Recently, the RYLA Inquisitor had the privilege of interviewing one of this year’s Alumni Award recipients, Michelynne McNeeley. Read on to learn more about her history as well as RYLAs of years past!
RYLA Inquisitor: Thank you so much for your willingness to be interviewed. We’ll start off with some easy questions. First, what year were you a camper at RYLA? Also, where was camp held that year?
Michelynne McNeeley: I was a camper in 1998, and we had camp in Bridgeport, TX.
RI: Where is your hometown?
MM: I’m from Highland Village, TX.
RI: Tell us about your high school.
MM: I went to Marcus High School in Flower Mound. I have my 10-year reunion this weekend, and it sure is hard to imagine it has been that long!
RI: So, after high school, what did you do? Where did you go to college? What was your major?
MM: I went to Texas A&M University and majored in Journalism and minored in Business.
RI: Were you involved in anything specific during college, like organizations, sports, or a sorority?
MM: I was a Lacrosse player! I got an All-American nod in 2002. Also, in 2001, 2002, and 2003 I was a national tournament player and drove a bus all four years while I went to school.
RI: So what do you do now?
MM: I am the owner of RM Squared Productions. I do commercial and television production, graphics design and website design, and live event productions. Prior to starting my own company in 2007, I worked five years for a private production company in Dallas with WFAA.
RI: Whoa! See, I’m already learning more about you. You’ve been as successful off the field as you were on it! Hopefully some of your successes can be attributed to your experiences at RYLA. What impact did RYLA have on your life when you were a camper?
MM: It certainly changed my outlook on my classmates. I figured out that everyone has their own view on life and the way they handle it, and, consequently, we all need to look past our dissimilarities and realize we are all headed to the same place.
RI: By the way, did you come back to RYLA as an AC or activities assistant your second year?
MM: I was an activities assistant.
RI: Awesome. So, how did RYLA affect your collegiate years?
MM: It was a great support system of people to encourage me, help me, and guide me.
RI: I know we can all attest to that support system. How many years have you attended RYLA, including your camper year?
MM: Nine years! I have only missed two camps, one to get married and the other to have my little man.
RI: How does RYLA continue to influence your life today?
MM: Now that I have Rohan, I want nothing more than a program available to him like this. It gives me hope for the world he will someday live in. I owe it to him to keep donating time to this cause.
RI: What is the funniest thing that’s ever happened at camp?
MM: One year I got sick and Sly got bit by a spider. We both had to go into town to see the doctor. The doctor, being top-notch, got our files confused and asked Sly when his last menstrual cycle was.
RI: Oh gosh, that’s hilarious! What year of camp was your favorite?
MM: I loved my years on staff, but my best year was my first year as a counselor in 2003.
RI: Speaking of being a counselor, don’t you have a great story about your AC in 2005?
MM: *laughs* Oh yes! I was Blake Martin’s high school lacrosse coach for Coppell—I wasn’t a teacher; I just coached at the school. She was a camper my first year as a counselor, and when she came back to be my AC in 2005, she let me cut her hair one night in the cabin with all the girls watching. That is definitely a funny story. And when I say cut her hair, it went from long — like well down her back — to super short, like above her shoulders, and also way crooked. It was hilarious.
RI: Watch out for Miche when she has scissors! But in all seriousness, what changes have you seen during your camp tenure?
MM: Camp has grown enormously in all areas—from the staff size to the number of campers. I think both good and bad have come of that, but now we have finally figured out a good ratio.
RI: We have so many great traditions that have come and gone over the years. What is one of your favorite traditions of years past?
MM: Chubby Bunny used to be a skit night event. No one can fit marshmallows in their mouth like Chris Kellen.
RI: We might have to reinstate that little activity. To wrap things up, we would like to know what direction you would like to see the alumni association take. Would you mind sharing your opinion with us?
MM: I would really like it if we had more access to facilitators and events pertaining to “adult life”—issues like finding jobs (we are a huge untapped network for the most part), budgeting, parenting (I will never understand why there aren’t instruction books for kids), workplace life, etc.
Interview by Becca Lowder
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