To Carlie Jarvais, her family is everything.

When she toured colleges in New York City and Connecticut, something wasn’t right. It wasn’t until she got to tour Thomas College in Waterville that she knew.

“The biggest thing is my family,” Jarvais said. “I felt like it was wrong to leave, and I would get homesick.”

Jarvais has lived in the small town of Skowhegan her whole life. Her family and older brothers still live at home.

Connor, 28, and Jarvais cook together and bond over the same foods. Cooper, 22, is her biggest inspiration, as he has Down Syndrome and makes an impression on her every day.

Skowhegan Area High School senior Carlie Jarvais, seen May 23 at the school’s softball field in Skowhegan, plays catches and looks forward to attending Thomas College in Waterville to play softball and study accounting. Rich Abrahamson/Morning Sentinel

“He’s given me a different perspective … how he can wake up every morning with a smile,” she said.

Jarvais tried to leave the state to see if it was something she wanted for herself in college.

She looked at Fordham University in New York City, Seton Hall University in New Jersey and Fairfield University in Connecticut before she settled on Thomas College to play softball and study accounting.

“I think it was more of a ‘What if?,’” she said. “I didn’t want to rule out the option and figured it would be cool to see if I felt comfortable and if it has a good vibe … I also thought about the South but being that far would be hard.”

By playing softball only 30 minutes away, her family can still attend her games.

Her maternal and fraternal grandparents, she said, wish her luck before every one of her games. Skowhegan Area High School won the Class A softball title in 2021 when Jarvais was a freshman.

“I’m really grateful for them,” she said.

In the back of her mind, Jarvais still wants to travel and to find places that feel like Skowhegan, where everyone knows each other.

She admits the small-town feeling cannot always be beneficial, especially when politics are involved, and the town feels divided.

Jarvais tries to contribute to the community when she can, like through eco-clubs at the high school, where she believes starting small is the way to solve problems.