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Alumni Spotlight: Sybil Lewis '11

"The community at Rabun Gap encouraged me to dig deep into my interests and explore different strengths and weaknesses." Sybil Lewis '11. 
 
The Alumni Spotlights are features where alumni are interviewed by student-submitted questions. The questions for this interview were submitted by the students from the junior and senior class. Sybil Lewis from the class of 2011 was chosen to be interviewed. In her senior year, Sybil Lewis was voted most memorable by her peers for the 2011 yearbook and is fondly remembered by her teachers. As a boarding student from South America, Sybil devoted her time to community service initiatives, soccer, and Diversity Club. She was inducted into the National Honor Society and National Spanish Honor Society. After graduating from Rabun Gap in 2011, Sybil chose to continue her studies at UC Berkeley.
 
Tell us about where you went to college and what you’ve been up to after graduating from Rabun Gap? I went to college at the University of California, Berkeley. I graduated in Spring 2015 with a degree in Political Economy. Since graduating, I worked as a legal assistant at the Immigration Center for Women and Children, an immigration non-profit in Oakland, CA. I then did a fellowship in Guatemala as a Princeton in Latin America fellowship, working at an association of Mayan Women Weavers. Now I am in Costa Rica doing an internship with the Inter-American Development Bank where I am conducting a study on Afro-Costa Ricans in order to make recommendations for future projects.
 
What did Rabun Gap most prepare you for... What did it least prepare you for? Rabun Gap prepared me for adapting to living independently. I think I was not very well prepared for managing my time on my own. Rabun Gap life is pretty structured and after leaving I was not as disciplined with my personal time management.  
 
How was the transition from Rabun Gap to college? It was difficult. I think I had both advantages and disadvantages compared to other freshmen. At Rabun Gap I was used to not living with my family, so I did not feel as home sick. I felt prepared academically as well, as I feel like Rabun Gap had a strong academic program. It was difficult to leave Rabun Gap. Rabun Gap is such a strong community and you get so used to having a large network of friends, teachers, dorm parents, and coaches, so it was difficult to adjust going to a big university like where the support structures aren't as strong. I also felt as though a lot of students from Rabun Gap go to different colleges so I did not have friends from high school in college.
 
Did Rabun Gap prepare you for the challenges you faced later in your life? Yes, and I think it is because at Rabun Gap you were encouraged to discuss challenges with peers and faculty, so I had tools to cope with difficulties later in life.
 
What is your best memory from Rabun Gap? Wow, there are too many to pick just one. It is not a specific memory, but a collection of memories. I loved living with my friends and there are so many special moments that I had in the dorms. When I came to Rabun Gap my junior year, I lived in Coit with an amazing group of women. It was always so much fun to just hang out. The friendships I made at Rabun Gap were genuine, profound, and really special. I am still close to a lot of friends and teachers.
 
What was different from the Rabun Gap you graduated from and today's Rabun Gap? I am not sure, I haven't gone back in many years.
 
What was the greatest lesson Rabun Gap taught you? The value of creating strong community wherever you go.
 
Did Rabun Gap influence your college decision? How did you choose your college? Yes, absolutely. Mr. Henning was a very positive and important factor in my college decision. I had a hard time choosing my college as I am naturally an indecisive person. I narrowed my choices to UC Berkeley, Johns Hopkins, and Pomona College. All schools had a strong academic program, but Mr. Henning helped me see that location and diversity were very important to me. I wanted to be in a school in a cosmopolitan, urban area where I could engage, work, and volunteer in areas of social justice in the communities around me. I choose UC Berkeley not only for its academic excellence, but also because I wanted to be challenged socially and professionally. UC Berkeley is in the Bay Area, which I love because it is very progressive area. I did not feel isolated from the communities and realities around me. I worked in Oakland, San Francisco, and East Palo Alto and was exposed to so many different ideas and people from all over the world.
 
How did your experience at Rabun Gap prepare you for a successful career? At Rabun Gap I started to seriously think about my professional career. The community at Rabun Gap encouraged me to dig deep into my interests and explore different strengths and weaknesses. However, I still do not have it figured out but that is not because of Rabun Gap, just because life is complicated and I have many different interests. Extracurricular activities allowed me to develop leadership skills that I continued to develop.
 
How do you balance professional ambition with personal happiness? By having a good support group and consciously dedicating time to self-love. Professional ambition can be exhausting, and it is okay to put your physical and emotional health at first when needed. I try not to compare myself to others as I am realizing that success is very personal.
 
Where is your career path heading? Not entirely sure. I want to go to graduate school in the next year or so and am considering degrees in Urban Planning, Sociology, and International Relations.
 
Is there anything you wish you would have done while at Rabun Gap, but didn't? I wish I had done the cirque program since it is so unique and not many high schools have it.
 
What do you miss the most about Rabun Gap? The community and mountains.
 
What is something that you took for granted at Rabun Gap that you wish was at college? The strong support from faculty and staff.

What is your #1 piece of advice to give a high school senior? Don’t stress too much. A lot is changing and take time to appreciate the moments of your last year. While choosing what step to take next, embrace and celebrate the differences of your peers and make decisions that are best for you. Everyone's path is different and taking risks is scary, but courageous.
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Rabun Gap-Nacoochee School is a private, coeducational day and boarding school for grades Pre-K through 12. Centrally located between Atlanta, GA, Greenville, SC, and Asheville, NC, we prepare young people for college, career, and a lifetime of leadership and service.