Senior Spotlight: Kyle Collett

How do you stay busy?   
I've been in so many positions here at Country Day, which has definitely made me feel more confident in myself. In addition to sports, I am co-president Honor Council and I also lead a sports analysis club and I do peer mentoring. I like being busy and I like being well-rounded and diverse in the activities I choose to do. At my previous school, you really only had maybe one opportunity to get involved because there were so many people for so few roles. Here there are multiple opportunities for getting involved.  

What stands out most to you about your time at Country Day? 
I think Country Day has helped me grow as a person. When I arrived at Country Day, I was probably more likely to be the student who was in front of Honor Council rather than the student who is serving as on Honor Council. I feel I’ve experienced such a change from freshman year to my senior year. By being involved in leadership positions, you're taught to mature quickly and be responsible. You have to manage your time, balance everything, be thorough in everything you do, and have courage to pursue opportunities. When I go to college, I want to be in leadership positions just like I am here.  

Speaking of, what are your plans for next year? 
Over the summer I usually play travel baseball, but this year I'm going to focus on working and making money before college. I own a car detailing business, which keeps me busy. I started Rise and Shine Auto Detailing with $1,000 after I worked at a detailing company and realized how much money I could make. What’s cool about it is that wherever I go to college, as long as there are cars there, I can bring my business with me and operate it from anywhere.  

As for college, Michigan is at the top of my list and then North Carolina and Case Western round out my top three choices. I’m looking for a great engineering program, which is something all three schools have, but I like the look and feel of Michigan. 
 
What lessons or sentiments will you take with you as you transition into college? 
Definitely to take advantage of everything as soon as I can. I won’t wait to start looking for extracurricular activities, internships, co-ops, and leadership opportunities once I get to college. If I had thought about leadership positions my freshman and sophomore year, I can only imagine everything else I could have accomplished.   
 

How long have you attended school at Country Day?  
I started my freshman year. I toured the school, and I really liked the smaller feel of it and the fact that I could get more one-on-one time with teachers both in class and during my free time. Of course, the reputation that Country Day is a good academic school was also appealing. Also, I wanted to play three sports and that’s a hard thing to do in a big school.    

What advice do you have for younger Country Day students? 
Start everything now. Start thinking about leadership opportunities, start thinking about sports. High school goes by really fast. Don't get stuck thinking that time is on your side because it most certainly is not.  

What are you looking forward to the most in the second semester?  
I look forward to taking everything in one last time. School will be more relaxed as we wind down the year, so I’m going to try to be present and enjoy being with everyone for our last few months together. Honestly, I'm looking forward to everything and feel ready to go to college.  
 
What does leadership mean to you? 
Leadership means setting a respectable example for others to follow. Leadership means holding others and yourself accountable for your actions and acting with respect and pride. 

What do you consider to be your biggest accomplishment during your time at Country Day?  
I have two things that tie for first place – being elected to Honor Council and being a team captain on a football team. Both things come to mind because of how they started out. My freshman year, I could have been someone that would have ended up in front of Honor Council and my football coach told me flat out that I wasn't a good player. Now I’m able to look back and realize that I wasn’t a good player – I didn’t put in the effort, and I didn’t play with the team in mind. I’ve worked hard to get where I am today from where I started almost four years ago.