ROANOKE MEN'S SOCCER ALUMNI QUESTION & ANSWER
CARL LEIST '14
Where are you originally from?
Christiansburg, Va.
Why did you choose to attend Roanoke College?
The opportunity to play college soccer was certainly a large part of my decision to attend Roanoke. Playing college soccer was always a goal of mine from a young age and to be able to do it a place with a great tradition of success was huge for me. I am an only child so having my parents and family be able to come to most of my games was also important to me. My parents missed one game in four years (my mom had jury duty) but I am extremely thankful to have been able to experience my college career with them watching from the stands. They fell in love with Roanoke as well and I know they were happy with my decision. I would not be where I am today without their support. Coach A was a huge part of that decision as well. I was not heavily recruited out of high school, mostly schools in the ODAC, so I owe a debt to Coach A for giving me an opportunity to complete my childhood goal and I will always be thankful for that. Academically, I was immediately drawn to Roanoke because of the smaller class sizes and ability to interact closely with the faculty. As most students coming into college, I was not sure exactly what I wanted to do with my life after college but I knew that the environment and individuals at Roanoke would allow me to be successful with whatever I chose to do.
Where are you now/what are you doing?
Currently, I live in Columbia, South Carolina. I serve as the Coordinator for Residential Student Conduct within the Office of Student Conduct and Academic Integrity at the University of South Carolina. On a daily basis, I meet with students who have potentially violated our code of conduct and I enjoy being able to help them grow from the situations they find themselves in so they can continue to be successful and productive members of not only the UofSC community but the Columbia community as a whole.
Last time you touched a soccer ball/where?
Oh man, it certainly has been a while. My dog Thor enjoys a game of fetch and chasing the soccer ball is included in that. I would consider myself more of a golfer now as it is a little easier on the knees and hips after playing soccer all of my life.
Highlight/favorite soccer memory from your time at Roanoke?
Definitely winning the 2012 ODAC Tournament and earning an automatic birth to the DIII NCAA Tournament. I think anyone at Roanoke at the time will always remember AJ Tierce's header as time was running out in double overtime. A guy 5'8, on a good day, gets a header to give us the conference championship, does not get much better than that. Also, with that being Coach A's last season to be able to send him out on top of the ODAC made it extremely special. As a team, we knew we needed to do that for him.
When is the last time you were back on campus? Do you get back often?
I actually worked at Roanoke briefly after I graduated from graduate school so October of 2016. My parents still live in Christiansburg so when I am home I do try to take a trip to Salem to at least walk around and get lunch at Mac N Bobs.
Favorite non-soccer memory from your time at Roanoke?
Honestly, just in general the relationships, I was able to make and the support I received from everyone on campus. From the faculty in the Communication Studies major and the staff in the Career Services office, where I worked throughout my time at Roanoke, they made my experience special and ultimately helped me decide to pursue a career in Higher Education and Student Affairs.
Where do you see yourself in 10 years?
I hope to continue to progress within student conduct and be at the director level in the next 10 years. I would love to still be at the University of South Carolina as it is a great place to work as a professional and personally I love being apart of the SEC conference and supporting our student-athletes on one of the larger stages in college athletics. I am not a fan of snow and cold so the warm winters are hard to beat as well.
What is your greatest accomplishment?
I would say somehow getting my fiance', Jenny, to put up with me enough to agree to spend the rest of our lives together. It is hard to describe the importance she has in my life but she has such a kind heart and came into my life at the perfect time. We met in grad school at Ohio University and she has made me a better person every day since and continues to inspire me to be the best I can be on a daily basis.
What advice do you have for the current Maroons about life after college?
Great question and I think there can be so many good answers so I have narrowed it down my top three...
1. Be kind and take care of one another. Everyone is fighting a battle (big or small) whether it is outwardly shown or not. Pick each other up and help one another be the best they can be.
2. Don't be afraid to fail. Take risks and if you fall down, figure out what went wrong and create a plan so that you will be successful in the future. I believe the greatest growth comes from making mistakes and the true test of a person's character is what they do next.
3. Do what makes you happy. I believe everyone finds their true passion in life at different times but once you find it hold onto it and give it all you got.
