![\"Shauna](\"https:\/\/brocku.ca\/brock-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/Shauna-Bookal-setting-up-hats-1050x701.jpg\")
Shauna Bookal prepares hats for spectators at the National Bank Open spectators. (Photo courtesy of Rosanna U)<\/p><\/div>\n
\u201cSometimes I was the only Black person in the room,\u201d she said. \u201cOur current sport leaders don\u2019t represent our athletes, and if we\u2019re not seeing people who look like us in certain positions, how can we expect young people to aspire for these positions?\u201d<\/p>\n
The inaugural event brought together more than 200 attendees from across Canada, including 50 emerging BIPOC leaders.<\/p>\n
Bookal said the conference offers role models to student-athletes and Black, Indigenous and People of Colour working in amateur sport, educates allies and opens doors for many.<\/p>\n
\u201cSeeing everyone from all different backgrounds and cultures coming together in one room discussing diversity \u2014 that\u2019s progress,\u201d she said. \u201cWhen my generation is ready to retire, it\u2019s important we have people who look like us ready to step into our roles, pick up the torch and keep going.\u201d<\/p>\n
Growing up, Bookal was often told she was limited to what she was able to accomplish, but she pushed forward with the encouragement and support of her parents and grandmother. Now, as a parent to a 14-year-old, her drive for EDI has grown even stronger.<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t want my daughter to go through the struggles I had just to get a foot in the door,\u201d she said. \u201cIf I\u2019m able to chip away at the barriers now, by the time she\u2019s ready to start her career, it won’t be as hard for her as it was for me.\u201d<\/p>\n
Despite the challenges Bookal faced in her job search, her educational journey at Brock was inclusive and memorable.<\/p>\n
\u201cI had such an amazing experience at Brock,\u201d she said. \u201cThe colour of my skin didn\u2019t matter; I was treated like anybody else.\u201d<\/p>\n
Among the experiences offering her lasting memories and valuable career preparation was her part-time student job with Brock Athletics under the leadership of former Athletic Director Lorne Adams, her experience organizing the Ontario Wrestling Championships on campus during her fourth year and her participation in Associate Professor Cheryl Mallen\u2019s event management course.<\/p>\n
\u201cI never told her how much her class impacted me,\u201d said Bookal. \u201cI still have the textbooks and often reference its task lists and operational plans, especially when running large events, such as the Pan Am Games and the Invictus Games.\u201d<\/p>\n
One of the most rewarding parts of being a graduate of Brock\u2019s Sport Management program and progressing in her career has been connecting with Brock students and alumni over the years. She has volunteered with some, worked alongside others, and has hired and mentored many as interns.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt makes me smile. They all talk about how proud they are of Brock,\u201d she said. \u201cYou can\u2019t go anywhere in sports and not find somebody that went to Brock as a Sport Management student. We\u2019re everywhere.\u201d<\/p>\n
Bookal is returning to campus this month as part of an event for Black History Month\/African Heritage Month. She will be one of several industry speakers addressing undergraduate students in four Sport Management classes.<\/p>\n
A reception for the 100 Accomplished Black Canadian Women for 2024 honourees<\/a> will take place in September, at which Bookal and the other honourees will be presented with a book<\/a> that showcases the group\u2019s social, educational, political and professional accomplishments.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Shauna Bookal\u2019s passion for equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI) in amateur sport has landed her on a list of 100 Accomplished Black Canadian Women for 2024.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":90640,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[119,36,9794,7484,3319,1,4],"tags":[3333,5521,283,28,13216,7488,5541,3694,57],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/brocku.ca\/brock-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/90639"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/brocku.ca\/brock-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/brocku.ca\/brock-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brocku.ca\/brock-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brocku.ca\/brock-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=90639"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/brocku.ca\/brock-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/90639\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":90642,"href":"https:\/\/brocku.ca\/brock-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/90639\/revisions\/90642"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brocku.ca\/brock-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/90640"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/brocku.ca\/brock-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=90639"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brocku.ca\/brock-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=90639"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brocku.ca\/brock-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=90639"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}