By Athletic Communications Assistant Alex McKeon
BEREA, Ohio – For student-athletes all over the country, the goal is to make a lasting impact on and off the field. Many individuals across the NCAA have used their platform to pursue passions both athletically and academically. For Baldwin Wallace University senior women’s soccer All-Ohio Athletic Conference and Academic All-OAC midfielder Kayla Webb (Brunswick), her collective college experience has pushed her down a unique path.
On the field, Webb has made a name for herself, earning second team All-OAC and Ohio Collegiate Soccer Association (OCSA) third team All-Ohio honors as a sophomore in 2018-19, as well as two academic All-OAC distinctions. Her eight goals and 16 points over her career have helped lead the Yellow Jackets to 33 wins during her tenure. Webb also briefly added a second sport to her resume, running for the track and field team last winter.
Perhaps a more impressive feat is the work that Webb is doing off the field. Already a stellar student, Webb holds a 3.95 GPA and is a Jacket Scholar and a member of the Chi Alpha Sigma Honor Society. Webb is an early childhood education major and is currently student teaching. The senior is also a youth soccer coach, teaching young athletes from ages 4-17. To top it all off, the work she has engaged in on her own time may be the most impactful.
Since this summer, Webb has begun working on writing and illustrating her very own children’s book from scratch.
“I was laid off this summer and didn’t have a job, so I wanted to do something that was productive with my time,” said Webb. “So, I got an email from the CIG (Center for Innovation & Growth) about its ‘Start Something Summer’ and I decided that I always wanted to write a children’s book, so why not start now? I had an iPad and I wanted to write something that would encourage young girls. So, I started making some illustrations. I talked to a BW alumnus who graduated from the education program here, and she recommended Mascot Books to me. I reached out to them, gave them my idea, they liked it and then I signed a contract with them in July.”
The book is meant to serve as an inspiration for young girls and features a diverse cast of characters, including a small girl who dreams of becoming an astronaut and going all the way to the moon, a girl of color who loves science and math, a young lady who has a stutter and loves to sing and an amputee who loves to paint. For Webb, instilling confidence in young women, no matter what they choose to pursue in life, is the most important thing.
“Just embracing the things that society tells them is different and knowing that it’s a place they can find confidence and not only be confident in that but use it to actually contribute to society and change the world,” said Webb. “A lot of times people think that it’s really early to write about being confident in yourself when you’re learning school, you don’t really know too much yet, but I really think it’s important to start establishing those things before the roots of insecurity and stuff start to manifest in their minds. If we give them seeds of positivity, that’s what they can plant and that’s when they can grow and flourish from there.”
Her friendships formed playing soccer at Baldwin Wallace have inspired her to foster a future environment of confident women who inspire each other on a day to day basis. In fact, one of her illustrations in the book is inspired by her teammates.
“One of the main inspirations behind my book came from being a part of such an amazing team for the past four years,” said Webb. “Playing and growing alongside such wonderful women has taught me the importance of leaning on one another and supporting one another as women. These women have shown me what it looks like to embrace all that makes each of us beautifully different.”
Webb’s pathway has been molded by her discipline in and out of the classroom and by the instruction she has received along the way, including at Baldwin Wallace.
“When I first came to BW, I heard it was great for education and I didn’t really know what that meant until I got into the classroom and they actually put me out in the field,” said Webb. “I started working with kids and the faculty and staff have provided so much support, that I would not have been able to do this without their help. Especially the people over at the CIG, they have helped me so much. I do think the education I’ve had, the classes I’ve been through have really prepared me and helped make this project happen.”
Her coach of the women’s soccer team at Baldwin Wallace, Jim Wojtkun, sees the value that Webb brings to the people around her and the broader community.
“We’ve known from Kayla’s freshman year that she’s a leader,” said Wojtkun. “She’s been insightful, she brings a high level of soccer IQ and a humanistic approach to the team. I think that creates a value with the women. She tends the coalesce the team in a variety of areas. She led efforts in the past in terms of social justice and trying to find service opportunities for us. On and off the field, Kayla has established herself as a true leader among the women on the team.”
Now in her final year with the Yellow Jackets, her coach has seen her emerge as a leader, and her impact is not lost on Wojtkun.
“She’s valuable to her church community, she’s valuable to our community, she adds value to the broader campus community,” said Wojtkun. I think that is indicative of a leader. Willing to be a servant leader. She doesn’t push; she asks people to join her, and I think that’s what a servant leader does. She’s not afraid to jump in of her own accord and facilitate and help people as we need it.”
Webb anticipates that her book will be out in January. While Webb hopes to one day have a classroom of her own to teach children, she is hopeful the book will be a success for the readers she seeks to inspire.
“I’ve always wanted to have a classroom of my own, but I do see how using the education I’ve gotten at BW and through my personal experiences in life, will lead me to writing more books and that’s something I’d love to do,” said Webb. “Right now, I am hoping I’d be able to take this book into the schools I’ve been, go into libraries and do read-alouds and just promote this idea and see where it goes from there.”