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By Paige Fogarty ’00
 Charlie
Meyer, a fourth-year student from Cheyenne, Wyo., has found
an excellent balance of academics and extracurricular activities
at Holy Cross. “I am interested in just about everything,” he
says. A Rhodes Scholar candidate and a Dana Scholar in
the College Honors Program, he serves as head eucharistic
minister as well as a Naval ROTC battalion commander. This
open-ended view of the world has followed him throughout
his career at Holy Cross.
An economics major, he expresses a desire to continue his studies in history
and political science. What motivates his research in the College Honors Program,
however, is his interest in theology. Taking a leap from the norm of writing
an honors thesis in one’s major, Meyer is very passionate about creating
a broad-based study of St. Ignatius’ commitment to the ideal of a spirituality
based on freedom. “After going on the spiritual exercises, I became interested
in the history of St. Ignatius,” Meyer says. “I think he is one of
the most interesting saints because he related to God through the world. This
can be applied to anyone’s life, whether it is being an engineer or going
into the military.”
He points to his experience in the College’s First-Year Program (FYP) as
a tremendous opportunity to personalize his studies. “The full-year, seminar
style classes offered by the FYP as part of its yearly theme were a great experience.
To attend classes with 12 to 15 people didn’t spoil me—it shaped
me; looking back now, I realize almost all the classes I’ve taken tend
to be smaller seminars whenever I can get into them. It is such a unique way
of learning.”
The benefits of learning in a small environment are exactly the reason why Meyer
chose Holy Cross over other, larger Jesuit schools. His favorite class is a case
in point. “I took a Christology seminar with Fr. (John E.) Brooks that
had only eight people in it,” he says. “We studied a theologian of
our own choosing. At the end of the semester, instead of taking a test or writing
a paper, we had to present an oral defense before a board of theology professors
chosen by Fr. Brooks.
Along with his economics major and research interests in religious studies, Meyer
has been involved in the Navy ROTC. Over the course of his four years at Holy
Cross, he has taken an extra class each semester as part of this program. “The
least I’ve had is five classes each semester,” he says. This year
his duties as both battalion commander and senior midshipman place him in a leadership
role for the approximately 100 students enrolled in the program. As a result,
Meyer has sacrificed much of his free time. “It’s a significant responsibility,” he
says, “but I knew that before I took on a lot of these things, and I’m
learning a lot from each of them.”
While it would seem that Meyer has no time for extracurricular activities, this
is definitely not the case. With spirituality a vital part of his life, he is
deeply involved in the campus ministry program at Holy Cross and, also, with
the Knights of Columbus. When asked how he balances all of these commitments,
he says, “No sleep.”
When asked to name a few of the indelible marks Holy Cross will leave on his
life, Meyer immediately mentions “the people.” Impressed by the willingness
of professors to meet with students outside of class to discuss both course materials
and their own personal experiences, he says, “They make you think in new
ways—For me, that’s phenomenal.” Meyer also has deep appreciation
for the interest the Jesuits and members of the Chaplains’ Office have
taken in him, noting the many benefits he received from having the opportunity
to go on retreat. “And, of course,” he says, “I will take with
me the memories of time spent with friends and the academic challenge of this
place … the new ideas that have come to me in every realm of study … art
history, physics, the whole gamut.”
Motivated by his love of learning, Meyer takes every opportunity to broaden his
life experience—moving halfway across the country to attend college, attaining
his pilot’s license, working his way up to a leadership position in the
Navy ROTC, and deepening his spirituality through research and campus involvement.
His postgraduate plans, which also reflect this same love of learning, include
attending flight school at Vance Air Force Base in Enid, Okla.
“
Attending flight school with the Navy offers the opportunity to do and learn
new things,” he says. “I am looking forward not only to getting a
paycheck but also to being able to lead people. That is what we train to be ready
to do both at Holy Cross and in Navy ROTC.”
At press time, it was announced that Charlie Meyer would deliver the valedictory
address at the College’s 154th Commencement.
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