Spotlight On: Charlie Creech, CCES Class of 2024

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!

Choosing Clemson University may have sent some minor shockwaves through Charlie Creech’s family – both his dad and grandfather attended the University of South Carolina – but from the moment he first stepped on campus, he knew it was the place he wanted to call home for the next four years. A dedicated sporting clays shooter, Charlie wanted to pursue shooting collegiately which narrowed down his choices considerably. He looked at Jacksonville University, Georgia Southern, applied to UofSC, and was asked to start a shooting clays team at Wofford. However, Clemson’s shooting clays coach has been recruiting Charlie since he was in 10th grade and being on an established team at a school not too far from home seemed like the perfect fit.

Charlie came to CCES in the 2nd grade (shout out to Ms. Saddler for being his first teacher at Christ Church) and similar to Clemson, as soon as he stepped foot on campus for his shadow day in 1st grade, he knew this was where he wanted to be. Even as a young student, he recalls how inviting the other students and teachers were and it made a lasting impression. He describes his experience here as “amazing,” with teachers who are willing to “push you to work hard.”

A strong work ethic is something Charlie has always had, in large part because of his dad. CCES is known for emphasizing the idea of a “growth mindset,” but this was a topic of discussion long before he transferred to the school. His dad impressed upon him from a very young age the importance of not getting discouraged when he didn’t achieve what he wanted to, because it is an opportunity for improvement. Charlie says, “Students often think failure is bad, but I think failure is the best thing that one can experience; it means there is room for growth.” Charlie was the recipient of the 2023 Lane Abrams Growth Mindset Award which demonstrates his commitment to living it out and speaks to how evident it is in everything he does – in the classroom, with sporting clays, and how he approaches life in general.

Charlie has a wide variety of interests in both academics and extracurriculars. He doesn’t shy away from hard subjects, instead taking it as an opportunity to learn and grow as a student – from understanding how the natural world works in his environmental science class to the production and consumption of goods in his economics class. Charlie has maintained honor roll through all four years of high school, even with his full schedule. He has been a dedicated member of the Varsity Basketball team since the 10th grade and of the Sporting Clays Club since 6th grade. He also belongs to the Belton Bird Busters outside of school, a nonprofit sporting clays organization that donates funds to young students who don’t have the money to shoot.

Charlie’s first sport was actually golf, but at the time, he didn’t love it. His dad suggested shooting clays instead and the rest is history. The sporting clays club at CCES was founded when he was in 6th grade and he decided to join. For a few years, it was just something fun for him to do, but when he was a sophomore, the Clemson coach approached him at a tournament and planted the seed for being on the collegiate team. Growing up a Gamecocks fan, Charlie wasn’t sure about the offer, but once he toured Clemson with the coach, he was all in.

Shooting clays demands a lot of time and energy – it’s not something you can just practice in the backyard. There are not many options for shooting courses around town and the closest are almost an hour away. On top of his school work and other commitments, Charlie tries to get out and practice between 1-3 times a week.  

 

In addition to sporting clays, Charlie has spent a lot of time on the basketball court over the last few years, with the hard work paying off as the team won back-to-back state championships in 2023 and 2024. One of his favorite memories is with last year’s team – they spontaneously went and saw a movie at the theater together the day before state, demonstrating their strong bond on and off the court. Playing sports at CCES has been a blast, with so many students involved and willing to cheer on their classmates.

At Clemson, Charlie plans to pursue a degree in business management, following his dad’s footsteps. His dad is in sales, and while he’s not sure if that’s the specific career he’ll follow, the relational aspect of it does appeal to him. Bartley Sides, Associate Director of College Counseling, says “Charlie’s maturity and care for others is unlike most other students I’ve encountered.” Case in point – Charlie chose to focus his senior capstone project on building a mentorship program at CCES for 8th graders transitioning to the Upper School. He recalls how overwhelming that period was for him personally and wanted to do something about it. His program, called “Believe and Achieve,” includes talking in 8th grade Directed Studies classes about the transition to high school and making himself available for one-on-one mentoring should students reach out to him. Charlie developed the curriculum so that other upper school students can step in and lead after he graduates. He hopes “Believe and Achieve” continues to grow far into the future, assisting MS students and making the jump to high school not as intimidating.

As Charlie graduates and heads off to Clemson, we know he will make a similar impact on his college community. As Mr. Sides says, “He is reliable and personable… I have no doubt that he will make those around him better.”

Who would you want to play you in a movie? Si Robertson (Duck Dynasty)

Who is someone who has greatly influenced your life? My parents

What three adjectives would you use to describe yourself? Caring, helpful, loving

If you could create one mandatory course for senior, what would it be? Something that has to do with managing money

If you could relive any CCES experience, what would it be? Basketball state championship