Written by Brett Comstock
Congratulations to Charlie Yale for being awarded the DeEmmett Bradshaw Zerbe, CHS 1943, and Mason Speltz Zerbe, CHS 1948, Central High School Student of the Year Scholarship!
This fall, Charlie will be using his scholarship money to attend Princeton where he will be studying public policy. Princeton’s School of Public and International Affairs is part of what helped Charlie with his college decision, along with its location between New York and Philadelphia.
Charlie’s interest in public policy comes from his involvement in the legislative process here in Nebraska, which he attributes partly to his experience at Central. About Central, Charlie says, “Coming from a school that sits on the site of the former state and territorial capitol may not have been the reason that I decided to get involved in policy, but it is definitely pretty cool as somebody who is sort of a policy geek.” He has spent a lot of time testifying for various bills at the Nebraska Legislature and has worked with local senators. Central has been an important element in Charlie’s involvement with law and public policy, and he says, “Most of that is really because I think Central has taught me a lot about caring about not only my community, but everybody’s perspective and what we can do to best uplift and support everybody,” and he says that participating in the legislative process is a great way to do that.
Charlie’s experience at Central has been invaluable to him. “I have been able to experience a lot of different perspectives, whether that be people who are different races or different genders and sexualities or different socioeconomic statuses, and I feel like it’s integral to being a student at Central.” He says that the importance and value of diversity are ingrained in everyone in the community, and it played a substantial role in forming his experience.
During his time at Central, Charlie participated in several different extracurricular activities. He was captain of the debate team, did play-by-play commentating on Striv TV with Dr. Bigsby and Mr. Nielsen, and he is particularly proud of the fact that he was one of the co-editors of The Register. His time as co-editor taught him how powerful student journalism is, helped him hone his writing skills, and allowed him to make an impact with his work.
Central’s education has made Charlie feel extremely prepared and ready to take on his future educational pursuits. He says, “I think one thing that is really remarkable about Central is its focus and commitment on writing specifically.” This is important to him because, he says, he was taught to “communicate really succinctly, really clearly,” and he will carry this skill with him into college. Beyond just writing, he says, “Central taught me to be interdisciplinary and have a wide range of interests.”
Charlie’s time spent with teachers in class also made an impact on him. He says, “It has been really cool to have teachers who are interested in my academic interests or who encourage me to pursue the things that I’m interested in.” As an International Baccalaureate student, he got to work very closely with many different teachers, and feels that he learned so much not only from class, but from hearing his teachers’ life experiences.
On receiving this award, Charlie says that he was surprised it went to him. “I have so much admiration for everybody in our class. I would be so happy, no matter who it went to, because my peers are just so awesome and are going to do so many awesome things.” Although he had an unconventional start to high school – the COVID-19 lockdown – Charlie looks back fondly on his years as an Eagle. “There is no other place I would have rather gone to high school just because I feel like it’s such a unique place. It has prepared me well for the future and I’m really excited for everything that’s to come.”
Congratulations, Charlie, and good luck next year!
