Alumni Spotlight: Carlye Reynolds ’12

"I always felt comfortable at Rabun Gap. There are so many faculty and staff members that push you to your limits at Rabun Gap, purely because they believe so much in your capabilities." Carlye Reynolds '12.
The Alumni Spotlights are features where alumni are interviewed by student-submitted questions. The questions for this interview were submitted by the Rabun Gap varsity girls soccer team. Carlye (Carette-Lynn) Reynolds from the class of 2012 was interviewed for this edition of Alumni Spotlight. Carlye Reynolds is the daughter of Rabun Gap chaplain Dr. Jeff Reynolds. She became a varsity player since the 8th grade and scored 89 goals during her career competing for the Rabun Gap varsity soccer program. A consistent Dean's List student at UGA, Carlye played all four years on the UGA women's intercollegiate club soccer team. She is pursuing a degree in law, and will be attending Michigan State University College of Law this coming fall.
 
Tell us about where you went to college and what you’ve been up to after graduating from Rabun Gap? After graduating from Rabun Gap in 2012, I attended the University of Georgia. Four years later, I moved to Ann Arbor, Michigan. It’s been my dream to eventually become an attorney, but I wanted to get some “real-world” experience before applying to law schools. Since August 2016, I’ve lived and worked in the area. However, I will be relocating once again this coming fall as I finally begin my law school career.
 
Where is your career path heading? I’m pursuing a degree in law, and I will be attending Michigan State University College of Law this coming fall. I’d like to focus my studies on several areas within the legal system, but each of my interests pertain to social justice issues.
 
Did you feel that Rabun Gap helped you grow as an individual? Absolutely. As a “campus brat”, I grew up with my family on the campus of Rabun Gap. Throughout the most critical stages of my development, it was my home. In many ways, it will forever be “home” to me!
 
What do you think was the most important lesson you’ve learned that has helped you get to where you are now? The most important lesson that I’ve learned is to constantly create new goals for myself. When I don’t have a set dream that I’m striving towards, I find it difficult to stay focused and productive. I set short-term goals, week to week and month to month, so that I can feel some sense of achievement in my everyday life. But the most rewarding goals to hit are those long-term goals. It helps me stay determined!
 
Tell us about your experiences being part of the soccer program at Rabun Gap? Soccer has forever been an important part of my life, and the memories I have of playing at Rabun Gap with my friends and teammates are some of my very favorites. The soccer team overcame a lot of obstacles throughout my years at Rabun Gap, and we were able to secure the conference title during my junior and senior years. It was definitely a period of growth for the program. To this day, some of my most important and longest lasting friendships began on that field.
 
What role has soccer played in your life after graduating from Rabun Gap? As a student at the University of Georgia, I had the opportunity to continue playing competitively as a member of the UGA Women’s Club Soccer team. It was an incredible experience for me, and it had a huge emphasis on my college career. After graduating from UGA, I moved to Ann Arbor, Michigan. Last summer I was selected to play on a semi-professional team in Brighton, MI. The club is named Legends FC. I’m hoping to continue playing at some level throughout law school, and, delving further into one of my long-term goals, I hope to play internationally during one of the coming summer terms.
 
What was the hardest transition from Rabun Gap to college? The hardest transition for me was learning to find my niche at a university made up of nearly 40,000 students. I believe that I took full advantage of Rabun Gap’s amazing community, and I found it to be a little difficult to recreate that same closeness amongst vaster audiences. However, it is possible! At the risk of sounding a bit cliche, I’ll say that I ended up finding my community through soccer. Every single one of my closest friends from UGA, I met either through club soccer or from playing pick-up with various students from the university. It’s an immediate ice breaker.
 
What was the greatest lesson Rabun Gap taught you? Rabun Gap taught me to believe in myself, not only as a student, but as an athlete, as a friend, and as an individual (I know my parents - Mr. and Mrs. Reynolds - had a significant effect on that, as well, but I combine their guidance and support into my complete Rabun Gap experience). Rabun Gap also taught me that, although it may be important to hold on to certain cultural and moral values, it’s equally as important to listen to the views of others. In the current state of our country, the best thing we can do right now is to stop ignorance.
 
Did Rabun Gap influence your college decision? How did you choose your college? Initially, I was looking at a lot of Division III schools where I could focus equally on soccer as well as my studies. However, my decision ultimately came down to the financial burden of college. As a Georgia resident, I couldn’t beat the education or the in-state scholarship that UGA offered to me. To be honest, I wasn’t overly excited to become a Dawg (especially when my momma had raised me as a Gator). However, I’m a huge believer in “what’s meant to be will be”. Reflecting back on my time at UGA, I don’t think I could’ve found a better fit.
 
Is there anything you wish you would have done while at Rabun Gap, but didn't?  I wish I would’ve traveled more. As a student at Rabun Gap, I had the privilege of visiting many friends in their home countries of Germany, France, the Cayman Islands, the Turks and Caicos, and the Bahamas. Each place was INCREDIBLE. However, I wish I would’ve taken more advantage of having so many unknown cultures right at my doorstep. I think I could’ve learned a lot more if I’d taken the time to ask my friends in depth about their homes and their cultures.
 
What is something that you took for granted at Rabun Gap that you wish was at college? I know I keep going back to this, but it’s so spot on! I took for granted having friends from literally all over the world. Yes, it’s true that college opens up several opportunities to explore diversity. However, at Rabun Gap, you’re face to face with friends from across the globe every day. At UGA, it felt like everyone grouped off into their respective groups. I know this also happens at Rabun Gap, but in high school I found that my friend groups began to overlap throughout my classes and afternoon activities. Like, for example, the soccer team, cirque, basketball, art, or BFS (I hope that’s still around!). Rabun Gap provides so many outlets for cultures to mesh, and I think that’s pretty amazing. There aren’t many places that have the capacity to bring so many different types of people together.
 
What do you miss most about Rabun Gap? Again, I’ll preface this response in saying that I might be a little biased having grown up on campus, but I miss the community of Rabun Gap. Whether I was eating in the dining hall, studying in the library, playing soccer on that beautiful field, sledding down the Big Hill, or arguing with a teacher over an assignment, I always felt comfortable at Rabun Gap. There are so many faculty and staff members that push you to your limits at Rabun Gap, purely because they believe so much in your capabilities. Yes, two of those adults are my parents who, as you may know, have nothing negative to say about my brother and me (even though we definitely gave them enough ammo to use). I know that many of the teachers that I had in class have moved on from Rabun Gap, but I’m sure the hiring process to find like-minded individuals hasn’t changed. And I’m pretty sure Doc will always be there to push every student to his/her limits. Every member of Rabun Gap’s faculty and staff is always around to cheer you up and cheer you on, even when, at times, it might feel like they’re trying to tear you down (with homework and tests). That’s pretty special.
 
What advice do you have for current Rabun Gap students that you wish someone told you during your time at school? To be fair, multiple people attempted to offer this same advice to me during my time at Rabun Gap, but I distinctly remember trying to blow it off. Well, here I am, repeating it: enjoy your time there! I’ve met and befriended some fantastic people since my time at Rabun Gap. However, there is a particular fondness I have for those who I’ve maintained contact with since high school, teachers and students alike. Once you’ve outgrown your time on Rabun Gap’s beautiful campus, you’ll never be able to make new “old” memories from high school. Take advantage of it while you can. Also, learn how to study for a test before you get to college. Get rid of the “night before” study plan - it doesn’t hold up forever. Lastly, please give Mr. Reynolds a hug for me! Or a fist bump. He loves those, too. 
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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.