‘More than talented.’ 14 CMS students turn internships into full-time city jobs
Kyle Hampton is turning his summer internship into a city public safety job through a two-year-old entry-level jobs program.
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Hampton, an Early College student at UNC Charlotte, was one out of 14 students from across Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools selected to sign with the city of Charlotte through the Education 2 Employment program, which is a program founded in 2024 to give CMS students a direct pathway to full-time employment with the city of Charlotte through entry-level jobs.
“It didn’t take long for us to realize he was more than talented,” said Charlotte Fire Battalion Chief Juan Pablo Soto during his signing ceremony. “His hard work and yearning to learn for the past year has helped us build and analyze data, develop mapping tools and create innovative solutions that have had a real impact on our department.”
Hampton began his journey through entering the Mayor’s Youth Employment Program, which is offered by Charlotte for high school students to work paid internships through the city.
He began working alongside the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department community services division in 2024, but transitioned into data analytics for the Charlotte Fire Department to help analyze data for the strategic planning center.
He also got to work with systems to help the fire department become more effective, including geographic information systems to analyze and map data across Charlotte.
During that time, Hampton accelerated his education by completing two years of high school early before many students and earned college credits through UNC Charlotte’s Early College.
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“It was pretty difficult, but you just kind of have to keep focused and allow time management for both (school and work). Knocking out two years of high school and then straight into college work was a hassle on its own,” Hampton said.
Now, Hampton plans to continue his journey by with a job under the Public Safety Information Technology team, letting him continue to use his analytical skills through the city of Charlotte.
He was initially majoring in management information systems before transitioning to data science and artificial intelligence. His brother, who works at Lenovo, introduced him to the field.
Through the program, students receive training through in their chosen field and can advance their career through continuing education or coaching.
Hampton offered advice for incoming students who are looking to apply for the program through CMS, pointing out that working through internships and shadowing opportunities are the first step.
“Just look for shadowing opportunities. And if you can’t get an internship at the moment, always try to build your resume by doing projects in the field that you’re trying to get into,” Hampton said.
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