With driving ambition, Kyle Karnei leads on campus with his involvement.
Karnei finished his undergraduate work and earned a bachelor’s degree in accounting and finance in December, and is now a graduate student, pursuing his master’s in accounting.
Throughout his four years at ACU, he has been a member of the golf team, leading his teammates on and off the field. His freshman, sophomore and junior year, he earned a spot as a member for the Southland Conference Commissioner’s Honor Roll.
Head Coach Tom Shaw said Karnei are an example to all student athletes in his faith, involvement and leadership.
“He is unlike any student athlete I have ever had,” Shaw said through email. “Kyle gives his time willingly to all. I don’t see how he has that much time to give without going crazy. He is truly a selfless individual and wants to sincerely help others – true qualities of a disciple of Christ. Kyle has set the standard for what a student-athlete should be like that few will match.”
Shaw also recognized Karnei has had a significant impact on his role as a coach as well.
“Kyle gets me out of my ‘bubble’ and helps me to see the big picture,” Shaw said through email. “As a coach, I often get bogged down in the minutia of the team and how to make them better. Kyle is always there to share his thoughts and bring me back to see the important things.”
While working on his undergraduate degree, Karnei was involved in a variety of extracurricular activities outside of golf. During his sophomore year, he pledged Gamma Sigma Phi while being the Vice President of his class in Students’ Association.
Karnei said his involvement in and around campus has enhanced his time and experience here.
“Being able to play golf and pairing that with all of these other activities made my time here well worth it,” Karnei said.
Now president of GSP, Karnei said that club is a huge opportunity to use what he’s been given for a purpose that is far bigger than himself. The 110 members of the club have been one of the biggest impacts on him throughout his time at ACU, he said.
During his junior year, Karnei also became the president of his class. In addition, he continued his presidency of the Student Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC), which acts as a liaison between the athletics administration and student athletes. During the fall semester, he was also a homecoming co-director.
Last year, Karnei was involved in the creation of the SAAC hosted event, the Hudson Wade 5k. He said initially, it was put on to raise money and support Hudson while he was battling cancer. But this year, after Hudson passed away, it was continued to remember his legacy, involving 200 more participants.
Because he had a strong role in Students’ Association, Karnei assisted in putting on a carnival for a baseball game honoring Hudson. The carnival consisted of things Hudson loved to do, and his family was presented with a jersey.
“I can’t really convey how much I’ve enjoyed ACU and being able to do athletics and everything else is something you don’t get any other school. That’s one of the reasons that I chose ACU – for a great education, but I could play golf at a high level but also be involved in so much other stuff.”
Karnei has accepted a job for the summer and fall of 2018 with Ernst & Young, an accounting firm based out of the United Kingdom. He will be working at the San Antonio office in audit.
