Christ Church Episcopal School experiences have prepared graduating seniors for whatever comes next and to make a positive difference in the world. Each week, we will put the spotlight on a graduating senior from the Class of 2024. We hope you enjoy getting to know these amazing CCES students!

Gracie Haley embodies the values of inclusivity and empathy, according to Associate Director of College Counseling, Lindsey Waters. Mrs. Waters describes Gracie as “someone who is aware of students who may feel like an outsider or underdog, working to include and encourage everyone.” Engaging in a brief conversation with Gracie is all it takes to affirm this sentiment, and her tenure at CCES as a 13-Year Vet serves as a testament to these remarkable qualities.

A captain of both the Varsity Lacrosse and Cheerleading teams, Gracie leads the charge in making younger classmates feel comfortable and welcomed on the team. As a freshman, she looked up to the older girls as role models, and so she strives to do the same as a senior on the team. “I want to make sure everyone feels included and like they belong. I never want someone to feel like they are falling behind or struggling.” Her advice to younger players on the team is to never be afraid to ask someone for help if you have questions or need something. This kind of leadership is what earned her the “Most Likely to Have Your Back” award on the Varsity Lacrosse team last year and permeates throughout all of her endeavors both on and off the field.  

Gracie’s experience as an adoptee also impacts the way that she goes about life in profound ways. She is keenly aware of the significance of not knowing someone's full story and the impact words and assumptions can have on someone. Her senior capstone project, “Street Stories,” seeks to amplify the voices of marginalized individuals who seldom get the opportunity to share their stories. Through partnering with the organization, Sunday Dinner with a Twist, Gracie interviewed various people facing homelessness in the Upstate area. She then shared some of their stories as well as a message about the importance of breaking stereotypes and not judging people to the fifth grade at CCES. Together, they created snack bags with encouraging notes to hand out to the homeless. 

When asked where this uniquely inclusive and aware mindset stems from, she quickly gave credit to one of her biggest role models – her mom. “My mom has always been one to go out of her way to help others achieve something that they’re wanting to do. If she sees someone not having a good time somewhere, she goes out of her way to greet them and put a smile on their face. I want to be like that and make someone’s day better.”

Gracie’s family has always been important to her, and during her sophomore year, Gracie found herself enduring countless nineteen-hour road trips to visit her older brother, Graham Haley ’18, at Texas Christian University (TCU), where he graduated from in the spring of 2022. As a result, she swore off attending a university so far from home. When she started to seriously consider colleges though, she quickly realized the many benefits of TCU – its size, athletic fervor, and artistic opportunities. She also realized that a three hour flight is a great alternative to a 19-hour car ride. After looking at a few other schools including Samford University and Belmont University, it became clear TCU was the place for her. 

At TCU, she hopes to pursue interior design as a major, which stems from her love of the arts. The arts – specifically visual arts – have always been very important to Gracie, and she has excelled as an AP Arts student this year. Her AP Portfolio showcases various aspects of nature using movements commonly found in the natural world. For Gracie, art forces time to slow down and creates space for focusing on something she truly enjoys and wants to improve upon. Looking ahead, she is excited to apply her talents in a different way through interior design. 

Beyond her artistic talents, Gracie’s unwavering commitment to fostering a sense of belonging for all, whether on the lacrosse field, in the classroom, or within the broader community, will carry her far in her future endeavors at TCU. 

For Fun: 

Favorite memory with your family? On a trip to the British Virgin Islands with my family, we went out on an island at night and made our own food on the beach and made our own fire. 

Tell us something people probably don’t know about you. I did competitive dance for 10 years. 

Current Netflix binge? Grey’s Anatomy.   

Christ Church Episcopal School experiences have prepared graduating seniors for whatever comes next and to make a positive difference in the world. Each week, we will put the spotlight on a graduating senior from the Class of 2024. We hope you enjoy getting to know these amazing CCES students!

When Emory Allen, Class of 2024, sets a goal, there is little doubt in anyone's mind that she will achieve it. Director of College Counseling, Linda Schulz, describes Emory as a student who “demonstrates great determination and courage” and “is steadfast in always giving her best efforts to all she pursues.” Emory’s ambitions at CCES have spanned the pool, the track, the classroom, and even the hospital ward. Throughout them all, she has shown a remarkable amount of grit and compassion. 

Emory joined CCES as an eighth grader and immediately plugged into the swim team. As a distance swimmer, she excelled in races requiring a high level of mental fortitude and endurance, and her success was evident in the various accolades she received throughout her swimming career, including All County, All Region, All State, and Highest Point Scorer. She also spent her summers by the pool serving as a swim lessons coach and a summer league swim instructor.

Mentorship opportunities like these have always been very important to Emory, and during her senior year, she started volunteering at the Serenity Place, a local rehabilitation center for mothers with young children. Described by Service and Experiential Learning Director, Elizbeth Jarrett, as “kind and respectful, hardworking and motivated,” Emory provides babysitting for the mothers’ children every Tuesday night. 

This opportunity, however, might not have been available to her had she not made the difficult decision to try out for the cross country team instead of the swim team during her senior year. The cross country’s close knit team welcomed her with open arms, and she quickly realized running provided a competitive outlet and an opportunity to make new friends. This decision to get out of her comfort zone has spurred her on to continually try new things, including volunteering at Serenity Place and later joining the track and field team. “So many good things came out of the scary decision to transition from swimming. It has inspired me to try new things, make new friends, and I’ve gotten to know Ms. Jarrett better, who introduced me to Serenity Place,” Emory reflected. 

Getting out of her comfort zone is nothing new for her though. During the summer before senior year, Emory participated in CCES’s Internship Program, which provides rising seniors with real world experience through internships in various fields across the Upstate. Her cousin is a pediatric ICU nurse, so she has always been curious about the nursing profession. Through the internship program, she had the opportunity to spend a few weeks in the pediatric ICU at Greenville Memorial Hospital and quickly realized how much she loved it. 

Despite working long hours, she knew something was different when she came home after a long day at the hospital and never complained about being tired. Instead, she was too busy reliving the day’s adventures and discoveries. “I love that it’s not a ‘sit at the office’ job, but you get to be moving around and doing something with your hands,” Emory says. “You are also exposed to so many different situations, and you get to have a big impact on both the kids and their families.”

After this experience, she made the decision to pursue a career in nursing, and this goal has shaped her college search. She wanted to attend a school that would allow her to start working as a nurse as soon as possible, and that criteria narrowed her search to schools with “direct admit” programs, in which students complete four years of nursing education including clinical rotations. She applied to James Madison University, Auburn University, and West Virginia University, among others, but the one that ended up being the top contender was not on her initial list until Mrs. Schulz suggested it – Belmont University in Nashville, TN. 

Belmont has a direct admit nursing program, and ninety-six percent of students enrolled in the program are employed in nursing within six months of graduation. This checks an important box for Emory, and it is also located in a big city with a strong medical community found in Vanderbilt University. The Belmont campus, however, feels small and organized in a way that made Emory feel right at home when she visited.

In looking ahead at closing of her chapter as a CCES student, Emory has one more goal she would like to accomplish – break six minutes in the mile at a track meet. Given her track record (no pun intended), it won’t be long before she meets that goal, careening her forward towards the many more she will pursue at Belmont and beyond. 

Just for fun! 

Name something this world could use a lot more of? Empathy. 

Who is someone who has greatly influenced your life? My mom. 

If you could create one mandatory course for seniors, what would it be? Finance. 

Christ Church Episcopal School experiences have prepared graduating seniors for whatever comes next and to make a positive difference in the world. Each week, we will put the spotlight on a graduating senior from the Class of 2024. We hope you enjoy getting to know these amazing CCES students!

If Ciarán Greer were to pick one motto to live by, it would be to keep an open mindset at all times. This has led him to fearlessly try new things, to be open to engaging in difficult topics, and to always seek to learn from people – even if he might not agree with their perspectives.

Ciarán enrolled at CCES in the sixth grade as a self-described “quiet” middle schooler. Finding his place in a new school was an intimidating task at first, but CCES quickly grew into a beautiful and welcoming community. Ciarán says, “I’ve been fortunate to make some really great friends during my time here.”

During his four years of high school, Ciarán has been involved in a wide variety of school clubs and activities, but two areas have remained constant – running and creativity. Ciarán joined the Boys Cross Country and Track and Field teams as a 7th grader and fell in love with the sport immediately. Running has taught him a lot that applies to life as well – mainly the values of grit and patience. He says, “I have learned the ability to experience pain and be willing to go through the difficult to reach the beautiful.”

Creativity has always been important to Ciarán, but with his open-minded approach to life, it has led him down some different paths as he has jumped into a number of pursuits over these past few years. First, he started a sports podcast during the pandemic – partially out of being bored during quarantine and partially just because he loves sports and wanted to find a way to talk about it. He covered all American sports and Premier League soccer, with people all around the world tuning in for the episodes and eventually, he even signed with a British podcasting network! While his foray into podcasting only lasted a couple of years, it gave him valuable experience with editing and producing.

Then, last year Ciarán decided to join the journalism staff and fell in love with the entire process – from the development of a concept all the way to writing and editing pieces. He quickly integrated himself into the work and with the staff, becoming a valuable contributor and then being named editor for his senior year. When he reflects back on all that the team has accomplished this year, he’s extremely proud – viewership is the highest it has ever been, they cover a wide range of topics, and he’s been working with Ms. Gregory, US Librarian and Journalism Teacher, to expand CCES News into the other two divisions.

Discourse around difficult topics has never been something Ciarán has shied away from. If anything, he seeks it out, always welcoming a good debate. In Ciarán’s mind, a debate is simply the opportunity to learn about another person and a different perspective than one’s own. He says, “The ability to engage in difficult topics, with other perspectives, in a way that is respectful and open-minded, is an important skill for people to possess.”

Ciarán has certainly done his best to introduce his peers to the art of respectful debate, founding the Political Debate and History club this year. He says, “I want to help people have civil discussions about difficult topics and to educate people about things they might not learn in the classroom.”

Despite a schedule that is packed to the brim, Ciarán is also a member of the RC (Radio Control) Club and Spanish Club, and has made the Honor Roll three of his four years (9, 11, 12). He was selected to represent CCES at the annual S.C. Palmetto Boys State mock government program, where he was elected as "State Senator" by over 400 of his peers. He was a captain of the Cross Country team this year, making All-Region and All-State. He also added Honor Council and choir to his resume as a senior, never shying away from trying something new.   

When Ciarán started looking for colleges, his commitment to running and pursuing a variety of interests was at the forefront. He applied to a few schools – Davidson College, Sewanee, and The Citadel, but as soon as he visited Berry College in Rome, Georgia, it just felt right. He describes the “natural beauty” that makes the campus stand out and with the excellent history department and opportunity to continue his running career, it was the perfect fit. Ciarán plans to double major in History and Spanish, pursuing the prelaw track with hopes to attend law school in the future. He hopes to integrate service and faith into his life more fully, planning on being active in the Canterbury Club, the Episcopal Church’s college ministry.

Director of College Counseling, Linda Schulz, calls Ciarán “respectful, compassionate, and purposeful.” She says, “He is very intentional about pursuing his interests and his connection with others. It has been a joy to watch Ciarán develop as a leader and courageously take himself out of his comfort zone, always making the most of life.”

As Ciarán moves into a new chapter of life after graduation, his fearless pursuit of new things and grounded outlook on life will continue to guide him forward. As he did at CCES, Ciarán will no doubt integrate himself seamlessly into the fabric of Berry College, keeping an open mindset through it all.  

Just for fun:

Name something the world could use a lot more of? Listening

Favorite period in history to study? Between WWI and WII, the Gilded Ages

If you could try one thing and know you wouldn’t fail, what would it be? Baseball

Current sports topic you enjoy debating?  The Celtics are going to win the NBA finals this year.

Tell us something most people probably don’t know about you. I threw out the first pitch of a Drive game before – I was four years old and won a raffle through Meals on Wheels.