Alum Awards

Alumni Service Award

The Alumni Service Award honors an alum who has consistently provided exemplary volunteer service to Charlotte Christian School, going above and beyond in devotion to the school. The award is given on an annual basis to an alum whose actions demonstrate outstanding personal service and commitment to the school in promoting either the mission of CCS and/or the CCS Alumni Association.

2021 Recipient - Joy Farley ('08)

The 2021 Alumni Service Award recipient is Joy Farley who graduated from Charlotte Christian in 2008 and is now going into her 10th year professionally in real estate. Her goals focus on building and selling new homes by day and uplifting, inspiring and encouraging women. Additionally, she is the founder of MADE FOR MORE, an online community of women who exist to see their full potential and help empower other women to do the same. Their slogan being, “When one woman wins we all win”!

Joy is an inaugural member of the Charlotte Christian alumni board and is so excited to continue being a part of all the growth across the CCS community. One of her favorite memories is speaking to Mrs. Poole’s class of girls during J-Term.

Joy is one of seven kids who are all doing amazing things at the highest of levels from the NFL, to the world of wine, to sales, and the arts. Family comes first in her life and she is always her sibling’s biggest cheerleader.

2020 recipient: Mike Metcalf ('00)

2020 Recipient - Mike Metcalf ('00)

Mr. Mike Metcalf graduated from Charlotte Christian in 2000. He graduated from Appalachian State University where he also played football. Mike is married to Dara and the couple has two children.

Since college, Mr. Metcalf has made his career within NASCAR. He began in 2006 working as a pit crew member and mechanic with the Red Bull Racing Team. In 2011, he worked in a similar capacity with Michael Waltrip Racing and also became one of the team’s coaches. In 2013, he joined the Chip Ganassi Racing Team where he is currently the Head Pit Crew Coach and one of the most respected members of any pit crew across all of NASCAR.

Out of their racing experiences, Mr. Metcalf and his teammate, Shaun Peet, founded DECK Leadership in 2017, a business consulting company based in Charlotte. Through DECK, they inspire and transform the modern workplace by uncovering opportunities for diversity, efficiency, culture and kindness rooted in principles based on their pit crew experience.

In addition to helping establish the Charlotte Christian Alumni Board, Mr. Metcalf is very involved in serving in the community. He serves on the board for Daddy Saturday, a non-profit organization that equips fathers to be more intentional and engaged with their children, and for RunningWorks, Inc., an organization that uses sports to help empower individuals and families to break the cycles of abuse, abandonment, neglect, poverty and homelessness. He served as the president of the board of directors for the Charlotte Rescue Mission for two years and is an avid volunteer with the Ronald McDonald House.

When asked about the influence of Charlotte Christian on his life Mr. Metcalf shared, “the ideals of character and excellence are instilled at every level (at Charlotte Christian) - spiritually, academically and athletically. More than anything, I’m grateful to CCS for challenging me and pushing me toward being excellent in my choices and habits, allowing me to experience success at the family and professional level.”

2019 recipient: Ben Ector ('81)

Ben Ector graduated from Charlotte Christian in 1981 and received his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from UNC-Charlotte. He returned to Charlotte Christian in 1986 as a teacher and has spent more than 30 years in Christian education.

At Charlotte Christian, Ben has served as a teacher, both in the middle school and upper school; a coach across all levels of the soccer program; an advisor to multiple classes; interim athletic director; and piloted the effort to start the women’s soccer program in 1989.

For more than a decade, he faithfully led both the Accolade yearbook and Lancer newspaper programs in the upper school, guiding them to a new standard of excellence. Ben and his wife, Kathy, have been married 31 years and have a son, Evan, a lifer at Charlotte Christian who graduated in 2014. Click here to read Ben's speech from the award ceremony.

2018 recipient: Jackie Smith ('03)

Upon graduation from Charlotte Christian in 2003, Jackie Smith attended Auburn University where she received her bachelor’s degree in communications with a minor in psychology. After graduation, she attended the Focus on the Family Institute in Colorado Springs and went on to Washington, D.C. where she had the privilege of working for President George W. Bush as an advance representative for the U.S Secretary of Education. In this role, she organized events in the United States and around the world including Kenya and Oman.

After leaving this role, she returned to Charlotte to work in the medical field for several years. With an extensive background in leadership, Jackie recently pursued her long-term dream of becoming a residential real estate specialist and now holds professional licenses in Fla., S.C., and N.C.

Jackie has a heart bent towards giving back and serves the community through multiple non-profits including her church. She has been instrumental in the creation and development of the Alumni Board, and her work ethic and positivity are infectious and have led to the growth of the overall alumni program at Charlotte Christian. We are proud to honor Jackie with the 2018 Alumni Service Award for her service back to Charlotte Christian.

Distinguished Alumni Award

The Distinguished Alumni Award is presented to an alum who has made outstanding contributions to God’s Kingdom through their field of work, demonstrated a heart for Christ as a servant leader in their community and shown exceptional dedication to Charlotte Christian School.

2021 Recipient - Austin Young ('01)

The 2021 Distinquished Alumni Award recipient is Austin Young who graduated from Charlotte Christian in 2001. As a student, Austin was heavily involved within the Charlotte Christian community as a National Honor Society member, a representative on the Student Council, and a Varsity Letterman.

He went on to study engineering at N.C. State University. Graduating from N.C. State in 2006, he married Kayti and they have four children ages 11 to 4. He thanks his Mom and Dad for their dedication to the Lord and for raising him to follow Jesus and his brother Jon who also graduated from CCS in 2006. Austin and his family have a deep desire to see those in need helped, they love Jesus and serve Him wherever He asks them to go.

2020 recipient: Kristi Wells ('01)
2018 recipient: Omar Carter ('07)

2020 recipient: Kristi Wells ('01)

2020 Recipient - Kristi Wells ('01)

Mrs. Kristi Wells graduated from Charlotte Christian in 2001. Her path led her to college at Texas Christian University where she met her husband, JD Wells. The couple now has three children and currently lives in the Washington, D.C. area.

Professionally, she is an experienced business owner with a demonstrated proficiency of leading operations, growing revenues in multiple industries, building successful teams and leading innovative growth strategies for sales organizations including Advocare International, Shire Pharmaceuticals, Gannett and Tribune Media.

In 2017, Mrs. Wells started Safe House Project, a national leading organization in the fight against trafficking. Safe House Project operates two arms: Anti-Trafficking Business Consultancy and Safe House Development/ Survivor Impact.

On the consultancy side, Safe House Project provides services to industry-leading companies to elevate their human trafficking platforms through policies, procedures and trainings in order to mitigate risk. Additionally, Safe House Project develops marketing fundraising promotions with corporate partners to showcase corporate social responsibility.

When asked about CCS’s impact on her life, Mrs. Wells shared, “CCS forever changed my life. I arrived there in 8th grade and for the next five years, it was ingrained in me that God had a purpose for my life and that I was created to be a servant leader. This came to life when I was a junior at CCS and went on a mission trip to Costa Rica where I saw child sex trafficking for the first time. Upon returning and having my heart set on fire, I remember being told that I ‘could do something about it.’ I never let those words leave me. Nearly 20 years later, I am the CEO of a national anti-trafficking organization where we providing rescue, freedom and hope to America's child sex trafficking victims. While at CCS I was given the audacious belief that I could impact the world. Today, by the grace and power of God, I am.”

2018 recipient: Omar Carter ('07)

As a student at Charlotte Christian School, Omar Carter was a two-time, all-state basketball honoree and led the varsity team to the state championship finals. Upon his graduation in 2007, he went on to star at Charleston Southern University, where he was named the Big South Freshman of the Year. At the end of his sophomore season, Omar transferred to Appalachian State University and, as a mountaineer, Omar earned SoCon Player of the Week, All-Southern Conference, and Second-Team All-District 22 honors. Following his collegiate career, Omar continued playing basketball overseas in several countries including Brazil and the Dominican Republic.

Omar’s professional basketball career ended abruptly when his heart stopped due to cardiac arrest while playing in a summer league game in Charlotte in July of 2013. This pivotal moment in Omar’s life led him to start the Omar Carter Foundation with a goal of saving lives by teaching one million people CPR. As a Charlotte Christian alum, we are proud of Omar’s dedication to community service through his foundation and for his Christ-like response to near tragedy in his own life. We are proud to honor him with the 2018 Distinguished Alumni Award.

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