With more than 400 hours of service and leadership roles across campus, Charli-Ann Astin embodies the spirit of Honor, Glory, and Love especially through our commitment to faith in action. She has spent her high school years volunteering with The Friendly Center, Families Forward, Big Brothers Big Sisters, and Someone Cares Soup Kitchen. This fall, she is interning at Families Forward, a continuation of her passion for community-based service.
A graduate and parishioner of St. Joachim Parish in Costa Mesa, Charli-Ann grateful for the gift of her Catholic education. She chose Mater Dei because of its strong faith foundation and values that align with her own. On campus, she is actively involved in ASB, Scarlet Ambassadors, Campus Ministry (where she designs posters for outreaches and events), and serves as a MANE Mentor with the Counseling Office, assisting our newest Monarchs as they enter Mater Dei.
When she learned she was selected as Monarch of the Month, Charli-Ann said she was “so grateful for this opportunity, and so excited.” Her favorite Mater Dei experience so far was traveling last summer to attend Notre Dame Vision, where she combined service in Chicago with a transformative retreat at the University of Notre Dame alongside her peers.
After graduation, she plans to attend college either in California or on the East Coast, with interests in psychology, business, or education. Outside of school, Charli-Ann enjoys volleyball, cooking, and spending time at the beach with friends.
When asked what Honor, Glory, and Love means to her, Charli-Ann shared: “They are values that I try to live out in my life every day. I also try to exemplify them at Mater Dei, and they have helped me to be the best student possible.”
To Charli-Ann, Mater Dei is more than a school – it is a family. She cherishes the lifelong friendships and strong relationships she has built with both classmates and teachers.
If she had to describe her Mater Dei journey in one word, Charli-Ann chose: Fulfilling.