Artful Activism

You might see senior Kelly McCarthy walking back from soccer practice, transforming trash into creative artwork as a co-head of Upcycling Club, preparing to go snowboarding down the slopes with the Ski/Snowboard Club or practicing the flute in the music building. Regardless of what she is doing, McCarthy is a true Exonian in every sense of the word. After attending the Island School in her lower year, she has developed a passion for environmental action which has shaped her to become one of the many leading members in the Exeter community. McCarthy is one of the few true embodiments of non sibi—dedicated to making a change in the world.McCarthy was first drawn to environmental science in her prep year, after taking a biology course. “I think it's simply beautiful, and it is the single most basic thing that sustains us. I love hiking and snowboarding and swimming in the ocean; I love growing and eating fresh vegetables; I love traveling and seeing the marvels of our planet,” McCarthy said. “The Earth has so much to offer. We have to protect it, or else, what are we going to do when we use up the only planet we have?”McCarthy’s lower fall term abroad at the Island School in the Bahamas was one of McCarthy’s favorite experiences during her time at the Academy. “I came back a different person. My priorities were more aligned, and I had discovered what I wanted to do,” McCarthy said. “Now, I know I want to go into environmental science and that wouldn’t have happened if it weren’t for the Island School.”

Hillary Coder, McCarthy’s adviser and soccer coach, noticed the change in her as well. “Her time at Island School seems, to me, to have been the defining period in her Exeter career. She came back from that experience dialed in to becoming the best Kelly possible and has never looked back.”When McCarthy returned from the Island School, she immediately joined the Academy’s Environmental Action Committee. However, McCarthy soon realised that the majority of the Exeter community did not share the same enthusiasm for the environment. So, McCarthy decided it was time for a new and more involved activity to get students interested.As an upper, inspired by the environmental art activities at the Island School, McCarthy started Upcycling Club which devotes time to repurposing trash, and creating art and other useful projects.Senior Yasmine Kaya described McCarthy’s dedication to Upcycling as admirable. “Kelly embodies our non sibi attitude by always being around for her friends when they need her advice and with her environmental work, particularly with Upcycling,” she said.As a senior, McCarthy is passionate as ever about environmental action. Reflecting back on how much she has changed since prep year, she realized that her attitude towards life has significantly changed.“Prep year, I was way too focused on academics,” McCarthy said. “I was not getting enough sleep, and I just set the bar way too high for myself. I was always doing work because that’s what I thought Exeter is all about.”Since then, McCarthy has learned that “that’s not at all what Exeter is about,” but rather an incredible place to learn, be happy and most of all, be a good person all at the same time. In McCarthy’s opinion, the key to success is to find something that you really love.“I think the most important thing is being passionate about a difference that you want to make,” McCarthy said. “For me, it’s become environmentalism and being a part of clubs has given me something else to focus on, aside from school. It has become part of what I define as success.”McCarthy’s peers described her as one of the hardest-working students they have met, with bold academic endeavors and successes.Senior Molly Ganley commended McCarthy for her passion and drive. “Kelly is one of the hardest-working people I know; she is passionate about everything she does. She's an incredibly driven person and I admire her for that.”Coder also noted McCarthy’s humility amidst her many accomplishments. “Something that really stands out about Kelly is that she is an absolute powerhouse in so many areas but has maintained a level of humbleness that is awe-inspiring,” Coder said.

According to her peers and faculty friends, McCarthy can always be found with a smile and it’s simply, uncontrollably contagious.“She is the type of person everyone wants as a very best friend. I feel really lucky to have had Kelly on teams that I have coached and in my advisory group,” Coder said. “Her influence on others through words and actions have made both of those groups stronger and kinder due to her presence.”Senior Jordan Cynewski said that she could always depend on McCarthy for a “pick me up” on a tough day.“It's difficult to maintain a positive attitude for four years of Exeter, but Kelly has thrived here. She's a loyal, supportive friend, and she's always there to run up and give you a hug in the middle of the quad if you look like you're having a bad day,” Cynewski said.McCarthy says her time at the Academy has been a large contributor to her positivity. One of McCarthy’s fondest memories of is this year was the girls’ varsity soccer EA match, the last game McCarthy would ever play in an Exeter jersey. The soccer team had had a rough season, but McCarthy loved every moment of it.“[It’s] the way that the team supported each other, through injury and frustration and when things were just not going the way we planned. [It] showed me resilience in my teammates that I hope to be able to emulate in my life in the future,” McCarthy said.That’s not the only thing McCarthy has planned for her future. She hopes that in college and beyond she can interest the people around her to be knowledgeable about the environment and the very real challenges humanity faces. McCarthy wants to change the way that “mankind interacts with the Earth that is our home.” She is especially interested in food optimization and sustainability.“When I tell people I want to end world hunger, they kind of laugh, but it's honestly true. There is more than enough food produced to feed the whole world, yet millions of people are malnourished and starving every single day,” McCarthy said. While McCarthy recognizes that although her dream is far fetched, she stresses that it is not good enough to sit idly by.“Rarely in life do you meet someone who you know will one day change the world. Kelly is one of those people. She's been a vegetarian for four years, she founded Upcycling Club, she spent a term at the Island School studying the environment and she regularly attends EAC meetings. Kelly is an exemplary embodiment of non sibi, dedicating her life to becoming a part of something larger than herself and leaving the world a better place than she found it,” Cynewski said.