Alumni in Action – Jakye Nunley
Jakye (pronounced (Jah-Kai) Nunley is a self-described perspective-lover.
“I think that the most beautiful thing we have in this world is that we get to encounter each other’s perspectives and understand each other’s lived experiences,” said Nunley, who is a 2023 graduate of Eaglecrest High School. “At Eaglecrest. I got to speak with people who had completely different philosophies about life than I do, and that, to me, was life-changing.”
Nunley was invited back to his alma mater in January to talk with current EHS students during the freshman, sophomore, and junior class meetings. He spoke about Pride and Opportunity, two tenets of the RAPTOR Way.
“Jakye was asked to share a message with Eaglecrest students because he was a student who had so much pride in our school and he took advantage of every opportunity he could,” said Michelle Whittet, EHS teacher and co-activities director. “Jakye has a genuine love for Eaglecrest and when he is involved in something, you can’t help but to be drawn in by his enthusiasm.”
Nunley grew up in the Cherry Creek School District, attending Ponderosa Elementary, and Prairie and Horizon Community middle schools, before his time at Eaglecrest, where he truly thrived.
“Eaglecrest provided me nothing but amazing opportunities on a daily basis,” he recalled. Those opportunities included both classes and extracurricular activities such as track and field, Elevate, DECA, National Honor Society, the Brotherhood, the Superintendent’s Student Advisory Council, and Student Leadership, which was the very first class he attended as a freshman.
“There was something symbolic about that,” he said. “I walked into my first-year Student Leadership class with Rashaan Davis as a teacher and the rest is history.”
Nunley found a calling in Student Leadership, eventually serving as student body vice president. That service continues at Colorado State University, where Nunley is a sophomore studying business administration with a minor in legal studies. He first worked as deputy director of health, then chief of staff for Associated Students of Colorado State University (ASCSU) where he helped oversee nine different departments and a budget of $2.1 million. This spring he will run for student body president.
He credits the people and programs in Cherry Creek Schools with helping him develop some of the soft skills – communication, critical thinking, and problem-solving – that have helped him pursue his pathway of purpose. He also held a job during his high school years, which taught him valuable time-management skills.
“I felt prepared because I did all four years of high school – balanced academics and extracurriculars and a job,” Nunley said. “I’m a firm believer that I’m going to give myself everything that life has to offer for me, so why would I short myself in participating in extracurriculars just because I have a job?”
Nunley’s zest for life and desire to experience all life has to offer shapes the advice he has for other students.
“Don’t sell yourself short on anything. This is your life. Get the full 100% out of it. You know what you’re capable of, so why would you sell yourself on anything less than that?”
He also encourages past and future graduates to stay connected to their roots.
“Cherry Creek Schools didn’t stop when I graduated,” Nunley said. “Being a Raptor or a Wolf or a Blazer doesn’t stop for you, and that’s been a focal point of my lived experience."
Posted 3/26/2025.