If you have not spent much time around Charlie Crumley, you probably think she seems nice but is pretty quiet–at least that was what I thought before lifeguarding with her after my freshman year. Since she didn’t come to RMA until her freshman year (I was in eighth grade) and we didn’t have any classes in common, it wasn’t until we worked together that our friendship really took flight. That summer I quickly learned that, yes, Charlie really is nice, but more importantly, she’s hilarious and full of personality. We spent countless hours working at Westridge Swim Club together, and every shift with her flew by.
In addition to being fun to hang out with, Charlie is smart and dedicated. For her senior year, she has a challenging schedule: Spanish 4, Honors Calculus, AP English 12, AP Environmental Science, and AP Psychology. Successful in all she does, Charlie earned a spot on the A Honor Roll in grades 9, 10, and 11, and served as a Senior Academic Marshal for the National Honor Society last year.
Supplementing her studies, Charlie has been a member of Key Club, the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, Stronger Together, Senior Beta Club, and the Global Studies Honors program, and she is currently the president of the Upper School Student Government Association. She says she ran for “the creative freedom” the position would give her–especially with Homecoming–and we are extremely happy she won the election because she’s done a great job! She also serves as an intern for the Exceptional Children’s Program and finds joy in spending so much time with these special children.
Charlie further involves herself in school life by playing sports. In grades 9, 10, and 11, she swam on RMA’s co-ed swimming team, but her main sport is track/cross country. Charlie was not a big runner until Coach Winham–or just “Coach,” who she’s known from church for the majority of her life–approached her and asked her to run cross country in ninth grade. She took him up on his offer and quickly made a name for herself, gaining titles such as Runner of the Year, MVP, and Conference Champion (all three in both 2023 and 2024), as well as earning All-State honors in 2023. Charlie has not limited herself to just cross country, though; she has run track for all of high school: winter track for two years and spring track in grades 9-12. This dedication has paid off: she’s such a talented runner that she was given offers (primarily from out-of-state colleges) to run, but she ultimately decided to attend NC State University and enjoy running as a hobby instead.
Before committing to NC State recently, Charlie also applied to UNC-Chapel Hill, Davidson, ECU, and UNCW. She was accepted into UNCW and the ECU Honors College, but she knew very quickly that NC State was the college for her. In terms of academics, State is a great fit because it has an excellent Law & Justice program, and she is considering pursuing law school, but more importantly, it suits Charlie as a person. She “fell in love” with Raleigh after visiting the campus last year and has lifelong friends that already attend NCSU–like RMA alum Rachael Godwin–so she is looking forward to spending more time with friends from home in an exciting environment like Raleigh.
We wish her nothing short of a great future, which we have no doubt she will achieve.
What is your favorite movie or go-to song? Anyone But You (movie) and “Party Rock Anthem” (song)
What is a talent of yours that we may not know about or something nobody knows about you? I studied Latin for 8 years.
Where is your favorite place and why? My favorite place is the beach because nothing else matters except how long I can tan until I have to get in the water
What celebrity would you want to be for two days? Zendaya
What cafeteria item are you and why? a cheese biscuit because they’re awesome
If you could be any teacher for the day, who would it be and why? Mr. Stone so I can speak in a British accent without getting made fun of.
What is your favorite school event? Homecoming
Describe your perfect day at RMA. It’s a half-day… First Block Ms. Vicky takes us to CFA. Immediately after, Ms. Keel tells us to work on a worksheet in groups. During break they serve cheese biscuits, and Mr. Tucker lets me take them out of the cafeteria. During all my AP classes, we just get to do whatever we want and we get to leave early because of snow.
What is one piece of advice you’d give to an incoming freshman or to your younger self about high school? Read your AP Crash Courses.
What is one lesson you learned at RMA? Do what makes you happy and don’t try and please everyone
