by Kim Cameron
In the fall, West Grand senior Charlie Multerer will be attending Princeton University in New Jersey. According to the US News and World Report, Princeton is the highest-ranked university in the nation.
This year, the East Coast Ivy League university offered admittance to only 1,498 students for the Class of 2025, a record low acceptance rate of 3.98 percent.
“Getting accepted into the highest-ranked university in the country is an unmatched feeling. I have never felt that kind of joy ever in my life,” Multerer comments, “It’s truly amazing to be able to see my hard work begin to pay off. Also, I take pride in the fact that I can be an inspiration to other students who are academically motivated. I shot for the moon, and I landed in the stars. Others can too.”
To add to this accomplishment, Multerer is also the recipient of the prestigious Daniels Scholarship that is awarded to less than 10%
of its applicants. This year, there were nearly 2,000 applicants for the $100,000 scholarship, paying $25,000 each academic year. The program also boasts mentoring programs for its recipients to help ensure their future success.
These achievements did not happen by accident for Multerer who established his life’s goals early. In 5th grade, he had a defining experience at Grand County’s annual Law Day.
“We were in Hot Sulphur and we did a little mock trial. The case was the Three Little Pigs vs the Big Bad Wolf. I was an attorney, and I was like, ‘Wow this is really cool being in the county courtroom.’ I was drawn to the whole atmosphere.”
“I am motivated and driven because I know exactly what I want my future to look like,” he says of this pivotal experience that helped define his career and educational goals.
Multerer plans to major in political science and then pursue a law degree and become a corporate lawyer complete with “a big corner office.” He then hopes to enter politics and eventually reach the oval office.
Turning 18 years old on April 2, Multerer hasn’t even voted in an election yet. But he has already identified the election year when he will be old enough to run for president, the year 2040. His mom has begun the hashtag campaign, “Charlie Multerer President of USA 2040.”
At nearly 6 feet 7 inches, Multerer would be the tallest president so far in history. He could also be the first president from Colorado.
Of his political views, Multerer says, “I think I am going to be the first independently-elected president.” He admits he leans more conservative in his views at this time, but there are areas where he agrees and disagrees with both parties. Ultimately, he
hopes to bring common sense to the presidency. “Many things that are happening now seem counterintuitive. I seriously question why things are the way they are.”
Multerer has already gained some experience in the political campaign arena. As part of his internships with the Homegrown Talent Initiative (HTI), he worked on developing a social media campaign for District 2 Commissioner candidate, Shanna Ganne, in the November election.
With an eye to his future goals, Multerer has also interned with Attorney Frank Parker in Granby and is currently interning with Attorney Craig Finger in Denver, Colorado, who specializes in complex commercial litigation. Multerer served as a student representative for the HTI when it formed last year and gives it a shout-out saying, “HTI really offers you a bunch of different experiences you can have with potential futures and careers.”
In addition to his experience with HTI, Multerer has cultivated his leadership skills in his array of activities. He is the vice-president of the West Grand FBLA (Future Business Leader of America) and the vice-president of the National Honor Society. He also serves on Student Council, UpRise, Renaissance, and was a key player for the Mustangs’ boys basketball team.
Never one to shy away from the rigors of academic coursework, Multerer’s grade point average is higher than the traditional 4.0 because of his honors classes.
He also took advantage of dual credit courses that gave him high school and college credit.
English Comp with Ms. Melissa Johnston was one these college credit courses that Multerer says had an impact on him. “It challenged me, and it definitely made me fall in love with writing,” he says of his assignments that could be 12 or more pages in length. “We learned different writing techniques and went over different types of writing.”
Ms. Johnston says of Multerer’s recent successes, “Chuck is an amazing human who never settles for anything less than his best. He is a leader, a scholar, and an athlete. Princeton is just the first step to his adult successes.”
As expected, Multerer is graduating at the top of his class and will give the valedictorian speech at the graduation ceremony in May.
He admits he may be a little “shell-shocked” when he moves to the big city to attend the university since he has lived his entire life in Kremmling, but he has been “prepping” himself for college with TED Talks featuring topics on college and by watching YouTube videos.
“At West Grand, we may not have as many educational opportunities as bigger schools, yet somehow, I keep finding all these opportunities and making all these opportunities for myself,” says Multerer on setting himself apart and working for his future goals.
West Grand High School principal, Elizabeth Bauer says, “Charlie is a great student leader here at West Grand. He has always been focused on achieving his goal and it is exciting to see his hard work and dedication pay off. Charlie will continue to move mountains with his drive, great attitude, and work ethic! We are happy for him!”
Multerer is the son of Bert and Cindy Multerer. He has an older brother, AJ.
