Minnetonka Senior Grant Steele Plans a Future in Healthcare and Hoops

Grant Steele pushes himself to excel in the classroom and on the court.

An honor roll student, Steele was named a National Merit semifinalist, scoring among the best in the nation on the preliminary SAT taken during junior year.  As a semifinalist, Steele is being considered for a National Merit scholarship.

This is Steele’s second year in Minnetonka High School’s rigorous International Baccalaureate (IB) program.  His favorite class is IB Biology.  “I like the hands-on labs,” said Steele, a senior.  “We study things in nature that are relatable to us as humans.” 

Steele plans to pursue a science major in college.  One of the schools to which he has applied is Pomona College.  “It has a community feel,” he said of the California campus.  “Being 75 degrees and sunny year-round helps too.”  Steele hopes to play basketball for the Pomona Sagehens.

For his future career, Steele is considering medicine.

 “I’m interested in medicine because I’ll be making a difference in people’s lives on a daily basis,” he said.  “Also, my parents talk fondly of the relationships they’ve developed with their patients.”   Steele’s mother is a physician and his father is a dentist. 

“They’ve encouraged me, but there’s no pressure,” he said of his choice to pursue a medical career.

He gets to experience life in the medical field by volunteering at Methodist Hospital in St. Louis Park.  “I help discharge patients and wheel them to their cars,” Steele said.  “I like interacting with many kinds of people.”

Steele enjoys exploring different cultures.  He joined several of his International Studies classmates on a trip to Russia in the summer of 2012.  “We went to Moscow and St. Petersburg, cities with beautiful architecture.”   The class also visited Russian students at their sister school in Petrozavodsk.

 “Grant is a true leader,” remarked International Studies teacher Grant Hendrickson.  “He represents himself, his school, and his country with style and class.”

The warmth of the Russian people stood out to Steele.  “They were really friendly, as opposed to the stereotype that they are cold,” he said.

Steele is also a member of the MHS Spanish club and tutors elementary students at a local Spanish immersion school. 

When he isn’t studying or volunteering, you will probably find him on a basketball court. 

Steele plays center for the Skippers.  He started playing basketball in third grade, attracted to the fast pace of the sport.

“I like being part of a team,” he said.  “In basketball, you can’t do anything by yourself.  You have to rely on others.”

Steele is a captain of the varsity team.  How does he view his role as captain?  “It’s important to interact with the younger players, encourage them and make them feel comfortable,” he said.

When asked to name the highlight of his basketball career, Steele recalls a game in fourth grade when he made the winning shot at the buzzer.

“And I will always remember the first time I dunked the ball,” he said.  “That was the summer after tenth grade.”  Steele points out that he hasn’t dunked in a game- yet.

Timberwolves player Kevin Love inspires Steele.  “He rebounds well and I try to model myself after that,” Steele said.

Steele certainly has the stature of a basketball player.  At six-foot-eight, he towers over most of his classmates.  He wears a size 16 shoe.  “I buy most of my clothes online,” he says with a laugh.

Steele shares his passion for the game by volunteering at iCAN Hoops, coaching physically and cognitively impaired youth.  iCAN Hoops is a program of the West Metro Miracle League. 

Steele doesn’t just play sports, he writes about them too.  He is the sports editor for the school newspaper, Minnetonka Breezes. “It’s a great artistic outlet for me,” he said.

Steele is also a leader for First Mates, a program in which MHS seniors mentor freshmen to aid their transition to high school. “I want them to enjoy their high school years as much as I have,” he said. 

His advice to freshmen?  “Get as involved as possible as soon as possible,” he advised.  “It’s the extracurricular activities and the friends you meet that make high school fun.”

Off the court, Steele spends free time with his family at their Chanhassen home and at their cabin up north.  “The cabin is my favorite place in the world,” he said.  He enjoys hiking, fishing, reading books by Dan Brown, and hanging with his black labrador, Rosie.

“I’m thankful for my supportive family and friends,” he said.  “I’d be nowhere without them.”

 Written by Lisa Buck