At an early age, ASU senior sprinter Charonda Williams learned the importance of a good education.
During her childhood in Richmond, Calif., opportunities were limited and achievement was sparse.
Where Williams grew up, kids were faced with the harsh reality of three potential paths in life.
“If you’re not in school, you’re either in jail or dead,” she said.
Williams spent two years at Laney Community College in Oakland, Calif. before she was recruited by ASU’s track and field program. And in her first season, she helped lead the Sun Devils to a national championship in indoor competition.
In the process, Williams became an All-American in the 200-meter dash. She was also a semifinalist in the 2008 Olympic trials.
On Nov. 12, Williams and other prominent members of the 2008 men’s and women’s track and field team were in Washington D.C. to meet with President George W. Bush and tour the White House.
“Where I come from, not too many people have the experience of going to the White House and meeting the President,” she said. “I was really excited. It was a nice experience for me and I learned a lot.”
ASU’s squad was one of 40 championship teams on the lawn. The women celebrated their third championship (second indoor) in two years and the men were acknowledged for their first indoor title.
The team gave the President a black and yellow tracksuit and was granted permission to take two pictures with him, one of which Bush made the patented pitchfork with his hand.
“When he walked into the room, it just got so quiet,” senior sprinter Jeavon Benjamin said. “He has so much power. It doesn’t matter who doesn’t like him; he’s the President, and you have to have respect for him. For him to just walk in the room, I got a little nervous.”
For some of the athletes, the experience led to a greater appreciation of history and country. For others, like All-American long jumper and sprinter Matt Turner, it was their first time on traveling to the east coast.
“I liked being inside the White House [for] the history itself,” said Turner, who is out of athletic eligibility. “Just to be in the same place as people who have made changes to America, it was really fun."
Junior sprinter Justin Kremer echoed those sentiments, calling his brief stay in the nation’s capital an eye-opening experience for himself and others. Of course, paling around with the commander-in-chief was an awfully nice bonus.
“When you actually meet [Bush], you think, ‘this is a normal guy,’” Kremer said. “He laughs like we do, he eats like we do — there’s nothing extremely special about him. That’s what I’ll take away from it.”
Reach the reporter at emiley.darling@asu.edu.
