CSP Team Note: This blog was originally posted on Central Piedmont Community College Foundation’s blog. We thank them for allowing us to share it with you. Don’t forget to register for the 23rd Annual Central Piedmont Skyline Run. This super fun 5k and 1 mile race runs through the streets of one of Charlotte’s prettiest neighborhoods. This year’s race is placing a spotlight on all moms in our community and raising scholarship dollars to support student mothers who are seeking the education and career training opportunities they need to secure meaningful employment and a bright future for their families. Your registration helps to provide opportunities and contributes to the upward mobility of our community’s citizens. Register today!
When Amelia Zytka began researching colleges in 2017, Central Piedmont wasn’t one of her top choices. In fact, it wasn’t even her second or third.
“I wanted to attend a four-year school, from start to finish,” she explains.
Flash forward two years, and Amelia is a Central Piedmont student. She’s in her final semester at the college and plans to graduate with an Associate in Arts degree in May. So what changed her mind?
“I learned about the many traditional and online courses Central Piedmont had to offer, as well as the quality of its programs,” she explains. “As a mom to two boys, with a husband that works full time, it was important that I be able to take online classes to make life manageable. I realized Central Piedmont’s flexible learning schedule would best help me juggle the demands of raising a family while going to school – it quickly became the right fit for me.”
Today, Amelia’s days are spent homeschooling her sons, studying art history at Central Piedmont, and working part-time as a gallery assistant in the Central Piedmont Galleries on Central Campus.
For the aspiring gallery director/museum curator, it’s a dream job that not only gives her the opportunity to get a behind the scenes look at how an exhibit comes to fruition, but also to be recognized for her hard work.
“So much of being a mom is being everything to everyone and not expecting anything in return,” says Amelia. “When I heard that Skyline Run was flipping that logic on its head and planning to support student moms, I signed up for the event. I look forward to crossing that finish line in May, both as a runner and a Central Piedmont graduate.”
While Amelia’s currently prepping for race day, she’s also preparing for life after Central Piedmont. “I’m transferring to UNC-Charlotte in the fall to study Art History. Luckily my degree at Central Piedmont is providing me with at least half the credits I’ll need to earn my bachelor’s. After that, I’d like to pursue my master’s degree in museum studies. I know I have a long way to go, but I’m confident I’ll get there thanks to the phenomenal start I received at Central Piedmont.”
Central Piedmont Community College
1206 Elizabeth Avenue, Charlotte, NC 28235
cpccfoundation.org/skyline
Instagram: @centralpiedmontcc
Facebook: @centralpiedmontcc
Twitter: @cpcc
