From India to middle college: Khushi Bhatia is finding her own way

When Khushi Bhatia was little in Mumbai, India, her mother often used a phrase encouraging her to find her own unique pathway. The phrase was: “Hume baki bhed bakriyo ki tarah nahi banna,” literally meaning, “Don’t be like the sheep that follow each other into a ditch.”

That advice stuck with Khushi throughout her life. Her path led her to serve as a student commencement speaker at Central Piedmont Community College in spring 2026. 

Khushi was part of the middle college program at Central Piedmont’s Levine Campus, letting her earn her high school diploma from Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools (CMS) and an Associate in Arts degree at the same time. That is further proof Khushi is charting her own course as she prepares to transfer to the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill to study computer science. In addition to her associate degree, Khushi received a Business Analytics certificate from Central Piedmont.

“[Middle college] prepared me a lot,” she said. “Currently I’m still at home and have my parents to guide me. However, at Central Piedmont, I'm able to experience the rigor of college coursework and faculty expectations earlier than my peers.”

After spending her earliest days in India, Khushi’s father’s job brought her to North America. She has lived in New Jersey, West Virginia, Michigan and Canada, and has been in Charlotte for the past eight years. In fact, she attended eight different schools, at first trying to fit in at each. But her mother’s words resonated, and at Central Piedmont, she found a home.

“This place is special,” she said during her speech at the afternoon commencement ceremony. “It brings together people from different backgrounds, different responsibilities, and different goals — but with one shared determination: to grow.”

Khushi grew up around technology, with her father serving as a software consultant, and was inspired by his work. But more than anything, she is simply fascinated by computer science and the possibilities it holds.
 
“Now that there's AI and all this new technology out there, it's just really exciting,” she said.

Never one to shy away from trying new things, the opportunity to attend middle college and take college classes also excited Khushi.

She acknowledges that changing from a traditional high school to the middle college model was a bit daunting at first. However, she soon felt comfortable, understanding that everyone was there to help.
 
“As I went along and I tried to get to know people, it felt a lot better, and now I'm really happy that I'm a part of the Central Piedmont community,” she said.

Khushi was also pleasantly surprised to find a wide range of clubs and activities across Central Piedmont. She was part of several extracurricular activities during her time at the college, highlighted by serving as a tutor and peer mentor. As a Mu Alpha Theta member, she tutored elementary students in math. Plus, as co-president of the Peer Mentoring Club, she assisted incoming high school juniors in registering for classes at CMS and Central Piedmont while helping them get acclimated to Levine Campus.

“My family really values knowledge and education,” Khushi said. “It’s really nice to share your knowledge with somebody else because it doesn’t decrease your own knowledge. It actually increases it because you get to meet new people. Maybe they will tell you something new that you didn’t know about.

“Also, I am a pretty empathetic individual ... I like to put myself in somebody else’s shoes.”

Besides tutoring and peer mentoring work, Khushi has been involved in the community as part of the Chick-fil-A Leaders Academy and the yearbook club, and as co-president of both the International Club and Levine Lift and Learn.

As part of the International Club, she was heavily involved in planning the organization’s International Festival. 

“It’s just really cool to see different cultures and countries come together and to learn about new things,” she said.

Khushi’s desire to try something new was also the driving force behind her interest in serving as a commencement speaker.

"It’s a really big honor,” she said. “But it was also a way for me to try a new experience because I’ve never done something like that.” 

Khushi has already accomplished a great deal in just a few years. But there is still much more for her to do. She credits Central Piedmont and the middle college program with providing a foundation for her life and future career. She leaned on advisors and faculty, all of whom provided guidance and suggestions. Plus, she made plenty of new friends.
 
“What I love most about Central Piedmont is the big, supportive community,” she said.

It’s a community she has embraced while always finding her own way.