10 Questions with…Safety Monitor and Track Coach Rell Myree

Rell Myree is a hall monitor and a track coach at Woodhaven High School. An alum of Livonia High School, Myree went to college for track and field at Saginaw Valley State University. In his first year coaching track and field at Woodhaven, his team won the Downriver League, the boys went to regionals, and two boys placed 9th at states. Myree is a great hall monitor; he builds a relationship with all the students and keeps them motivated to do their best every day. Tyreke Williams sat down with Rell Myree to talk about his path to Woodhaven and his plans for helping our student body.

What’s your plan for making your mark at Woodhaven High School?  

“I want to make sure every kid feels like they are part of something so they can feel comfortable being in a high school and all the changes that happen. Especially with this new generation and upcoming generations, it’s so much isolation between grownups and kids, so trying to get kids to realize that they can be a part of something and have an impact is important.”

How did your past or earlier years get you to where you are right now?

“My past in earlier years probably pushed me to where I am today because of how much hard work I’ve done and like the things that I have, I have made, I may not have succeeded in. So what I have not succeeded in, I was able to use that as a learning step and then go forward to where I’m at today. So being able to go through college and go through different business, ventures, go through different jobs, and being able to figure out what my passion is and being able to figure that out at an early age and pursue it at a high level.”

What challenges have you faced when you first came to the school district?

“My past in earlier years probably pushed me to where I am today because of how much hard work I’ve done and like the things that I have, I have made, I may not have succeeded in. So what I have not succeeded in, I was able to use that as a learning step and then go forward to where I’m at today. So being able to go through college and go through different business, ventures, go through different jobs, and being able to figure out what my passion is and being able to figure that out at an early age and pursue it at a high level.”

What made you want to be a part of the Black Student Union and what’s your role?

“I’m the advisor of Black Student Union because I want the Black people and other minorities here to feel like they belong, to feel like they have a voice, where they can have a safe space to speak up. When you’re in a predominantly white institution, it’s a little difficult for African American students in other minorities to really open up because it could be a barrier there, a trust issue there with leadership. So I’m glad that I am one of the leaders here in the school that kids can come to and talk to—and feel confident to talk to, and I have their back to be able to talk to other administration and other leaders within this school.”

What is a person that inspired you growing up as a kid and what were your struggles?

“Person who inspired me… my parents. For them being able to help me through things. Even though I didn’t go to them all the time like most high schoolers do now, they were able to relate to me, and I think that’s very important, especially as a parent or any person that you look up to, you have to have a certain type of relationship. They give the confidence and everything to go forward. And some of the struggles were just being able to open up and be myself, like being comfortable to be who I am today.”

How did you gravitate toward being a track coach?

“Oh, I always loved track. I’ve been, first, I started off at Carlson, back in like 2011. Yeah. So I’ve been coaching for a while. so I would just help out there and volunteer help. And then I went on to continue my running career and then afterward I still wanted to run, but then I got the same type of excitement and fulfillment by coaching. And being a track coach is like being a teacher, like you’re able to help kids. So I don’t just teach or show kids how to run. I also teach them life skills within the sport.”

What do you see yourself in five years?

“Five years from now, I see myself owning my business and honestly, I may get into counseling. I’m not sure, but I think that’s a route I can take. I am a youth pastor, and that’s counseling in itself. So being able to do that at the full, at a much better capacity—and then also still coaching, of course, I still want to coach within the next five years for sure.”

What is your proudest accomplishment?

“My proudest accomplishment is probably succeeding in college–being able to bounce back after transferring schools. I had a bad first semester while working and doing the sport, so being successful and getting good grades, making it past that, and being accomplished in my business makes me proud. I didn’t think I would be able to make it this far in my business, and now it’s blowing my mind. Completing school and having a successful business to this capacity—and it’s still growing—are definitely the two biggest accomplishments.”

 What college did you go to? 

“I went to Eastern Michigan, then I transferred to Saginaw Valley.”

What is your business and what made you decide you wanted to start a business?

“I started my business during college and I’ve always liked drawing and graphic designing so I put them together and began my own business and it pretty much took off from there.”