FAMILY MAN … Steven Riley is a proud family man, with some of the best moments of his life being when his children were born and holding his grandson for the first time. Here is Steven pictured with his grandson, Rogan Riley, who will be turning two at the end of May.
By: Anna Wozniak
THE VILLAGE REPORTER
anna@thevillagereporter.com
A man being dedicated to his family is laudable, and that same man being committed to making his community a better place is most respectable.
Hilltop has decided the same thing and deemed Steven Riley worthy of the title of superintendent to the district.
Always a family man, Steven grew up in West Unity after his parents, the late Steven K. Riley and Stella Bisbing (Perez), married in 1973. His sister, Jody, joined the family when he was 6 months shy of 3 years old, with Steven sharing that “her passing took a part of my heart.”
After his parents divorced at 10, the family moved to Alvordton with their father, visiting their mother in Fayette on the weekends.
In his teens, Steven’s mother gifted the family with two more brothers, Gahlon and Reuben Kunkle. When asked, it’s easy to see that Steven puts his family first, and always has.
“I looked up to both of my parents when I was growing up. My mother instilled the importance of a spiritual connection to Jesus Christ and having pride in my Hispanic heritage.”
He also shared that seeing his children born and holding his grandchild for the first time were some of the most precious moments of his life, with him sharing “my father devoted his life to his children. He taught me what it takes to be a great father.”
“I am most passionate about my family. I strive each and every day to be as good of a father as my dad was for me.”
Not only does he love his family, but he has called Hilltop home for a while, having graduated himself from Hilltop in 1992.
“What I loved most about attending school was the close-knit connections that developed between my classmates.”
“My favorite memory,” he continued, “was the state championship run made by our volleyball team during my senior year.”
“Twelve of my classmates traveled to Dayton, Ohio and stayed together in the same hotel room to later cheer on our team. I snuck on the court after the girls won the championship and gave my two senior classmates a hug.” “My most prideful moment in school was earning the Millcreek-West Unity Teacher’s Association Scholarship.” After high school, it took Steven some time to settle on what he wanted to do in life.
“In high school, my brain wanted me to get a degree in political science, go to law school, and become an attorney…. but my heart was pulling me to the field of education.”
“One semester I took a class called, Foods for Today. I really didn’t want to take the second semester class that was offered, Parenting Plus.”
“I stayed with the schedule and ended up loving the time we spent in this class working with Hilltop elementary students. I also had the opportunity to coach 12u baseball for Hilltop after graduation.”
“My heart won out due to these experiences, and I have been a teacher and coach ever since.”
Prior to serving Hilltop for 11 years as their high school principal, he served Spencerville Middle School for two years and Montpelier High School for 13 years as a history teacher.
Throughout this time, he has loved coaching baseball, basketball, and golf at the junior varsity level. For the last 26 years, he has been devoted to building a life with his wonderful wife, Jenny, and their two children, Steven Jr. (a Williams County Deputy Sheriff) and Hannah, who is currently pursuing a degree in early childhood education at Kent State University.
“I had the honor of giving both of my children their diplomas at graduation, and I am proud of the adults they have become,” he shared.
When asked about his new role as superintendent, Riley shared that “we have a great school system here at Millcreek-West Unity Local Schools. This occurs because we have great teachers, support staff, students, administrators, and families that make up our community.”
“I look forward to fostering the sense of community that exists in our district. I have personal connections with the families of most of the students I see each day in our hallways. I love seeing our parents and families celebrate when their children experience success.”
“My role as the superintendent will be to facilitate opportunities for our children to experience success during their school years, and for them to have the skills and training necessary to be successful after graduating.”