May Graduates: Nominate Yourself to Speak at Graduation

Evelyn Hill speaking at Commencement, May 12th, 2022

You have a story – and it’s worth telling! Central Piedmont’s Graduation Committee is now accepting nominations of student graduates to serve as the student speaker at the May 2023 commencement celebration. Ideally, nominated students would share a pride in their educational journey, a passion for Central Piedmont, and would be willing and able to share their experience and wisdom during the celebration.

Nominations will be accepted until Wednesday, March 8 through the student speaker nomination form, and interviews will be conducted through March 17.

Students selected for an interview will be asked to prepare a sample of their speech through a brief written reflection of their college experience. The selected graduate will receive guidance, rehearsal, and support to prepare their official remarks.

Check out the remarks to the graduating class from Evelyn Hill, one of the May 2022 student speakers. Please submit the May 2023 Graduation Student Speaker Nomination form to help our selection committee identify top candidates.

If you have questions regarding nominations, please email: jesse.bennett@cpcc.edu.

Get hired: Employers visiting campuses in February

Employers want to hire you!  There is a full slate of employers coming to different campuses to meet you in the month of February. These events and more are on Handshake, our job board. To learn more about the employer, or register to attend, please select the company’s name to open that event in Handshake.

Date

Time

Company

Looking for 

Location

2/1

10 a.m.- 1 p.m.

Lowes Food

Foodservice roles, internships

First Floor of Parr Center (Central Campus), next to the Information Desk

2/8

10 a.m.- 1 p.m.

Jet Stream Ground Services

Cargo agent, high lift driver, cabin cleaner

First Floor of Parr Center (Central Campus), next to the Information Desk

2/15

10 a.m.- 1 p.m.

US Coast Guard

Enlisted/ Reserve/Officer in US Coast Guard

First Floor of Parr Center (Central Campus), next to the Information Desk

2/15

10 a.m.- 1 p.m.

Bank of America

Various financial services roles

Levine Building III (Levine Campus), on the second floor near the Library

2/15

10 a.m.- 1 p.m.

Chick-fil-A University Place

Front of house, back of house

Cato Building III (Cato Campus), west side of first floor near art gallery

2/15

10 a.m.- 1 p.m.

Lowes Food

Foodservice roles, internships

Merancas IV Building (Merancas Campus), outside of Student Technology Center on first floor

2/22

10 a.m.- 1 p.m.

Bank of America

Various financial services roles

First Floor of Parr Center (Central Campus), next to the Information Desk

There are thousands of opportunities on our job board Handshake – including paid internships, on-campus, part time, full time and seasonal positions.  Check “events” to find the latest information about employers visiting campus for recruiting throughout the spring semester. Questions about on-campus recruiting? Contact Career Services at 704.330.6588 or career.fair@cpcc.edu.

Career Services has your back if you need help.  If you have questions, please get in touch with us.

Central Piedmont Black History Month events

Since its conception as National Negro Week in 1926 by Dr. Carter G. Wooden, the month of February is a special time for individuals around the world to acknowledge, remember and share the enriching African-American experience as part of American history, to help foster more equity and inclusion, and to embrace America’s diversity. Learn more about the origins of Black History Month and this year’s theme: Black Resistance.

Upcoming Black History Month events

Tangled & Twisted: Understanding the Dynamics of Black Hair

Join us for an engaging and enlightening presentation on the history, social and political stigmas and unspoken implications about ‘black hair’- a double-headed cultural enigma that is too often stereotyped and misunderstood.

This presentation will be facilitated by Ms. LaTika “Tika” Mercer, a former adjunct instructor at Central Piedmont’s nationally recognized cosmetology program and co-owner of Lucky You Salon and Suites.

Wednesday, Feb. 8
10:30 a.m.- 12 p.m.
Central Campus, North Classroom Building, Room 1123 (Auditorium)
Link: http://tiny.cc/tangledandtwisted


Tangled & Twisted: Traveling Exhibition

A rotating visual exhibit featuring educational information and various hair styles designed by creative students in the cosmetology program will also be on display. The exhibit will be featured in each Central Piedmont campus library:

Feb. 6- 10:  Central & Levine Campuses

Feb. 13- 17: Harris & Cato Campuses

Feb. 20- 24: Harper & Merancas Campuses


Black Resistance: Forms of Opposition 1600s-1800s

Through the lens of history, music, psychology, and literature, discussion about forms of opposition from enslaved people from the lens of history, music, psychology, and literature. Join us for this in person and live-streamed event to gain insight on how black resistance from this time period still influences perceptions in today’s world.

Panelists include Central Piedmont faculty and staff:
Nerlynn Etienne, moderator.
Panelists: Dr. Denise Spruill, Kenneth Woodruff and Linteno Savedge.

Thursday, Feb. 23, 11 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
Central Campus, North Classroom Building, Room 1123 (Auditorium)
Link: http://tiny.cc/BlackResistance


All programs are FREE to attend. These programs are sponsored in collaboration with Central Piedmont Library, Behavioral & Social Science Department, Cosmetology Program, Single Stop, and Student Engagement.

Learn the In’s and Out’s of Networking Feb. 20

Chris Cathcart, man in suit, shakes hands with a student on stage.85% of jobs come from your network! Your network is made of your career connections through organizations, online groups, people you know, clubs and more. Everyone has a network, you just need to learn how to use it. Both talkative and more private people can be amazing networkers. Join Student Engagement and Career Services for a lively and fun session to level up your networking skills.

Date

Time

Title

Location

2/20

2- 3:30 p.m.

In’s and Out’s of Networking

Central Campus in Parr 0060 – ground floor across from Navigator Desk

Career Services has your back if you need help. If you have questions, please get in touch with us.

‘Archival Photos Reimagined’ exhibit opening at Library

Archives are more than just a collection of old papers, photographs, and artifacts. They provide windows into the past, making them valuable resources for learning our history and its lessons.
They can also be sources of inspiration for creative expression. What was once a static black-and-white photograph can become a springboard for a creative sketch, illustration, or painting.
That’s the idea behind Archival Photos Reimagined, a collaborative project between the Central Piedmont Archives and the Visual Arts Club that encourages members of the Central Piedmont community to create works of art inspired by our photographs and publications collections.
Opening on February 6, we invite you to visit the exhibition in the Archives Reading Room, where you will find a display of artworks incorporating elements from the archival photos that inspired them and varying in style, medium, and subject matter.
WHEN:
February 6 – May 9, 2023
Mondays – Thursdays, 8:30 a.m.- 6 p.m.
Fridays, 8:30 a.m.- 5 p.m.
WHERE:
Central Campus, Parr Center, Hagemeyer Library, Third Floor, Archives (Room 3250)
The exhibition will also be available to view online, starting on February 6.
For more information, please contact Johnamarie Macias at johnamarie.macias@cpcc.edu.

‘Meet your Match’ Feb. 14 at Levine Campus spring Transfer Fair

Students talking to reps a t table inside Worrell gymAcademic Advising and Transfer Services, along with Student Engagement, will host the spring College Transfer Fair.

“Meet Your Match” at the College Transfer Fair:

  • Tuesday Feb. 14
  • 10 a.m.-1 p.m.
  • Levine Campus, Levine II Building, Second Floor hallway

There will be approximately 20 colleges and universities from across the states of North and South Carolina represented on campus. Review the list of colleges and universities scheduled to participate.

This event will help you learn more about college transfer admission requirements, programming, student life, how to transfer and much more.

Contact advising@cpcc.edu with any questions.

FREE tax prep offered at Central Campus

Woman pointing to laptop, helping another person sitting across the table.

For the current tax season, Single Stop has partnered with the Central Piedmont accounting and finance program to offer free Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) on Central Campus.

If your household income in 2022 was $80,000 or less, you could qualify to take advantage of this free tax preparation resource. Students, staff, and faculty (including immediate family members) are eligible to receive free tax preparation.

Beginning January 30 through April 15, 2023, tax preparation appointments will take place in-person at Central Campus, in Central High, Room 258. Walk-ins will be accepted based on availability.

Please visit the Single Stop webpage for available hours and schedule your appointment today!

Meet with your next school on ‘Transfer Tuesdays’

Students talking a college rep on Transfer Tuesday.What are your plans after you finish at Central Piedmont? If you’re looking to transfer to a 4-year school to continue your education, visit with representatives during Transfer Tuesdays to find the school for you and get your questions answered.

Representatives from other North Carolina colleges and universities are visiting Cato, Central, Levine and Merancas Campuses nearly every Tuesday during the spring 2023 semester.

Find out when representatives are visiting each campus and mark your calendar to attend!

Celebrate the spring 2023 semester with Welcome Fests

Central Piedmont Student Engagement invites all students to attend the Welcome Fest at your campus. Stop by to celebrate the beginning of the spring semester!

Various student groups and campus departments will share information and opportunities for you to learn what Central Piedmont has to offer. The event is free and will feature games, snacks, free swag, and more. Meet other students and find ways to connect with your community!

Join the Welcome Fest on your campus:

  • Cato Campus, Cato III: Tuesday, Jan. 31, 12- 2 p.m.
  • Harper Campus, Harper IV: Wednesday, Feb. 1, 11:30 a.m.- 1:30 p.m.
  • Harris Campus, Harris I: Thursday, Feb. 2, 11:30 a.m.- 1:30 p.m.
  • Central Campus, Parr Center: Tuesday, Feb. 7, 12- 2 p.m.
  • Merancas Campus, Merancas IV: Wednesday, Feb. 8, 11:30 a.m.- 1 p.m.
  • Levine Campus, Levine II, Thursday, Feb. 9, 12- 2 p.m.

$5 student tickets to Opera Carolina’s ‘Porgy and Bess’

Thanks to Ally Financial and the Infusion Fund, Opera Carolina is offering a very special $5 ticket (taxes and fees included) to first-time Opera attendees, including Central Piedmont faculty, staff, and students. Each person may request up to 2 tickets.

Tickets are available for the following performances of The Gershwins’ Porgy and Bess: Tuesday, January 24, 7 p.m.
Thursday, January 26, 7:30 p.m.

Reserve your tickets today!

Audition for Central Piedmont Theatre: “Lost Girl”

Central Piedmont Theatre announces auditions for its upcoming spring 2023 production of Lost Girl by Kimberly Belfower, directed by Carly McMinn.

AUDITION INFORMATION: All auditionees should prepare a 90-second contemporary monologue. Callbacks will consist of readings of sides from the script.

AUDITION DATE & TIME
March 14 & 16 (Callbacks) from 7- 9 p.m. in Overcash 300 at Central Campus.
March 15, from 4- 6 p.m. in the Georgia Tucker Fine Arts Hall on Central Piedmont’s Levine Campus

PERFORMANCE DATES & TIMES
April 21- 22 and April 27- 29 at 7:30 p.m.
April 23 and 30 at 2:30 p.m.

PLAY SYNOPSIS: Long after returning from Neverland, Wendy decides that she must find Peter in order to reclaim her kiss and move on with her life. Along the way, she meets other girls who went to Neverland and learns she is not alone. A coming-of-age exploration of first love and lasting loss, Lost Girl continues the story of J.M. Barrie’s beloved character – the girl who had to grow up.
ROLES AVAILABLE (6f, 6m)

Review the full details for available roles.

Join the Service Projects for MLK Challenge week Jan. 23-27

Side profile art of Martine Luther King Jr. and 2023 MLK Challenge at Central PiedmontAre you looking to start the year off with service to your community, earn service hours towards receiving a service pin at graduation, or get a FREE t-shirt?

Sign up TODAY for the 19th annual MLK Challenge January 23-27! The purpose of this challenge is to engage the Central Piedmont Community in advancing racial and social justice, developing a deeper knowledge of self-identity and community activism, and honoring the legacy of the late Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. We will partner with five nonprofit organizations who embody what MLK stood for.

Multiple service opportunities will be offered during the week that may fit your schedule, so find the best day/time for you! There will be a group reflection and lunch to follow.

You can also join us for our MLK Kick-Off Program on January 19 at 12 p.m., Central Campus – Parr Center Theater. There will be a keynote speaker and spoken word poetry by an artist of the Poet Laureate of Charlotte!

Register today for the 2023 MLK Challenge!

If you have any questions about the projects or the 2023 MLK Challenge, please email Whitney Williams (whitney.williams@cpcc.edu).

Looking for a job? On campus recruiting for spring is here!

Employers are coming to Central Piedmont to hire!

Date

Time

Company

Looking for

Location

Jan. 18

10 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Aptive Environmental

Sales/Marketing Internship (Paid)

First Floor of Parr Center (Central Campus), next to the Information Desk

Remember, even if you can not attend the recruiting event, there are hundreds of opportunities on our job board Handshake – including paid internships, on-campus, part time, full time and seasonal positions.  Check “events” to learn about employers visiting campus for recruiting.  Employers will visit additional campuses through the semester, and more employers will be coming to Central Campus too.

Want to prepare your résumé?  Résumés are not required to attend the recruiting event; however, here are some resources to help if you want to work on yours and get a competitive edge!

Review the Career Guide – full color flip book with sample résumés, cover letters, interview tips and more.

Resume Video – learn the résumé basics in 10 minutes!

Schedule a meeting with a Career Counselor.

Graduate in the news: on track to realize dreams after family tragedy

Alan Hidalgo-Lobo graduated Dec. 13, 2022 from Central Piedmont.

Central Piedmont graduate Alan Hidalgo-Lobo was profiled by our local NPR news station, WFAE.

Read or listen to how Hidalgo-Lobo went from not graduating from Charlotte-Mecklenburg schools, to being one of more than 500 students who crossed the stage at Central Piedmont’s first-ever winter commencement on Dec. 13.

 

 

 

 

 

Central Piedmont celebrates first-ever December Graduation

Graduates wearing gray cap and gown listen to the student commencement speaker

Central Piedmont Winter 2022 Commencement, December 13, 2022, Bojangles Coliseum

For the first time in its 59-year history, Central Piedmont Community College held a December commencement on Dec. 13, in Charlotte.

Approximately 510 students walked across the Bojangles Coliseum stage to receive their earned credentials. More than 1,200 students had completed their programs of studies since Central Piedmont’s May graduation.

Linda Nelson, a 2022 graduate, addressed her peers by delivering the commencement address. Nelson, an adult student who holds an MBA, is a new graduate from Central Piedmont with an Associate in Applied Science degree in horticulture.

silver and gold streamers fly through the air above graduates heads in the arena.

Central Piedmont was excited to offer a winter commencement this year to honor its graduates who completed their programs during the 2022 summer and fall semesters. The addition of a winter ceremony allows the college to honor and celebrate its summer and fall graduates in the same timely way as its spring graduates.

WFAE’s coverage of the ceremony.

Practical Nursing graduates first class of students

Practical Nursing Pinning Ceremony, December 6, 2022

Central Piedmont has graduated its first class of Practical Nurses (PN), from the Dickson Practical Nursing Program. The graduates from the newly-established one-year program are now eligible to sit for the national licensure exam to become Licensed Practical Nurses (LPN).

LPNs work under the supervision of a registered nurse (RN), with employment opportunities found in hospitals; rehabilitation, long-term care, and home health facilities; clinics; and physicians’ offices.

The Dickson Foundation of Charlotte awarded Central Piedmont a $500,000 grant to develop the LPN program at the college to provide students an accelerated path to a meaningful career in the healthcare industry and address specific employment needs within the Charlotte region’s healthcare sector.

A few spots left! Study abroad to Ecuador or South Africa

Central Piedmont’s trip to South Africa, summer 2022. The group is at the Cape of Good Hope, the southwestern most point of Africa.

Travel the world with Central Piedmont! There are still a few spots available for study abroad trips to Ecuador and South Africa in summer 2023. The Global Learning office offers options with college credit, and you will have faculty and staff support for your entire travel and learning experience.

Explore your options today! Application and payment deadlines are coming up soon. Planning for paperwork, passports, and payment deadlines can take time, so learn more about the 2023 options to find the best fit your schedule and interests.

Get more information on Study Abroad at Central Piedmont.

New Line Worker program launching with Duke Energy grant

Duke Energy has given Central Piedmont Community College a grant of $500,000 to create a utility line worker training program at the college’s Harper Campus. Duke Energy and Central Piedmont leaders announced plans for the program during a Nov. 29 event, at a Duke Energy operations center, in Charlotte.Duke Energy employee in a hard hat is climbing a telephone pole while wearing a safety harness. She is wearing heavy gloves and special boots.

Central Piedmont will use the grant to provide instructional support and purchase some of the equipment, materials, and supplies needed to launch and sustain the new 16-week training program. The new program will open in spring 2023, with the first of three planned cohorts of 12 students. Once the program is up and running at capacity, overlapping and staggering the program’s start dates throughout the academic year will enable the college to produce as many as 144 graduates every 12 months.

“This partnership program will give our diverse student body the opportunity to learn about and engage with a career pathway they may not have considered previously,” said Dr. Kandi Deitemeyer, Central Piedmont president. “This is a high-demand, specialized field with enormous growth potential. With utility line workers earning an estimated starting annual salary of $74,000, this is a career that can transform the lives of students and their families.”Duke Energy employee in bucket scoop is in the air near an electrical transformer on a utility pole. He is wearing special equipment including a harness, jacket and heavy gloves.

As part of the program, participants will complete a rigorous curriculum and achieve a 580-hour academic and field training goal. Students who complete the 16-week program will be able to enter the workforce quickly and will have earned multiple, specialized industry training credentials, including OSHA, CPR, Arc Flash Safety for Utilities, Bucket Truck Rescue, Class A CDL License, Pole Top Rescue, Trenching/Shoring/Confined Space Training, and Work Zone Flagger.

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates about 23,000 openings for line installers and repairers will be available each year, on average, over the next decade. With this trend in mind, the partnership seeks to develop a pipeline of diverse, skilled, and talented utility line workers by investing in the education and career development of local citizens.

Group of people in hard hats standing in front of a Duke Energy truck with a bucket arm, holding a large check.

The Duke Energy $500,000 check presentation to Central Piedmont on Nov. 29, 2022.

“Our most valuable asset is our people, and line workers are the foundation of our company – especially as we modernize our grid and integrate new technologies,” said Harry Sideris, Duke Energy’s executive vice president of customer experience, solutions and services. “Recruiting through the Central Piedmont line worker program and other similar high-caliber community college programs will help ensure we develop a skilled workforce that meets our candidates’ expectations.”

“Without Duke Energy’s financial support, as well as their technical expertise, the college would not be able to launch this program. This is a true partnership, and I commend and thank Duke Energy for coming alongside the college to make this much needed program a reality,” Deitemeyer remarked. “We are eager to open the program, and we thank Duke Energy for their support and collaboration.”

For more information about Central Piedmont’s new utility line worker training program, contact Stephen Gerhardt, senior program developer, at 704.330.4451 or Stephen.Gerhardt@cpcc.edu.

Free student tickets for dance production “Sunlight And Solstice”

A group of dancers on stage in plain frocks, stand with their legs apart and interacting with each other with their arms held in circles.

Sunlight And Solstice will include three new works by Central Piedmont Dance faculty, Tracie Chan, two new works by director, Clay Daniel, plus a reconstruction of his “In The Attic” (2014) based on the work of Shel Silverstein, and “Rivers of Babylon” by guest Chris Thompson Cultural Ensemble.

Attend the dance production at Central Campus, in the Parr Center’s New Theater:

  • Friday, Dec. 2, 7:30 p.m.
  • Saturday, Dec. 3, 7:30 p.m.
  • Sunday, Dec. 4, 2:30 p.m.

Admission is free to Central Piedmont students with valid student ID presented at the door on the day of the event. General Admission is $10, and may be purchased from tix.cpcc.edu.