From Dream to Goal
Karitsa Kerns represents the vision of Metropolitan College. She currently runs her own Tax and Accounting firm, and is making all her dreams come true. “When I started my degree in Metropolitan College, I came to realize that I could take control of my life and get to the places where I wanted to be,” said kerns.
Five years ago, Karitsa didn’t know how much her life would change as she took one of the most defining steps of her life: enrolling in Metropolitan College at JCSU to obtain her Bachelor’s degree.
Karitsa had always wanted to go to an HBCU, but with a full time job in a busy company’s accounting department, and as a single mother of two, it was not easy or even realistic for her to enroll in a traditional college program. “One day I saw a billboard on Beatties Ford Road about Metropolitan College at JCSU, and my life changed forever,” said Kerns. She then did some research and found out that Metropolitan College offered options that could help her combine her studies with her highly demanding life.
Karitsa was a little scared in the beginning of this journey, because she knew it was not going to be easy for her to juggle so many different responsibilities as an adult student, single mother of two and full time worker. But one thing was very clear in her mind: she wanted a better life and wanted to serve as a role model for her two kids, a five and a 15 year old at the time.
The Master Plan
Karitsa’s determination was much stronger than any obstacles that might have come between her and her goal. So she put up a plan to make sure she had all the resources she needed in order to succeed in this endeavor. The master plan included obtaining support from her family and friends and taking advantage of Metropolitan College’s solutions for adult students. These solutions include accelerated programs, meaning that what typically takes place in a semester is conducted within an 8-week term; evening schedules; and online classes. All these options made it realistic for Karitsa to be able to manage her time efficiently, while taking care of her many other duties.
The financial part of going back to school was hard too, so Karitsa started looking for support in her workplace. After discussing her plan with her manager, she found out that the company offered tuition reimbursement for the employees, so she enrolled in that program.
Social Work:
Learn a range of skills and methods to help people: child service, clinical, therapeutic services, and community development. This programs leads to a variety of careers from advocacy organizations and healthcare to government and corporate human relations. Receive traditional class room training, then put theory to practice through our active involvement with surrounding neighborhoods, Charlotte, and beyond. We are connected with the National Association of Christians in Social Work, The National Association of Black Social Workers, and our Field Education program continuously evaluates new partnerships to further our students’ opportunities.