At Pine Crest, students are not only preparing for the future—they’re shaping it. For Charlotte Thies ’25 and Jake Weidenfeld ’25, that future is rooted in empathy, leadership and the courage to connect through shared experiences.
Charlotte Thies ’25 and Jake Weidenfeld ’25
Together, they co-founded GRIEF Lift, with GRIEF as an acronym for Gaining Resources Including Everlasting Friendships. GRIEF Lift is a student-led support group for peers who have lost a primary caregiver. What began as a deeply personal response to grief has grown into a thriving, cross-campus initiative that’s helping Pine Crest students feel seen, heard and supported.
“I was put in therapy the day after my dad passed,” said Charlotte. “But I never felt like my therapists truly understood me. When Jake reached out and shared his own story, it helped me feel normal and heard. That connection is what started GRIEF Lift.”
For Jake, who lost his father in sixth grade, the idea of reaching out was personal. “I didn’t know anyone my age going through something similar. So when Charlotte lost her dad, I messaged her right away. I thought maybe I could help her—but I didn’t expect how much it would help me too.”
They launched the group with support from faculty and administrators, learning through trial and error how to reach their peers. “We didn’t really know how to go about it at first,” Jake said. “It was just the two of us and a few others. Sometimes it was just us. But we kept showing up.”
Charlotte ’25 and her mom, Melissa ’89, at a GRIEF event in memory of father/husband Thomas Thies
That perseverance paid off. GRIEF Lift now meets regularly during advisory periods to allow for consistency and privacy. Meetings range from quiet reflection to shared stories, depending on who is ready to speak. “There’s never pressure,” said Jake. “Sometimes just listening is enough. But over time, people start to open up. That’s when the healing really begins.”
The group has since expanded to both campuses and two Divisions with plans to move into the Middle Schools in the 2025-26 school year. When the group meets with Lower School students, the sessions can range from playing games to helping with homework, activities that Jake and Charlotte know are helping to foster connection and give these young students a community of support. Charlotte describes the impact of watching students connect across age groups. “There’s something you can teach and learn from anyone, no matter how far along you are in the grieving process,” she said.
They’ve also found meaning beyond the meetings. Charlotte and Jake volunteer with Experience Camps, a national nonprofit supporting grieving children. Jake co-organized a charity golf tournament, WWDD: What Would Don Do, named for his late father and benefitting Experience Camps. The event brought together more than 230 members of his father’s community and raised funds to support young people just like Jake and Charlotte.
Jake Weidenfeld ’25 with family and friends at WWDD Charity Golf Tournament
The skills Charlotte and Jake have gained through this work—empathy, resilience, service, leadership and emotional intelligence are future-ready in every sense. As the world grows more complex, these human-centered qualities will define strong leadership and shape compassionate communities.
“There’s a lot of trial and error in launching something like this,” said Charlotte. “But we learned to be patient, to keep showing up even when no one else did and to believe in what we were doing.”
“I want to build something that makes a difference in the world,” said Jake. “Whether it helps millions or just a few, that’s my goal now. GRIEF Lift changed my life.”
They credit Pine Crest not only for supporting them through loss, but for giving them the platform and resources to build something meaningful from it. “Pine Crest never said no,” said Charlotte. “They helped us set up meetings, reach the right people and bring our ideas to life.”
That support created something lasting. “We may be graduating, but GRIEF Lift will continue,” said Jake. “And hopefully it’ll expand beyond Pine Crest.”
In the hands of students like Charlotte and Jake, the future looks more connected, more compassionate and more human.