A common face around the school, Shauniece Steele, athletic director, is involved in just about anything related to sports. However, many students don’t know that Steele attended WHHS, graduating in 2010, where she was a phenomenal student-athlete, eventually going on to run track at the University of Akron.
Steele participated in various extracurricular activities, notably on the track and volleyball team and as a member of the marching band. She especially excelled in track, making the 800-meter sprint medley team at the 2008 Nike Track Outdoor Nationals, where she and her team finished first with the 2nd fastest time in Ohio history and a Cincinnati record. As only a sophomore, she was the Ohio state champion in the 800 relay.
Steele notes that her time at WHHS was one that she enjoyed, with a very accepting atmosphere.
“I do feel like WHHS has always been this melting pot of people where everybody gets along with everybody and you don’t really think about life outside of here until you’re outside of here,” Steele said.
However, Steele has noticed some differences between athletes of different colors, specifically in their participation in certain sports.
“I do think that inherently you just see some differences,” Steele said. “So your swim, your lacrosse [teams], really anything that’s outside of the stereotypical inner-city school. Anything that’s not basketball or football, there’s maybe [not] as many Black kids who are doing swimming and lacrosse. Whereas when you look at basketball, the team is heavily Black as opposed to anything else. And I don’t think that’s a Walnut-specific thing. I think that that’s just the world.”
She also acknowledges the differences that exist when WHHS’ diversity is compared to the broader world, where many schools and workplaces do not have the same level of diversity.
“I feel like when I got to Akron, obviously it was a little less diverse, but it was still diverse enough and there were still spaces where it was like being on the track team, a little bit of everybody,” Steele said.
While progress has certainly been made for equality in sports, Steele feels that the challenge of increasing representation in all sports continues.
“Exposure would go a long way,” Steele said. “We at WHHS do a good job of having that open door where we do welcome everybody. I think that on a grander scheme, this would be nice.”
Despite the further progress that still needs to be made, Steele feels that overall WHHS effectively exposes students to different sports, regardless of their race.
“WHHS is unique and our students are exposed to things a lot earlier,” Steele said. “Through the summer camps we offer to all ages, an inner-city student is able to be introduced to lacrosse here at WHHS.
Through her role as Athletic Director, Steele is committed to creating equal opportunities for all students in sports, regardless of their race, working to ensure a level playing field. For her, it’s about developing athletes to understand that their potential goes far beyond the sports they play.
“I was drawn to the aspect of being able to connect with kids and advocate for them,” Steele said. “It doesn’t have to stop when you graduate and if it’s something that you’re passionate about, you can use that as a tool to get to the next level.”