At The WARM Place, we’ve spent over three decades walking beside children and their families through the hardest chapters of their lives. In that time, we’ve seen incredible resilience take root — young people who transform grief into growth, and sorrow into strength.
Charlotte Horton is one of those remarkable stories. After losing her father in 2024, Charlotte came to The WARM Place in search of healing. What she found was a supportive community that helped her process her grief and rediscover her voice — not in the spotlight, but behind the scenes.
Now a graduating senior at R.L. Paschal High School, Charlotte is preparing for her next act: attending The Theatre School at DePaul University — one of the most competitive performing arts programs in the country, accepting only 130 students each year. We’re proud to celebrate her journey from healing to harnessing her passion for theatre production — and the bright future she’s building, cue by cue.
Charlotte! We know this is a very busy season of life for you, but also very exciting! For those that don’t know you, please share a few things about yourself.
I am a technical theatre kid, I have four siblings, I love to cook, and I immediately make friends with most people I meet. I am very involved in the theatre program at school and am in several leadership roles within my extracurricular activities.
Tell us about your connection to The WARM Place and what you have learned while attending.
My mother discovered The WARM Place when looking for grief counseling groups a couple of months after my father’s death. I started going within three months of his death and have learned a lot in my time here. I discovered a lot about myself and my relationship with grief, my father’s memory, and negative feelings I experience in my day-to-day life. I have learned to have a lot more patience with myself and others in the confusing world of grief: the place where logical thinking doesn’t compute.
As mentioned, you have plans to attend the DePaul University in the fall – congratulations! What drew you to the theatre program?
My love for Chicago and my desire to attend a rigorous and competitive program. Chicago has a great theatre scene, second best in the country, and the structuring of the technical majors at DePaul was really incredible. It’s reputation precedes it, and they have been nothing short of welcoming and impressive.
What is something that The WARM Place has taught you, that you can carry on as you step into a new chapter in life?
Something I am carrying with me is the value of knowing others that have gone through similar life experiences as me. Knowing people that I can share my grief with has made it feel less isolating. Therefore, in the future I plan to seek out other grief counseling groups as I have discovered the importance of the relatability it gives me.
As someone who experienced the death of a loved one as a child, what advice would you give to other children who are experiencing that same tragedy right now?
I would encourage everyone to understand that while you have lost someone, you have not lost everyone. Find your community and know that people are there for you. Allow yourself to be reminded of the good in the world and the love that surrounds you.
