Charley grew up as a native Texan in Fort Worth. He was not a natural born outdoorsman, rather he came into his connection and passion for outdoors as an adolescent. Once he got a taste for the outdoors, it was hard to keep him away. 

Charley studied at the University of Colorado Boulder and embarked on a NOLS Outdoor Educator course in summer of 2024 in Alaska to hone his own outdoor and educational skills. 

It is not only the outdoors that pulls Charley to this work at Elements, but his deep interest and eye for working with young people. Charley has faced his share of challenges. Through his experiences, he has found growth and meaning as he shares this stepping into a mentor role.

Charley seeks to embody some of the characteristics of mentor figures in his own past, as mentorship was a major theme in his early life.