Fifty years have passed since 1966 alumna Chris Voelz could not do the things her heart desired.

She faced discrimination due to her gender and had a passion for achieving gender equity.

Her contributions to society working for gender equality made her the 2016 Distinguished Alumni for West Chicago Community High School.

Voelz spent time with students and staff on Nov. 12 to discuss her life achievements and made an appearance at the Women’s Leadership Summit. A reception was held where she received her award.

According to a press release from West Chicago Community High School, she co-authored the NCAA Guidelines for Gender Equity in Intercollegiate Athletics in 1992. From 1988 to 2001 she was the athletic director while at the University of Minnesota, making her only one of six female athletic directors in the nation.

Additionally, Voelz was named one of the most influential people in sports in the nation by Sports Fitness Magazine.

Voelz found out about her award through a phone call.

“I was in Idaho shopping and Sherry Bowne called me and said, ‘congratulations from West Chicago High School’. I was like ‘what is this?’ and she said there is a Distinguished Alumni Award and you have been nominated and you won it,” Voelz said.

Bowne is on the Distinguished Alumni Award committee.

“I was honored. I didn’t know that they had an award like this because I was not in touch with the school,” Voelz said. “When I came for my reunion I walked down the hallway and there were only eight alumni that had the award. I thought how great it is to be number nine and not number 300.”

Through her childhood experiences, she found out that gender equality was non-existent.

Teachers in elementary school questioned her when Voelz played sports with the boys in recess and her free time.

“On the weekends, I would play sports with my family in my neighborhood. I was the only girl playing sports. It didn’t feel good. I challenged my teachers on how girls can do things that boys can do,” Voelz said.

After graduating high school, Voelz attended Illinois State University to major in physical education and played basketball and volleyball.

“It was one of the first colleges that had athletics for women. The high school did not have teams for girls so that is why I went to Illinois State. We won the state tournaments for basketball and volleyball,” Voelz said.

Although Illinois State University offered athletics to women, Voelz notes that women were not treated equally to men.

“It was competition, we loved it but it wasn’t equitable compared to men’s sports such as uniform expenses and the coaches,” Voelz said.

Voelz graduated from Illinois State University in 1970.

When Title IX passed in 1972, Voelz coached girls basketball, softball and girls volleyball at Maine South High School in Park Ridge.

Title IX is a federal law that states people on the basis of sex should not be excluded from participation from any education program or activity receiving federal financial assistance.

“When I got the job at Maine South High School I said ‘let’s be very clear, you got to believe in Title Nine to hire me before I sign the contract’,” Voelz said.

From 1978 to 1988 Voelz served the University of Oregon as the head women’s volleyball coach and associate athletic director. Voelz had a passion for coaching at the college level.

“I loved it and enjoyed coaching. The bonus was that I found out the intangibles that I learned so dynamically more than I learned in other classrooms,” Voelz said.

After Title IX passed, Voelz recognized the differences that it brought into society.

“White males didn’t want to share power with gender or color (before Title IX was passed). They had it for so long and they needed to share it with the other gender. All of that came from Title IX and it is such a great thing,” Voelz said.

To this day, Voelz is still advocating for Title IX and she says the job is not done for fighting for gender equity.

“People like me can retire and do something else and have the good fight. We have a law that is being broken in some places and you shouldn’t be disadvantaged whether you were born a boy or a girl,” Voelz said.

Besides athletics, Voelz feels that Title IX falls well into the political world.

“Given the election results we need everyone to step up and ask for fairness and we still have to make a difference. It’s going to take all of us to have a safe world,” Voelz said.

It is special for Voelz to be one of the women to receive the Distinguished Alumni Award.

“I was thrilled to be one of the women so there could be equity there and I was thrilled that the high school valued what I did and it affirmed what my life was,” Voelz said.

Voelz wants students to find their passion in high school and to make an impact in society.

“Find something you are passionate about. It is special to find your passion. You never know what is going to happen,” Voelz said. “Seize the opportunity, if there is an open door don’t hesitate, just walk through it. Say that door is for me and if it is closed you have to find a way to open that door,” Voelz said.

Another tip that Voelz offers to students is to give others opportunities for leadership.

“Once you make a difference in anything it makes a difference if you believe in it and people see your potential,” Voelz said.

Voelz thanks, West Chicago for preparing her to make an impact in society.

“I think the award is a great affirmation. This is where my roots were at and in a way West Chicago struck me with life-long learning and I’m so fortunate I had the base to go do that with my life,” Voelz said.