03/02/2026
Charlsie Donnelly (1991-2018) – Class of 2008 SVE Graduate of Distinction
Charlsie Donnelly, a 2008 Spencer-Van Etten graduate, overcame serious health conditions multiple times throughout her life. She never wanted to identify herself as a victim, so she rarely spoke about her experience with friends or classmates at SVE. After surgery at 11 years old, she underwent two months of intensive rehabilitation, including speech, occupational, and physical therapy, to regain full function. During that time, one of her main goals was to ride her bike again. She committed herself to a positive attitude and a healthy lifestyle, soon logging many miles across Central New York and refocusing on her dream of competitive cycling.
In the summer of 2006, Charlsie raced for the Mission in Motion Cycling Team, the first all-women’s cycling team in Central New York, which donates race earnings to Guthrie/Lourdes Mission in Motion, a local mobile mammography unit. Her effort and focus helped her become the 2006 NYS Junior Women’s Road Race Champion, Criterium Champion, and Time Trial Champion, and she placed in the top ten in two of her three races at the USCF Junior National Championship. Beyond cycling, Charlsie was an avid hiker who knew the Finger Lakes trails by heart and went out in all weather, often with friends by her side. She was also a runner, competing in cross-country at SVE and later with a cross-country group in Ithaca. After graduation, she cared for families as a nanny in the Ithaca area and cooked at the Light on the Hill retreat center in Van Etten. For extraordinary perseverance, excellence, and generosity, Spencer-Van Etten proudly honors Charlsie Donnelly as a Graduate of Distinction.
Above all, Charlsie’s legacy is one of joyful perseverance and community. Whether mapping a new loop on the Finger Lakes Trail, rallying friends for an Ithaca group run, or pedaling for a cause, she drew people in with warmth and quiet strength. She showed that wellness, service, and friendship can go hand in hand…and that setbacks need not define a life. In honoring her as a Graduate of Distinction, we celebrate a Panther whose example can inspire our students to face challenges with courage, care for one another, and keep moving forward.
