Student Profile: Sofia McNabb '24

Meet Sofia McNabb '24! She is a boarding student from Murphy, NC. This is her first year at Rabun Gap. Sofia is a member of our varsity golf team, she earned a spot on the All-Conference team for golf, competes for our varsity basketball team, and spending time with her many friends on campus.

Why did you choose to attend Rabun Gap?

My goal is to play college golf or basketball and I felt that the athletics and college prep curriculum could best prepare me to be a successful student-athlete at the university level. 

Rabun Gap is special to me for various reasons. I'm grateful for friendships with people from all over the world, to be able to learn and discuss in my classes with people that bring such different perspectives has been far more meaningful than any past academic experiences, having a basketball gym within walking distance and teammates that make a fun shoot around challenging, and I am very fortunate for the opportunity of practicing at Sky Valley and being able to play at such a beautiful course with a wonderful group of girls. 

I am currently recovering from a concussion and I am beyond grateful for my teammates and coaches for always checking up on me and having Mark and Alex willing to help and get me back as soon as possible. I appreciate that the priority has been my health and well being with complete support from our trainer, teachers, and counselor (Mrs. Green). 

As a first year student I had never experienced being the home team in Andrew Richie gymnasium and that was so fun. Our first home game this season was against Wesleyan, The energy and the environment, that feeling you get, the banging on the walls, it's all confidence and you show out with quite a performance, it doesn’t matter who you are on the floor if you get a bucket the gym goes crazy and that environment is like no other I've ever played in. I am very grateful for the amazing supportive student body that we have at Rabun Gap that brings all the game time energy. 

I am a member of the golf and basketball teams at Rabun Gap. I am very proud of our golf team for being conference champs and performing well enough to place second in our conference overall just behind my teammate, Jade Blakely. She is a phenomenal golfer and pushes me to be a better player and teammate. Basketball season has been my favorite at Rabun Gap so far, I love my teammates and how my coaches are able to push us all out of our comfort zones yet still invest a lot into each of us individually to be our best self that we can be which is something you don’t find in a lot of coaches, so I would like to thank Coach Earnhardt, Coach Willard, and Coach Neiswender for really taking the time out of their days to commit to making us all better. 

My favorite match was playing my hometown team, Murphy Bulldogs, I was able to compete with friends of mine and overall I had a very well performed golf match. 

That's a tough one because all of my teachers are very knowledgeable and go out of their way to keep me engaged and doing my best. I really love the discussions and the way that Mr. Bozzi makes it a way that I can truly understand. Instead of memorizing a bunch of dates and names he really makes history enjoyable. 

I met Coach Earnhardt while playing against him at my old school. I appreciate that he took time to meet me during my first campus visit and he continues to invest in me as a player and gives me a sense of confidence to prepare me for next level athletics. 

I enjoy the social aspect and really getting to know my classmates outside of the classroom and having the independence, preparation for university life, and constant access to academic and athletic facilities. 

Everyone on campus is very welcoming so get ready to make some awesome new friends. The classes are challenging, but the teachers go out of their way to make sure you are successful. 

Where do I begin? As someone who intends to play golf or basketball in college, I feel that Rabun Gap academics and athletics are most similar to the college experience. I feel I will be better prepared so I can truly make the most of the opportunity to play at the next level.