Setting the stage: Grace Melvin is ready for a career in communications and film

Although she is originally from West Palm Beach, Florida, Grace Melvin is a big New York Yankees fan. She inherited her baseball fandom from her father, who originally hails from southwest Connecticut. In a way, that shared love led her to study Broadcasting and Production Technology at Central Piedmont.

“I started making videos for him for his birthday every year; they were short films,” Grace said of the projects, which featured many Yankees references. “Every year I kept realizing, maybe I do like filmmaking, and maybe I could do this as a career.”

Her dad also studied journalism in college, furthering Grace’s interest in communications and related industries. Her parents’ jobs brought her to the Charlotte area around 10 years ago, and Grace is on a steady path toward making a living in the communications world. As part of her journey, she served as one of the commencement speakers during the college’s spring 2026 ceremonies. 

“Central Piedmont does something incredibly special,” she said during the morning commencement. “It takes students who feel uncertain, overlooked or behind, and it gives them the space to lead and prove that they are capable of so much more than a GPA or a past mistake. I am standing here today as proof of that.”

Grace was unsure of herself and her grades after high school, and struggled at a previous institution, but found her voice and direction at Central Piedmont.

She was a marshal for the December 2025 commencement event and was inspired by speaker Kristen Alvarado Sorto’s speech. As a result, Grace wanted to represent her graduating class, area of study and the student groups she’s been part of.

Grace has been part of a lot at Central Piedmont, but it was the grounds of Central Campus itself that made the first impression.

“Central Piedmont had the major that I was looking for, and I took a tour of it, and I was just so surprised at how beautiful the campus was,” she said.

Knowing she wanted to transfer to a four-year school, Grace enrolled at Central Piedmont to earn a solid foundation while taking advantage of the college’s affordable costs. She learned from faculty and staff who took a personal interest in her development, goals and ambitions. Plus, she was involved in numerous clubs and organizations.

Among her roles was serving as the vice president of communications for the Phi Theta Kappa honor society where she recapped meetings, sent out reminder communications, helped with induction ceremonies and made flyers. Wanting to give back to the community, she was also part of Rotaract Club at Central Piedmont and participated in wide-ranging community-service events. 

One of Grace’s proudest achievements at the college was founding the Central Campus Film Society. In fact, she had the opportunity to graduate the previous semester but chose not to because she wanted to get the film society up and running. It was the first time she had ever built something from the ground up.

“It’s been amazing being able to see so many people come together and see friendships form because of a shared love for film,” she said.

Upon graduation, Grace will transfer to the University of North Carolina at Wilmington, where she plans to double major in film and communications. She would like to get a master’s degree in communications at some point as well.

She’s not yet sure what path she would like to take; it could be working for an outlet like ESPN, or working behind the camera as a cinematographer on a film set.

“I just know that I want to be successful,” she said.

Central Piedmont helped plant those seeds of success for Grace, who was also a Merancas Scholar.

Her advice to others is simple: Utilize everything the college has to offer.

“Take advantage of the resources that are available to you on campus and get involved in student groups, student life,” she said. “It'll really change your college experience.”

It was an experience that all started with a simple birthday gift.