The homecoming of Charlie Grant | Humans of Catlin Gabel

By Andy Han ‘26

Photo courtesy of Charlie Grant.

New upper school counselor Charlie Grant is a fresh face on campus for most, but for some faculty members who had the pleasure of teaching him during his time in the upper school, his face is a familiar and welcome one. As Grant completes his homecoming return journey to Catlin Gabel School (CGS), one pressing question must then be answered: Who is Charlie Grant?

Grant grew up in Northeast Portland, first attending the Arbor School from kindergarten to eighth grade, while his mom began working at the CGS during this time. His younger sister attended Catlin from K-12, while Grant joined the Catlin Community freshman year, staying until his graduation.

Nevertheless, Grant’s journey began long before his time at CGS, and his experiences during his childhood would consequently shape the lifelong passions he holds today.

In fact, his lifelong devotion to studying art history, philosophy, and religion—fields in which he pursued his studies in college—can partly be attributed to his travels in various countries. When he was in the sixth grade, Grant’s family moved to Italy and lived in the cities of Tuscany and Siena for about six months due to his father’s obligations as a professor in a study abroad program.

In Grant’s own words, “I think given that my family had lived in Italy when I was growing up, I was just so excited about seeing the David (Michelangelo), and seeing the Renaissance in person. I think that's really where some of those art history roots began.” 

Furthermore, during his Junior year at Bates University, Grant studied abroad in Dharamsala, India. Through this program organized by Emory University, he had the opportunity to meet and talk to the Dalai Lama as part of the curriculum. “He’s touched my beard,” Grant remarked. 

While there, he had the opportunity to ask him questions as part of the program and see him on occasion, as Dharamsala is the capital of Tibetan exiles. When asked about the Dalai Lama’s personality, Grant commented, “He's as cool as they come.” 

Following his transformational experience in Dharamsala, Grant received research funding for his senior thesis to travel to Kathmandu, Nepal, being motivated by his interest in Buddhist art. There, he interviewed Tibetan monks, nuns, and Thangka artists about how religious artworks are used by lay practitioners, monks, and monastics in their devotional worship practices.

There is no doubt that Grant is a well-traveled individual, but although travel has played a large role in shaping Grant’s passions, another great influence was his mother. 

When asked about the origins of his passions, Grant replied, saying, “My mom was a real thinker of what it means to be human, and I think that gene got passed to me. I think art, religion, and philosophy all get at that question of: how do we make sense of who we are?”

Just like his mother, Grant has also had strong ties to CGS, the Portland area, and his work as an educator. In fact, during his time in the upper school, Grant worked with the grounds crew under Mike Wilson as his first-ever job. 

During his college years, he worked as a religion teaching assistant for a New Hampshire public school program. Post-graduation, he returned to work as a Buddhist philosophy teaching assistant for the same Dharamasala program he had attended in his undergraduate years.

Before attending the University of Chicago for his master’s degrees in divinity and social work, Grant worked in the Tetons as a mountain guide and environmental educator. Upon his return to Portland, he joined Post58, a local mountain climbing organization, beginning as the outreach coordinator but eventually ascending to the role of program director. During graduate school, Grant undertook the demanding role of a hospital chaplain, which he described as “both incredibly difficult and incredibly beautiful.” 

Now that he has returned to CGS, Grant hopes for students to see him as “someone on their team, not a judgmental figure,” he says. When asked what students can go to him for, Grant shared that his office is a space for both serious and lighthearted conversation, or in his own words, “whatever comes up can be talked through in here.”

When asked what factors drew him back to working in a school community, Grant expressed that during his time in graduate school, he missed being a part of a school community the most. 

Citing qualities unique to school environments which he found compelling, he said, “I love the idea of people being formed through learning and the idea of ideas being part of the milieu of what it means to be in school.” Elaborating further, he said, “Whether or not I am teaching them, I think, especially in high school age students, there's a sense in which what you are reading, what you are taking in, is informing who you are.” 

Ultimately, Grant hopes to support the Catlin community by serving as an asset to guide students along their process of self-cultivation in the upper school. His return marks a full-circle moment in his lifelong journey—one in which he will continue to engage in deep thought, appreciate art, and devote himself to helping others.