My Carolina Experience: Darcy McFarlane
November 4, 2015 | Women's Soccer
My Carolina Experience; Darcy McFarlane
By Zoya Johnson, GoHeels.com
Playing next to her sister during the NCAA Women's Soccer Tournament in 2013, while wearing Carolina on her chest will always be one of Darcy McFarlane's fondest memories.
She grew up a Tar Heel thanks to her mother, a Tar Heel alumna and cross country runner with native ties to Chapel Hill. Regardless, she never felt pressured to attend the university. Even when she saw her older sister and life-long training partner Kelly follow in their mother's footsteps, McFarlane kept her mind open to other options. When the time came to make her college decision, she simply felt Carolina was something she could not pass on.
“It's hard to put into words what makes UNC such a special place. I felt like it was the place that would help me reach my potential as a student and as a player, because I would be surrounded by peers and led by professors and coaches who would challenge me every day.”
Once on campus her biggest goal was to make an impact on the program. McFarlane didn't expect to be a starter her freshman year with her sister playing the same position, so she had a realistic goal of working hard to earn playing time.
In terms of academics, McFarlane feels reaching her potential as a student is just as important as achieving her athletic goals. The junior is excelling in her business major and Spanish minor, and even found time to travel to Chile this past summer. Thanks to the James K. McLean Scholarship though the UNC Kenan-Flagler Business School, McFarlane was able to study business and Spanish for six weeks in Santiago while staying with a host family.
“Carolina has helped me grow in many different ways, which I think is a tribute to the well-rounded experience I am having here. I feel supported in so many ways, due to the amazing resources and outlets for advice everywhere I turn. One of the greatest things about Carolina is that even at such a big school, one can find a support system. Carolina has helped me grow into a more confident individual, while at the same time cultivating a desire to help others.
“I am on the Student Athlete Advisory Committee and have really enjoyed getting to use my voice as a leader to represent my teammates and fellow student-athletes. I am also a part of Carolina Outreach, helping organize community service events for my team and other student-athletes. Outreach has showed me the importance of the role sports play in bringing people together and also the great responsibility we have as student-athletes to be role models and give back to the community.
“I didn't really come into UNC with a career plan, but I have always really enjoyed taking interesting classes and learning. I have taken advantage of the variety of classes UNC has to offer like Approaches to Comparative Literature, Environment and Society, Medicine in Culture and Literature, and Water and Human Rights just to name a few of my favorites. As a business major none of these necessarily fit in with where my career will likely go, but I feel what I have learned has been invaluable in terms of critical thinking and analysis, and really just learning new things, philosophies and approaches.
“A business school speaker once said, 'step into your weakness.' I think this quote really embodies what college is about. Do the things you're scared of, try things you didn't think you could, and whatever you do – go ahead and do it fully because there's nothing worse than apathy. Stepping into your weakness teaches you a lot about yourself, and also expands your horizons as a person.”
In McFarlane's eyes, being a part of the women's soccer program at Carolina has prepared her just as much for a career in the sport after college as it has for life after athletics. In her words, the program has taught her about relentlessness and discipline, while opening her up to the type of person she is and the conditions under which she thrives, and as a future businesswoman, that is an asset she has come to value.
“Some of the lessons I have learned from Anson (Dorrance) will stick with me forever. One of my favorites that comes to mind is a quote from the book we read every spring, “Man's Search for Meaning” by Viktor E. Frankl. It talks about how no matter what happens to us, and no matter what our circumstances are, we always have the ability to choose to be positive. I find this very applicable to almost any life situation, and I'm always reminding myself of it when things may not be going my way.
“The environment at UNC is one unlike any other University. The student body here is passionate about what they do, and passionate about being Tar Heels. There are lots of great schools and athletics programs, but UNC really feels like a home where everyone is valued for who they are, not just what they do.”
