Kennedy Carpenter WiIl Emphasize The Value In Staying Connected To Charlotte At The May 8 Commencement Ceremony
Kennedy Carpenter is the commencement speaker for the ceremony at 10 a.m., Friday, May 8, for the College of Arts + Architecture, the College of Computing and Informatics and the College of Health and Human Services. Carpenter is earning a bachelor of science in nursing and will continue full-time at The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia — one of the most prestigious hospitals in the nation.
Carpenter grew up in a tight-knit community in Winston-Salem, N.C. The oldest of four siblings, Carpenter intentionally applied to in-state schools to stay close to her family. Her time at Charlotte pushed her outside her comfort zone, taking her to the backwoods of Wyoming, the streets of South Africa and leading her to her future home in Philadelphia.
Her journey began as a member of the Levine Scholars Program. Before stepping foot on campus, Carpenter and her cohort were sent to NOLS — a four-week leadership retreat in rural Wyoming. Disconnected from the outside world and surrounded by new faces, Carpenter built friendships and the confidence to take on everything Charlotte had to offer.
“Literally in the middle of the woods, sleeping on a yoga mat and a sleeping bag and carrying your trash because they’re teaching us how to be environmentally friendly,” Carpenter said. ”If I can do that, I can do college.”
During her four years, Carpenter excelled in the classroom while also rising to president of UNC Charlotte’s Nursing Association and serving as vice president of the Kappa Kappa chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha, Incorporated. She also interned at the Down Syndrome Association of Greater Charlotte and created and presented research on a support group for women with metastatic breast cancer.
One of the pivotal moments at Charlotte was her study abroad experience to South Africa where she studied the impacts of apartheid and the HIV/AIDS epidemic under the lens of healthcare. It was this program that gave Carpenter the confidence to apply to intern at hospitals in major metropolitan cities and ultimately accept an internship at CHOP, in a major city over 400 miles from home.
“It definitely made me brave,” Carpenter said. “I never thought of moving far and then I studied abroad and I was like, ‘Mom, I love you, but I think I want to be in a bigger city and experience life and see the world.’”
Carpenter learned that she would be speaking at commencement as she was walking into the Levine Scholars senior close out meeting. She said this was a full-circle moment as she got to celebrate with the group she started this whole journey with.
Her speech will tell the story of her Charlotte journey and emphasize the value in staying connected to the University as they join the lineage of Niner alumni. Carpenter is also looking forward to delivering the message as her three younger brothers watch from the stands.
“I do it to empower them, to show them that any goal you set, you can achieve,” Carpenter said.