At certain points in his life, the only home Charlie Scriver had was the backseat of a car.

Currently, this Bennion Jr. High eighth-grader splits his living arrangements between his grandmother’s house in Eagle Mountain and a friend’s home in Taylorsville. He arrives at school every morning around 6 a.m. – a full hour and 45 minutes before the first bell rings for the day – because that is when his mother is able to drop him off on her way to work.

 Yet upon meeting Charlie, you’d never guess the hardships he has to endure on a daily basis. He maintains all A’s in school, and is always willing to help others with things they don’t understand. He joins as many school clubs as he can so that he doesn’t waste time during the hours he has to wait for his mother to pick him up.

“His positive attitude is such an example to me,” said Bennion history teacher Anne Black. “I know that there is a lot of sickness in his family, but he doesn’t talk about it. He never has a negative thing to say about others or himself.”

“I have taught in many schools and many places over the past 28 years, and he is, by far, the most resilient and hard-working student I have ever met,” said Bennion science teacher Judith Hess said.

Charlie was announced as this year’s Absolutely Incredible Kid – an annual recognition from Granite School District and Granite Education Foundation that shines a spotlight on students who rise above hardships to learn, succeed and serve. The announcement came as a complete surprise to Charlie, and his genuine humble demeanor on stage was a hint of his remarkable attitude.

As soon as his name was announced, Charlie received a standing ovation from his peers and teachers. At the end of the presentation, Bennion students rushed the stage to congratulate him.

“I don’t know you very well, but you are so inspiring; thank you,” one student told him.

“I’m putting ‘Charlie for president’ on my Instagram,” another said.

We are grateful to VLCM, Granite Education Foundation, Granite Credit Union, Great Harvest Bred, Larry H. Miller Megaplex Theatres, ARVO, Max Connect Marketing, and Seven Peaks for donating items to Charlie. Among the gifts were a $1,000 scholarship, a new laptop, movie theatre gift cards, and a bag of new clothes. We’re also thankful to author Richard Paul Evans who sent a personal greeting and provided autographed copies of the complete ‘Michael Vey’ book series.

Granite School District is full of incredible kids. Thank you, Charlie, for your example of humility, thoughtfulness, service, academic achievement, and amazing attitude.

Read more about Charlie