Peyton Cline always knew that she was going to attend college.
Growing up in a family of die-hard Duke fans that prioritized her education, Peyton was primed for postsecondary school from the jump.
When GEAR UP was introduced to Peyton as a 7th grader in 2014, she leveraged the program to further prepare herself to reach the goals she had set for herself.
“I think that’s one misconception people have about GEAR UP,” Peyton said. “It’s not just for students who are undecided about going to college.”
During her time as a GEAR UP student, Peyton participated in an array of program offerings including college campus visits, a summer camp for GEAR UP students, and the 2017 Youth Leadership Conference. Of these experiences, she said all were helpful and informative, but there was a clear favorite.
“The Youth Leadership Conference in San Francisco was awesome,” Peyton said.
The trip took Peyton alongside four Watauga classmates to San Francisco for a week to participate in the GEAR UP-sponsored Youth Leadership Summit, a conference designed to develop public speaking and leadership skills in high school students.
Peyton said attending the conference was something that was pretty out of character for her, but it couldn’t have been a better decision.
“I remember the conference being really awesome,” she said. The public speaking boot camp pushed Peyton out of her comfort zone, and that discomfort led to personal growth.
Not only was the conference truly transformative, but the trip itself was also a once-in-a lifetime opportunity. The group went to a San Francisco Giants baseball game, saw the Pixar Symphony Orchestra, visited Alcatraz, Redwood National Park, the Golden Gate Bridge, and explored the entire city.
“That’s something that GEAR UP gave me that not many high schoolers get the chance to do,” Peyton said. “You don’t get many opportunities to travel and learn with a school group like that.”
As her high school career drew to a close and the time for postsecondary planning got closer, Peyton began taking advantage of the free college tours offered by GEAR UP.
She participated in a summer bus tour of UNC Chapel Hill, NC State, and Elon — an experience that reshaped her future.
“I thought I knew where I wanted to go to college,” Peyton said. “I was so set on NC State for the longest time.”
After viewing the campus in comparison to the others she had visited, though, Peyton couldn’t see herself joining the Wolfpack.
She attended Appalachian State University, and graduated in 2022 with her Bachelor of Science in Business Administration, Computer Information Systems. Peyton continued her education at Appalachian and graduated with both her Master of Business Administration and Master of Science in Applied Data Analytics in 2024.
She currently works in Charlotte as an early talent associate for Ally financial’s cybersecurity team.
Peyton said she’s had a lot of time to reflect on her time spent with GEAR UP and wishes she could have given her sixth-grade self this piece of advice:
“Don’t care so much about what other people think of you. Try new things and take absolutely any opportunity that you can to explore something new or develop yourself, even if it’s out of your comfort zone.”
The most recent GEAR UP grant was established in Watauga County in 2014, and GEAR UP currently serves students in 17 school districts across western North Carolina helping to prepare the generation for success. Middle & high schools students receive resources to help them succeed in school and to learn more about opportunities available to them after graduation. This includes learning how they can grow and develop into contributing community members of western North Carolina. To read more about current and former GEAR UP students like Peyton, or to find out additional details about GEAR UP services, visit our website.
GEAR UP Student Spotlight
GEAR UP Student Spotlight