Kylie Rubin ‘24 is a junior at Baldwin and has been a Baldwin lifer through it all: plaid tunics to plaid kilts. 

Her life outside of school, however, might not look so similar to the quiet girl you may see walking down the Blue Hallway. Rubin’s father, Michael Rubin, is a self-made businessman and founder of Fanatics; he has also worked alongside influential people to create social and philanthropic organizations such as REFORM Alliance. Not only does Rubin have a close relationship with her father, but many of his friends have also become her friends.

Because of this, Rubin has grown up with contrasting experiences inside and outside of school: two lifestyles, with one in the spotlight and the other out of the spotlight. She has gotten used to this dual-lifestyle throughout the years, but as she ages, she has developed a better understanding of what this dual life means. 

I sat down with Rubin to talk about how she navigates these two worlds.

How do you balance your in-school and out-of-school life?

If I am being completely honest, finding a balance is difficult at times, but I work everyday at it. Of course, like any kid, I want to do all the fun things and live that out-of-school life whenever I can, but I know that that choice is not the right answer when looking at the bigger picture, when looking at the future I want to build for myself. 

Especially with 11th grade, school and everything is so hard, and it’s difficult to make the right choice and not go take a break from school. But I force myself to power through the hard work because I know I need to prioritize setting myself up for the future I want—and I see myself achieving that future by working hard at school. 

Are there any moments from your out-of-school life that have influenced the person you aspire to become? 

I have been around several kids who are in similar situations as me and I feel like they have never heard the word “no.” I have learned enough to know that attitude isn’t right and seeing the way those kids act and live their lives only makes me want to uphold better values than them. I see those kids and all I can think is, “What will they have to look forward to if they have no sense of appreciation now?’

Do you see your social media presence as being harmful to you in any way?

I think that social media has both good parts and bad parts. On one hand, platforms such as Instagram and Tiktok provide me with a lot of opportunities. On the other hand, these platforms come with a lot of responsibility and a necessity to make sure that I don’t act just like a “normal kid,” which could get me in trouble— more trouble than someone without such a big following. Because of these severe consequences, I know I must hold myself to a higher standard. 

Are there any misconceptions people at Baldwin might have about you that you would like to set right?

While I recognize how fortunate I am, like every kid, I deal with lots of personal and mental challenges daily. I feel like sometimes people fail to realize, even here at Baldwin, that I’m not just defined by association to my dad, or a certain number of Instagram followers, or by the people I meet—but I’m my own individual person.