News and Features

Central Piedmont alumna Desiree Kinker, a chef at one of the tailgating groups at the Panthers' games, talks about her life transition from a recovering drug addict to a tailgating star in this Nov. 8 Charlotte Observer article. 

Read how Desiree, a graduate of the college's culinary arts program, is using her Central Piedmont education to conquer possibility.

Last month, Central Piedmont Model United Nations Club members attended the UNC Carolinas Conference, together with high schools and colleges from across North Carolina. The event gave the college’s first-time and returning Central Piedmont Model United Nations delegates the opportunity to further develop their negotiating, problem solving, and public speaking skills within each committee. 

Students researched, debated, and wrote mock UN resolutions at the conference about a variety of current global topics, such as gender and the role of women in disarmament, the effects of global warming on human health, the rising tensions between China and the U.S., and preventing spillover violence from the Sudan conflict.

“I learned about topics I otherwise would not have been aware of beforehand,” said Returning Model UN member Yasmine Outtara.

Three of the newer members of the Central Piedmont Model UN team – Katherine Beekman, Emma Hoff, and Christopher St. Hilaire – were named Outstanding Delegates for representing South Africa in the Security Council and General Assembly 1st respectively.

How to Join the Central Piedmont Model UN Team

Any Central Piedmont student is welcome to join the Model UN Club. Club meetings are:

Central Campus: Mondays, 2:30 - 4 p.m., in Zeiss, Room 3120

Levine Campus: Fridays, 1-2 p.m., in Levine II, Room 1307

Learn more about how to join the Central Piedmont Model UN team.

Upcoming Conferences

Central Piedmont students will be attending two more conferences in spring 2020: the Harvard National Model UN Conference in February and the Southern Regional Model UN Conference in Charlotte in March. 

Central Piedmont Community College has launched the public phase of its “Powering a Stronger Future” campaign. The five-year fundraising effort seeks to raise $40 million – the most ambitious and comprehensive campaign in the college’s 56-year history.

The campaign will run through June 2022, and has raised $23.5 million during its two-year quiet phase.

“The Powering a Stronger Future campaign is about students and addressing the upward mobility challenges in Mecklenburg County,” Central Piedmont President Dr. Kandi Deitemeyer explained. “For those who want our community to thrive and want to make an investment – education is a game changer. Central Piedmont is a great place to help students thrive and be successful in our community. I think there is no better investment for Mecklenburg’s future.”

The Powering a Stronger Future campaign priorities include:

• $15 million to fund student scholarships and support the student emergency fund;
• $9.5 million for student support services, such as academic and career advising, leadership opportunities, out-of-classroom experiences, enhanced disability services, and the Summer Bridge program that helps students prepare for their first semester of college;
• $9.5 million to further instructional excellence through support for programs, equipment and other resources and faculty;
• $5 million for specific programs that foster economic mobility, such as the Accelerated Career Training program for under- and unemployed adults, the early childhood education program that trains pre-K teachers, and strategic workforce partnerships; and
• $1 million for the college’s annual fund to respond to evolving priorities and needs.

Pat Rodgers, president and CEO of Rodgers Builders and a Central Piedmont alumna, is serving as the honorary campaign chair. The campaign chairpersons are Weston Andress, regional president, PNC Financial Services; Linda Lockman-Brooks, president, Lockman-Brooks Marketing Services; and Carl Showalter, president, Showalter Construction.

“Central Piedmont is a solid investment for donors because you see the results. You see the results in the lives of Central Piedmont graduates,” Rodgers shared. “What they carry with them from Central Piedmont is the education of a lifetime, and it changes their lives and the lives around them.

“My time at Central Piedmont was life changing. It meant so much to me to have the opportunity to go to the Central Piedmont of my day. When I look at what Central Piedmont is now and the impact it makes, it is just amazing. I know the impact it had on my life, and I think it’s fair to say, if you live in this community, Central Piedmont impacts your life as well,” Rodgers added.

For more information about the Central Piedmont’s Powering a Stronger Future campaign, call the Central Piedmont Foundation at 704.330.6869.

“Central Piedmont is a trusted entity,” Deitemeyer said. “When this community considers the number of people we need going into the workforce and how we’re going to move this great city to the next level that offers prosperity to all, it’s going to take an education provider like Central Piedmont. So this campaign is about people and providing pathways to opportunity and greater economic mobility and personal success.”

In an ongoing effort to ensure local residents are equipped with the digital skills needed to compete in today’s economy, Central Piedmont Community College has partnered with Facebook to offer a short-term workforce Digital Marketing Certificate program led through the college’s Small Business Center.

According to Burning Glass Labor Insights, digital marketing skills were required in more than 20 percent of the job posts listed across 30 different occupations in 2018. A similar study conducted by Emsi (economicmodeling.com) on the local level, found that Charlotte organizations, including banks and retailers, posted more than 6,600 jobs over the past 12 months that sought candidates with digital and social media marketing skills.

Recognizing the need for more digital marketing professionals in the marketplace, Central Piedmont’s Small Business Center will offer the Digital Marketing Certificate beginning Jan. 1, 2020. Designed for working adults, the six-month program will be offered as a non-credit program. No transcript or college application is required. Mostly delivered online, the program will include seven in-person sessions. The program will cost $2,250, with partial $1,000 and $2,000 scholarships available.

Top marketing professionals from Facebook, LinkedIn, Zillow, Spanx, and others created the program content which will cover a variety of topics, ranging from email marketing and social media marketing, to marketing analytics and paid search/display advertising.

Participants who complete the program will:

• Boost their portfolio with real-world projects, including a digital marketing plan, Facebook ad, email marketing campaign, and more to add to their portfolio
• earn a certificate endorsed and co-branded by Facebook and Central Piedmont
• prove they are top candidates and job-ready with core marketing concepts and practical technical skills

Central Piedmont’s Small Business Center will begin accepting scholarship applications Thursday, October 10 at cpcc.edu/digital-marketing. To reserve a spot or to learn more, visit cpcc.edu/digital-marketing.

UNC Charlotte and Central Piedmont Community College today announced a new co-admission program to facilitate degree completion and student success by creating a seamless pathway for individuals who want to start their degree at Central Piedmont and complete their degree at UNC Charlotte.

This innovative co-admission program, called 49erNext, allows both Central Piedmont and UNC Charlotte to engage in a fully integrated proactive advising model, ensuring students’ progress toward the timely completion of a baccalaureate degree. As participants in the 49erNext program, students are eligible to transfer into more than 75 undergraduate degree programs (130+ majors) at UNC Charlotte, as long as they earn an associate degree at Central Piedmont with a minimum 2.0 cumulative GPA.

“UNC Charlotte admits the most transfer students of all universities in the UNC System so this partnership with Central Piedmont will ensure that we are meeting students’ academic, financial aid, and career planning needs while making the transfer experience more seamless,” said UNC Charlotte Chancellor Philip L. Dubois. “Nearly 60% of students in the inaugural 49erNext class are from underrepresented populations, and this program is designed to produce a greater number of workforce-ready, qualified graduates at a significant cost savings to them.”

In addition to proactive advising, students enrolled in the program will also have access to:

• a coordinated set of support services in critical areas like career planning and financial aid; 
• free student privileges on UNC Charlotte’s campus including admission to select Charlotte 49ers athletic events, library access, and admission to campus events;
• discounted CATS all-access light rail and bus pass;
• discounted access to UNC Charlotte recreational facilities.

For fall 2019, 111 students are enrolled in the 49erNext program. This past year, about 4,000 transfer students enrolled at UNC Charlotte—69 percent came from a North Carolina community college and 29 percent of those came from Central Piedmont Community College.

“Central Piedmont is excited about the 49erNext program because it offers students a direct pathway to a four-year degree as well as an avenue to greater economic mobility,” said Dr. Kandi Deitemeyer, Central Piedmont president. “Institutions the size of Central Piedmont and UNC Charlotte sometimes can be challenging to navigate for students. Those students in the 49erNext program will have a clearly marked map leading from one institution to the next. This program will serve the Charlotte-Mecklenburg community well as we seek to produce more individuals with bachelor’s degrees to meet our growing workforce demands.”

Both institutions have agreed to make collective institutional decisions and implement policies and processes that commit to:

• Put students first -- enable students to earn a quality degree in a timely manner;
• Foster success -- ensure and expect all students to achieve their full potential;
• Ensure equity -- ensure that all students, regardless of gender, race, income or family educational history, have equal opportunity.

Building on the partnership with Central Piedmont, UNC Charlotte hopes to expand 49erNext to other North Carolina community colleges.

Students interested in learning more about the 49erNext program should visit our web page or send us an email.

Peggy and Bob Culbertson of Charlotte have committed $1 million to Central Piedmont Community College to provide scholarships for financially needy students. The college will use a significant portion of the gift to establish the Peggy and Bob Culbertson 49erNext Scholarship Program to assist students in the newly created 49erNext Program. The Culbertson gift also will fund scholarships for Central Piedmont students pursuing career-focused technical degrees and preparing to enter the workforce.

49erNext is a new co-admission program to facilitate degree completion and student success by creating a seamless pathway for individuals who want to start their degree work at Central Piedmont and complete their degree at UNC Charlotte. This innovative co-admission approach allows both Central Piedmont and UNC Charlotte to engage in a fully integrated, proactive advising model, ensuring students’ progress toward the timely completion of a baccalaureate degree. As participants in the 49erNext Program, students are eligible to transfer into more than 75 undergraduate degree programs (130+ majors) at UNC Charlotte, as long as they earn an associate degree at Central Piedmont with a minimum 2.0 cumulative GPA.

The Peggy and Bob Culbertson 49erNext Scholarship Program will provide two-year, full-tuition scholarships to full-time students with financial need who are in the 49erNext Program. News of both 49erNext and the Peggy and Bob Culbertson 49erNext Scholarship was shared today at a signing ceremony held by UNC Charlotte and Central Piedmont at UNC Charlotte’s Center City Building. John Culbertson spoke at the ceremony on behalf of his parents.

“We are big on upward mobility and believe education is absolutely the best answer,” Culbertson said. “Our goal is to give those who need financial assistance the opportunity to attend school. Central Piedmont is the perfect place for our gift because we can help students training for a vocational career and college transfer students.

A pilot class of 111 students opened the 49erNext program in August. This past year, about 4,000 transfer students enrolled at UNC Charlotte—69 percent came from a North Carolina community college, and 29 percent of those came from Central Piedmont.

“Central Piedmont is excited about the 49erNext program because it offers students a direct pathway to a four-year degree as well as an avenue to greater economic mobility,” said Dr. Kandi Deitemeyer, Central Piedmont president. “Institutions the size of Central Piedmont and UNC Charlotte sometimes can be challenging to navigate for students. Those students in the 49erNext program will have a clearly marked map leading from one institution to the next. This program will serve the Charlotte-Mecklenburg community well as we seek to produce more individuals with bachelor’s degrees to meet our growing workforce demands.

Students interested in learning more about the 49erNext program can visit the website or send an email.

The national nonprofit Year Up celebrated the launch of its new Charlotte location with a breakfast and ribbon-cutting ceremony this morning at Central Piedmont Community College.

Speaking at the event were Torrey Smith, Players Coalition Board Member and Two-time Super Bowl Champion; Year Up President Cyril Turner; Year Up Charlotte Site Director Elise Ford; National Year Up Site Director Roland Selby; Central Piedmont Community College President Dr. Kandi Deitemeyer; and Bank of America Community Engagement Executive Kathryn Black.

The free yearlong program prepares students (ages 18-24) for entry-level technology and customer-facing roles. Participants spend one semester taking technical and professional skills classes taught by Central Piedmont and Year Up staff, and the following semester in a full-time, credit-bearing internship at a corporate partner firm.

The program is provided to students at no cost. Throughout the year, students earn college credits and a weekly stipend, and have access to Central Piedmont’s many services, including the college’s library and tutoring resources, as well as additional Year Up services.

“We are excited because this partnership fits so well with the mission, vision, and historic purpose of Central Piedmont,” said Kandi Deitemeyer, president of Central Piedmont. “Central Piedmont has always been a driver of economic mobility. The college has always worked to build and offer pathways to careers and further education. We are proud to join with Year Up Charlotte and Bank of America as we seek to transform lives and bring new possibilities to individuals and their families.”

The first 53 students began classes in August 2019; the program will grow to serve 120 young adults over the next year.

Nationwide, 90% of Year Up graduates are employed or attending college within four months of completing Year Up, with average starting salaries of $40,000/year.

The program received a grant from the Players Coalition in Jan. 2019 to support the program’s expansion into new cities like Charlotte and help Year Up change perceptions of Opportunity Youth from social liabilities to economic assets. 

Learn more about Year Up.

Congratulations to Jeani Orr, Central Piedmont Cytotechnology student, who recently was awarded the Cytotechnology Bob Gay scholarship.

The scholarship was established by Kim Kowalczik in memory of her father, Bob Gay, who made significant contributions to the education of cytotechnology students and was a founding member of the American Society of Cytotechnology (ASCT). The scholarship awards $1,000 and sponsorship (travel and accommodations) to the upcoming ASCT annual conference to an outstanding student.

Candidates must have completed the first six months of training in an accredited cytotechnology program and must be members of the ASCT. The award is based on academic performance, financial need, service and a demonstrated potential to make significant contributions to the cytotechnology profession. Student membership with ASCT is complimentary and is a requirement for the scholarship application.

Approximately 18,000 students from Mecklenburg County and beyond converged at Central Piedmont Community College on Thursday, Aug. 15, as the college kicked off its 2019 fall semester.

Throughout the day, Student Life representatives and other staff members were stationed at information tables across all six Central Piedmont campuses to help ease students’ first day of class.

Representatives guided students to classes, answered their questions, and provided them with important college information, such as valuable campus resources, parking guidelines, and available extracurricular activities.

In addition, Central Piedmont’s president, Dr. Kandi Deitemeyer, welcomed students at the Central Campus as they began their studies to enhance their skills and prepare for future careers.