Central Piedmont Sporting Clays Classic Raises Over $190K
May 19, 2023
The Central Piedmont Sporting Clays Classic benefits the College's U.S. military veteran and first responder students and programs, and 2023 marked the 19th year of the event's history. The event was once again held at Meadow Wood Farm in Waxhaw, NC.
After a bit of a rain scare, the sky cleared up for a beautiful April day of sport, community, and conversation.
The College raised nearly $193K through the support of corporate sponsors, team registrations, raffle tickets, and donations. We are especially grateful for the support of our tournament sponsors: Piedmont Natural Gas (Clay Pigeon Challenge), Juneberry Ridge (First Responders Cup), and Concrete Supply and Rodgers (B.D. Rodgers Cup).
Almost 300 participants joined us for the day-long event featuring 17 stations including a Frenzy and a Flurry - which proved key in providing the tie-breaker for two of the tournaments. Our winners for the day's event are below:
B.D. Rodgers Cup: Individual
1st Place: Chris Dorton | 44 (Streak of 31)
2nd Place: Gerald Tucker | 44 (Streak of 17)
3rd Place: Page Tucker | 43
B.D. Rodgers Cup: Team Champion
Rodgers | 212: Taylor Miles, Jason Money, Paige Tucker, Gerald Tucker
Clay Pigeon Challenge: Individual
1st Place: Carter Loetz | 43 (Streak of 18)
2nd Place: Thomas Hovis | 43 (Streak of 17)
3rd Place: Tim Hileman | 42
Clay Pigeon Challenge: Team
1st Place: Pinnacle Financial | 205: Tim Hileman, Paul Cochrane, Greg Everhart, Lain Reavis
2nd Place: Warco Construction | 199: Thomas Hovis, Austin Claytor, Drew Rochester, TM
3rd Place: Piedmont Natural Gas | 177: Randy Bost, Jeremy Koster, Carl Peterson, Brad Holbrook
First Responders Cup: Individual
1st Place: William Wallis | 50
2nd Place: Mike Small | 45
3rd Place: Hunter Hampton | 44 (Streak of 22)
First Responders Cup: Team
1st Place: MEDIC | 223: William Wallis, John Gibson, Bill Ward, Janet Geradot
2nd Place: CMPD | 215 (Flurry 39): Curt Bell, Gene Rivera, Mark Smith, Bill Booth
3rd Place: CFD #1 | 215 (Flurry 32): Mike Small, Derek Alexander, Jason Cloninger, Mike Stroup
The two Janet Chernaga award winners were Deborah Edwards (morning) and Janet Gerdot (afternoon).
Over lunch, the guest speaker, Dale Thomas (pictured right), inspired the audience with his story of trials and triumphs. Dale Thomas served in the U.S. Army for four years as an Infantryman at Ft. Hood, Texas. He graduated from Central Piedmont last week with an Associate of Applied Science in Human Services Technology. Dale plans to utilize his education in Human Services to empower, advocate, and bring awareness to marginalized populations, such as helping those with disabilities and veterans. You can read more of his story here. We look forward to seeing how far he'll go!
We are so grateful to all those who supported this event, be it as a sponsor, a team, a volunteer, or a vendor. Thank you.
View pictures from this year's event here.
Stay tuned for information on how you can support the 20th-anniversary event.
Read moreCentral Piedmont Holds Spring 2023 Commencement
May 11, 2023Central Piedmont Community College held its 2023 spring commencement ceremonies on Thursday, May 11, in Charlotte. Approximately 900 students "marched" and received their college credentials during the morning and afternoon ceremonies. More than 1,500 students were eligible to graduate.
During the morning festivities at the Bojangles Coliseum, Maria "Fernanda" Moreno Tovar, a 2023 graduate, addressed her peers by delivering the commencement address. RaeDeja Sawyer, also a 2023 graduate, spoke at the afternoon ceremony. It has become Central Piedmont's tradition to have graduating students serve as commencement keynote speakers. Both Maria and RaeDeja were graduating with associate in arts degrees.
Maria shared her experiences and challenges as an immigrant from Mexico. She concluded her address by saying, "As I am standing here today, I am confident that Central Piedmont gave me the right tools to continue chasing my academic goals. I am also confident that just like mine, your struggle can make magic if you take the leap of faith."
RaeDeja recounted how she had lost loved ones during her time at Central Piedmont and how the college provided her much needed support. "This journey has been charged with intense emotion. I have experienced elevating highs and depleting lows, but seeing it through has been most valuable and unforgettable. And the truth is, graduation today does not mark the end of our studies, nor does it mark the end of deadlines, decisions, or expectations," she explained.
Students graduating from Central Piedmont with a degree, diploma, or certificate had the option of participating in either the morning or afternoon ceremony. Central Piedmont combined its for-credit and non-credit program conferrals into both ceremonies, giving graduates the choice to "walk" at the time that best fits their families' schedule.
Dr. Kandi Deitemeyer included in the ‘Power List’
May 1, 2023Central Piedmont Community College President Dr. Kandi Deitemeyer has been recognized as a member of Business North Carolina magazine's 2023 Power List.
According to Business North Carolina, "the annual report on the state's most influential business leaders is divided into 18 categories. These are the power brokers with an extraordinary ability to lead their enterprises and influence North Carolina's direction."
Deitemeyer is one of only two community college presidents included in the 2023 list.
Review the Education Power List 2023.
Lisa Schlachter to Join Central Piedmont as Vice President of Institutional Advancement
April 25, 2023
Lisa Schlachter of Charlotte will join the leadership team at Central Piedmont Community College as the new Vice President of Institutional Advancement. Schlachter will serve the college as its chief fundraising officer and as director of the Central Piedmont Foundation.
Schlachter comes to Central Piedmont from the YMCA of Greater Charlotte, where she serves as vice president of financial development. She has more than two decades of experience in fundraising and alumni relations. She began her career in alumni relations at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, and she held several roles at Belmont University including capital, donor relations, foundation relations, and stewardship.
"We are delighted to welcome Lisa Schlachter to Central Piedmont," said Dr. Kandi Deitemeyer, college president. "Lisa brings a deep connection to our community through her great work at the YMCA. With her previous experience in higher education and the energy and passion she possesses, she will be a wonderful addition to our team."
In addition to earning a master's degree in institutional advancement from Vanderbilt University, she worked on Vanderbilt's Alumni and Development team. She also served as the assistant head of school for advancement at St. Paul Christian Academy in Nashville, Tenn., where she led the annual campaign, a capital campaign, and major gifts.
"We are very excited about Lisa Schlachter joining Central Piedmont as its new Vice President of Institutional Advancement," said Weston Andress, Central Piedmont Foundation board president. "Lisa's energetic personality and her experience at the YMCA of Greater Charlotte and other non-profits will help take Central Piedmont's already successful advancement efforts to a new level."
Central Piedmont completed its "Powering a Stronger Future" campaign in June 2022. It was the most ambitious and successful campaign in the college's history, raising $66.3 million and surpassing its goal by more than $26 million.
In addition to her master's degree from Vanderbilt, Schlachter earned a bachelor's degree from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, graduating Magna Cum Laude. She will begin her tenure at Central Piedmont on May 5.
"I am thrilled to return to higher education as a member of the Central Piedmont Community College leadership team, and I am eager to combine my passion for education with my commitment to serve our community through this role," Schlachter said. "It is very exciting to come in following an extremely successful campaign and build on the college's reputation of strong community service and support."
Read moreCentral Piedmont Honors Leon Levine
April 6, 2023
Central Piedmont Community College celebrates, honors, and remembers the life of Leon Levine, who died April 5, 2023, at age 85. EdNC.org: Central Piedmont Community College wants to create opportunity
March 29, 2023by Hannah McClellan, EdNC.org
The summer after Tyler Jackson graduated from high school, he took two college courses through Central Piedmont Community College's Summer Bridge program, meant to help students successfully transition from high school to college.
After one of the orientation sessions Jackson attended, a college staff member dismissed all participants but the "opportunity scholars." Jackson was not an opportunity scholar at the time and he knew little about the program, but he was curious, so he decide to stay behind and learn more. That decision led to Jackson applying for and eventually receiving the scholarship he says changed his life.
"Central Piedmont has opened so many doors," Jackson said in a college promotional video. "They cared more about who I was as a person. Being able to go to school without having to worry about the cost I'm just grateful."
Jackson is one of nearly 400 opportunity scholars Central Piedmont Community College has served since it launched the program in 2017, according to college data last fall. Through the Opportunity Scholarship, students underrepresented in college receive funding to fully cover tuition, books, and fees for two years. In addition, these students receive a notebook computer and access to one-on-one academic coaching for career planning, internships, and job placement.
This support was key for his success, said Jackson, who graduated with an associate of arts degree in December. During the start of the pandemic and remote learning, college staff members kept him from "falling through the cracks."
"It's been a long time coming," he told EdNC. "And my experience has been amazing. I've always felt welcome. Especially being an opportunity scholar, that opened up so many more doors being able to sit in different meetings, visit different places, and being able to have exposure to these things I wouldn't have probably had if I wasn't an opportunity scholar."
The total number of Opportunity Scholarships offered per year varies based on available funding provided by local donors, the college's website says. You can learn more about the scholarship and how to apply here. You can learn about N.C. Community College System (NCCCS) scholarships here.
'What community college can do'
Many community college students some of them adult learners, low income, or first-generation college-goers experience various barriers that can make academic success more difficult. In recent years, North Carolina community colleges have increasingly added support to help their students stay in college.
Community college leaders say meeting the financial, transportation, and child care needs of students helps them complete their programs.
About 48% of N.C. Community College students complete a degree or credential in six years, based on 2022 data from myFutureNC. That rate is lower for students ages 21-24 (38%), Black students (30%), and part-time students (20%).
In comparison, nearly 150 opportunity scholars have graduated from Central Piedmont since 2017. That's a 53% completion rate for cohorts through 2020-21, each before the six-year completion target used by myFutureNC. This success rate is in spite of the fact that many opportunity scholars face more barriers to completion compared to the general community college population. The majority of scholars in the 2021-22 and 2022-23 cohorts can graduate starting this year.
Dr. Kandi Deitemeyer, president at Central Piedmont, said the Opportunity Scholarship is one of many ways the college is working to expand its impact on students, the economy, and the wider community.
Central Piedmont adds $827.7 million to the economy each year, according to a recent economic impact study, and supports 11,274 jobs. For every dollar students invest in their education at Central Piedmont, they gain $3.80 in lifetime earnings.
"The college helps students increase their employability and achieve their individual potential," Deitemeyer said in a release. "Central Piedmont provides students with the education, training, and skills they need to have fulfilling and prosperous careers that provide real economic mobility."
Dr. Deninne Pritchett, the college's chair of psychology, understands that economic mobility well.
Pritchett first started college as a teen mother, at 18. She dropped out of college four times and once from Central Piedmont before returning to successfully graduate from the college in 2010 with an associate degree in art.
"When I arrived at Central Piedmont, there was something different here," she said. "Even the first time when I didn't stay, there was something different, which led me to come back."
Pritchett, who went on to earn a doctorate in psychology, is now the creator of the Adjunct Faculty Learning Community and facilitator for the Diversified Teaching Practices Learning Commons at the college. She also earned an American College and University Educators (ACUE) Advanced Certificate for Teaching Effectiveness and is a featured expert in an ACUE course on learner-centered, equitable teaching practices.
"It just seems like this is what I'm supposed to be doing, because this is where my foundation was set," Pritchett said.
Today, in addition to teaching students psychology, Pritchett aims to make them feel welcomed, understood, and empowered.
She believes that one interaction can change everything, because for her, it did. The last time she enrolled at Central Piedmont, it was a kind financial aid advisor who made her believe in herself.
"I'm a representative of what community college can do for you," Pritchett said. "It's like a full-circle moment that I don't sit high and look low, this is a partnership for me to support students to get wherever they want to get to, whatever that goal is."
For Tyler Jackson, his goal of graduating college expanded to studying abroad while at Central Piedmont and joining student government goals he achieved without stressing about money, thanks to the scholarship program. After graduating with his associate degree debt-free, he feels well-positioned to pursue a bachelor's degree in business and media at UNC Charlotte. In the meantime, he's applied to be a substitute teacher at Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools, in addition to working at his production company and promoting his film, "LoverBoy The Movie." He's also dreaming about becoming a full-time entertainer acting, filmmaking, and directing or a professor in the arts.
For him, programs like the Opportunity Scholarship are important because they help first-generation and low-income students "seek better" for themselves. Today, he also works as a tutor coordinator at TRIO, Upward Bound the program that initially connected him to Central Piedmont's Summer Bridge program where he aims to be like the mentors he found at Central Piedmont to younger students.
Jackson is grateful for where he is following graduation and is excited for his future and his career. But, what if he decides to pursue something completely different?
"I can also always come back to Central Piedmont," he said. "It's a place where I've always felt at home."
Republished with permission from https://www.ednc.org/central-piedmont-community-college-wants-to-create-opportunity/. Read moreStudents Honored as Coca-Cola Academic Team Scholars
March 16, 2023Two Central Piedmont Community College students have been named 2023 Coca-Cola Academic Team Scholars, in partnership with Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society. Each will receive a scholarship.
Ashton Leswing has been named a Coca-Cola Academic Team Gold Scholar and will receive a $1,500 scholarship. Letrell Grady has been named Coca-Cola Academic Team Bronze Scholar and will receive a $1,000 scholarship.
The Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation sponsors the Coca-Cola Academic Team program by recognizing 50 Gold, 50 Silver, and 50 Bronze Scholars across the nation with nearly $200,000 in scholarships annually. Each scholar also receives a commemorative medallion.
"The Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation has a long history of providing financial assistance to outstanding students at community colleges," said Jane Hale Hopkins, President of the Coca- Cola Scholars Foundation. "We are proud to partner with Phi Theta Kappa to make it possible for more deserving students to achieve their educational goals and support tomorrow's leaders of the global community."
Students are nominated for the academic team by their college administrators. Selection is based on academic achievement, leadership, and engagement in college and community service, and this year winners were chosen from more than 2,400 applicants.
Coca-Cola Academic Team members will be recognized in both local and statewide ceremonies and will also be recognized internationally during Phi Theta Kappa's annual convention, PTK Catalyst, to be held in Columbus, Ohio, April 20-22.
Central Piedmont Archives Opens 'Parrallel Lives' Exhibition
March 10, 2023The Central Piedmont Community College Archives department has opened an exhibition of local interest: "Parallel Lives Central High School and Second Ward High School."
The exhibition highlights the centennial history of Charlotte's Central High School and Second Ward High School (both opened in 1923), celebrates the memories of their alumni, and seeks to raise awareness of the importance of historical preservation.
Central High and Second Ward High were built to meet the growing secondary education needs of Charlotte in the early 20th century. The schools were segregated; Second Ward serving Black students and Central High serving white students. With Central High located on Elizabeth Avenue and Second Ward High on Alexander Street, the schools were within walking distance, and yet, their students had separate high school experiences. In 1957, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools began integrating high schools.
One hundred years after building and opening the schools, the Central High facility remains standing as part of Central Piedmont's Central Campus. The gymnasium and a historical plaque are all that remain of Second Ward High.
The "Parallel Lives Central High School and Second Ward High School," exhibition is open to the public through May 8, in the Archives section of the Hagemeyer Library, located in the Parr Center, on Central Campus, with nearby visitor parking available in Lot 5, located at 230 N. Kings Drive.
You may also review an online version of the exhibition.
Central Piedmont to Establish Honors Program
March 6, 2023Through a generous gift from Truist Bank, Central Piedmont Community College will establish an Honors Program, opening with the start of the 2023 fall semester.
The Honors Program will seek to develop excellence in students by providing high quality enrichment experiences that are intellectually challenging and result in deeper learning. The Honors Program will engage students in meaningful academic, personal, and social development experiences to create independent thinkers and life-long learners through the construction of knowledge.
"The Honors Program is an example of how Central Piedmont is committed to elevating student success," said Dr. Deninne Pritchett, Honors Program faculty director. "The Honors Program will create additional opportunities for students who want to attend Central Piedmont while enhancing the experiences of current students. Students in the Honors Program will be challenged and gain transferable skills that add value to the credits or degree earned at Central Piedmont resulting in better marketability."
Students will actively participate in course sections aligned with the Honors Program foundations emphasizing experiential learning, research, civic engagement, global learning, leadership, and reflective thinking. The Honors Program will include a variety of transformational learning experiences for students planning to transfer, earn a degree, or enter the workplace.
Students in the Honors Program will be referred to as Honors Program Scholars. They will be required to complete 15-credit hours in Honors Program course sections, a 30-hour immersive experience, and 10 activities or events including interview and résumé sessions that emphasize the Honors Program foundations.
Students can apply for scholarships that will cover tuition and course materials as well as travel, events, and immersion experiences aligned with at least one of the program foundations. The Honors Program will be open to students from all courses of study offered at the college. The college will provide alternate methods for acceptance into the program outside of GPA requirements to ensure the program is equitable and inclusive.
"Research shows honors program students have increased retention rates, higher graduation rates, and increased pathways to honors programs at four-year institutions," Pritchett added. "As a champion of students and catalyst for opportunity, Central Piedmont continues to be at the forefront of a changing student population and the need to prepare students for the future."
Students and parents who want to learn more about Central Piedmont's new Honors Program can review the program webpage or contact Dr. Deninne Pritchett at honorsprogram@cpcc.edu.
Central Piedmont to offer teacher licensing certificates
March 1, 2023Bachelor degree graduates who are considering a career in the elementary school classroom will soon be able to receive teacher licensing at multiple North Carolina community colleges, including Central Piedmont Community College.
The new program makes teacher licensing more affordable and convenient with classes at local community colleges. The seven institutions approved thus far to offer the new licensing program are Alamance, Blue Ridge, Central Piedmont, Fayetteville Technical, McDowell Technical, Wayne, and Western Piedmont community colleges.
Central Piedmont will launch its program in August, with the beginning of the fall 2023 semester. The Elementary Education Residency Licensure Certificate program will offer instruction and coaching for residency elementary teachers seeking licensure. This program will help support students with classroom observations and one-on-one sessions, and assist with the creation of their portfolio in preparation for licensing from the state.
This new path to elementary licensure will expand Central Piedmont's current teacher preparation track, which prepares students to transfer to a bachelor degree education program through completion of an associate in arts or associate in science degree.
For more information about Central Piedmont's new teacher licensing certificate program, email Jennifer Perkins, chair of the Teacher Preparation Pathway Program.
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