Standout Student: Overcoming Odds, Leaving a Legacy at Cooper
Charlie Rush-Reese, a senior at Robbinsdale Cooper High School, spoke to a small crowd of volunteer students that gathered with anticipation near the school’s doors on Monday, April 22.
“I want to thank you for being willing to basically give back to the community,” he told them. “I just want to clap it up for you guys, so thank you, because this event wouldn’t be possible without student volunteers.”
These students, who represent the Leo Club at Cooper, are gearing up with white gloves and black trash bags. Shortly, they’ll head outside to celebrate a holiday and clean up the school’s open fields and parking lot.
The Leo Club at Cooper
The Leo Club — a student led group modeled after the Lions Club — is using this Earth Day as an excuse to clean up the trash outside Cooper.
Rush-Reese founded the Leo Club earlier this year.
“Me and my officers were like, hey, let’s figure out something to do for Earth Day, maybe trash cleanup,” he said.
It’s not a task that an average high school student considers with much enthusiasm. But for Rush-Reese, it’s a fitting way to mark Earth Day.
“This day is going to show people like, hey, there’s small things you can start with to basically help the Earth around you, like trash cleanup or different stuff like that,” Rush-Reese said.
Cooper teacher Caroline Geise said the Leo Club has established itself as a busy group on a campus in a short time.
“It’s crazy — they’ve done so much,” she said. “They’ve made blankets for The Children’s Hospital, they’ve packed food for a local food shelf, they raise money for Salvation Army.”
Rush-Reese said he’s always wanted to help others, but never had the resources.
“I just love the impact that we’re doing,” he said. “We’re making people happy or helping their day in any way we can. That’s where the fun part comes for me with the club.”
Cooper senior Charlie Rush-Reese founded the Leo Club about a year ago.
Overcoming Adversity
As he patrols for trash with a partner, he taps a walking stick on the ground to keep his bearings. He’s had one since he went blind at age 10.
“I’m one of those mystery cases where like, the doctors [were] like, ‘we don’t really know what happened to you,’ and I’m like, ‘m’kay,'” Rush-Reese said, throwing up a double thumbs-up. “So I just roll with the punches and I just keep going.”
It hasn’t slowed him down or turned him bitter.
“He’s really thoughtful, he cares more than probably most people in the world, just about others and everyone,” Geise said. “He’s super inclusive and has such a good head on his shoulders.”
He hopes his work at Cooper can leave a lasting impression on everyone it touches.
“That’s my biggest hope for this event, that this basically inspires people to basically start helping out in any way they can,” he said.
Rush-Reese plans to attend Columbia College in Chicago after graduation to study arts and musical theater.
Cooper High School
