice, and an infinite amount of love for our daughter. She knew what it meant every time Emma made a sound or a facial expression. It was intimidating, humbling, and inspiring. The transition she made from young woman to wife to mother of our child was incredible. That is the level of responsibility and adaptability you can expect from Kayla on the Tewksbury School Committee.

Kayla and I had our second daughter, Nora, in 2012, and she became even more impressive as a mother of two. Her steadfast commitment to our family and providing our children with the best lives we can give them is unwavering. She somehow balanced her work life, with roles of increasing responsibility, and our home life through two more military deployments and many shorter stints away without missing a beat. She did all this while also joining the Heath Brook-Trahan and the Ryan PACs, putting every spare second she had into improving the school experience for students and providing much-needed resources to teachers. In her “free time” at night, she does schoolwork and will complete a BS in Business Administration early this summer. That is the multi-tasking ability and time management skill you can expect from Kayla on the Tewksbury School Committee.

Finally, Kayla has an amazing combination of compassion and practicality that I have rarely seen. She truly wants to hear from all perspectives and ensure all residents feel represented by someone who shares their concerns. She is not afraid to ask tough questions and make difficult decisions. I would not be the person I am today, and our family would not enjoy the life we have in Tewksbury, without her drive and focus. She is our backbone, our shoulder to cry on, and our compass. We want to share this extraordinary individual with our community.

If the person I described sounds like someone you would want to represent the residents of Tewksbury, please go to your local voting precinct on April 2nd and cast a ballot for my wife, Kayla Biagioni-Smith, for Tewksbury School Committee.

Peter Smith

Carnation Guest Contributor