Carly Quinn '14 - Alumni Spotlight

Carly Quinn '14 was a four year member of the Marianapolis soccer, basketball, and tennis teams.  She was named a captain of the soccer team in 2013 as well as earning the honor of being a two-time team MVP.  Her stellar play was highlighted by the Western New England Prep School All-League All-Star committee when she was named All-Star for three of her four years as a Golden Knight.  While at Marianapolis, Carly was not only a standout on the field, but also in the classroom, being a member of the National Honor Society and National Spanish Honor Society. Described by Coach Ryan, "Carly was one of the hardest working and most humble players I have ever coached".  Carly left her mark on Marianapolis and is currently enrolled as a student-athlete at Roger Williams University.  She is a defender for the RWU Hawks and her work ethic and leadership certainly carried over to her college playing.  As a freshman, Carly played in 23 games, starting 11 of them, one of which was the NCAA tournament game against Williams College.  In her sophomore year, Carly played in all 24 games, starting in 20 of them, and ended the year with 1 assist.  Knight Nation caught up with Carly and asked her about her fondest memories at Marianapolis as well as her dreams for after college.

How did Marianapolis prepare you for the rigors of life after high school?
Marianapolis helped me prepare for college and life after high school by teaching me how to manage my time. As a college athlete and an engineering student, I go from classes to work to practice and have to find time for homework and friends. As busy as I get, I wouldn't have it any other way. Marianapolis prepared me for this lifestyle by encouraging me to be involved in sports and the community while still pushing me to learn as much as possible.

What are your greatest memories from your Marianapolis playing days?
Some of my greatest memories from playing sports at Marianapolis are from having home games. I looked forward to Parent & Family Weekend every year because we always had a great crowd cheering us on. No matter the sport, our fan section was always one of the best.

Who were the coaches that had the biggest impact on you during your Marianapolis days?
All of my coaches had some sort of impact on me. Mr. Baron was always encouraging and kept a smile on our faces, yet at the same time challenged us. Darman and Ms. Ryan helped me prepare for college soccer and continued to cheer me one when I got hurt my senior year. Coaches Vitale and O'Hara taught me how fun tennis can be - almost as fun as soccer.

Greatest accomplishment since leaving Marianapolis?
I haven't had one great accomplishment since leaving Marianapolis, but I'm pretty proud of the things I've done since graduation. I made the soccer team and have been starting since my freshman year, despite being a walk on, and have been a part of three conference championships and have played in NCAA tournament games. This past summer I had a great internship and am loving what I'm learning in my classes.

Greatest moments playing in college?
My greatest moment playing in college was our championship game my freshman year. We played our rival school Endicott and were scored on with about 5 minutes left in the game. My team was defeated emotionally. But we ended up scoring with seconds left and won in PKs. It was one of the greatest feelings in the world.

What is it you are looking forward to this upcoming season?
This year has been a building year for my team because we lost a few really talented seniors. The past couple of games we have shown a lot of progress, and I'm looking forward to being more of a leader on our younger team.

Major and plans after college?
My major is Civil Engineering and I haven't thought much about my plans for after graduation yet.

What advice would you give your high school self?
I would tell my high school self that time goes by way too fast so enjoy it as much as possible and try not to take life too seriously. Everything works out in the end, even if it's not the way you plan it to be.