The Charlie Fund

Charlie Johnson '21 was a mechanical engineering student who fully embraced international travel and the cultural awareness that comes from immersing oneself in the world. Charlie felt strongly that experiencing other cultures, places and languages provides perspective that makes us stronger citizens. While it may seem unachievable for many, in reality our college years provide the ideal platform and time for those global experiences. Recognizing that many of his fellow students do not have resources to build these life-changing experiences into their time at St. Thomas, The Charlie Fund was established to provide study abroad experiences for students who otherwise could not afford to go.

While at St. Thomas, Charlie studied in New Zealand and Rome. His Senior Design Clinic project was with the Andean Alliance for Sustainable Development in Peru. He spoke French and Spanish. And one day prior to his death, he had signed up to be part of a reforestation program in Brazil.

He had an adventurous spirit. In his room, he made a hand drawn map of the world highlighting all of the countries where he had traveled. He also drew one for his sister to mark her adventures. The final entry in his sketchbook was an artful drawing of a quote from the philosopher Lao Tzu, "A good traveler has no fixed plans and is not intent on arriving."

Thank you for extending Charlie's spirit to allow more young minds to experience what he knew led to a full life.

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