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Posted on: 1/27/25
Melissa Castaneda thought she would be a pediatrician because she liked working with children. While at Polo Ridge Elementary School, she was part of a reading buddies program where first graders would be paired with third graders to read together. When she was in the third grade, she remembered being excited to have her reading buddy.
“She was really sweet,” Castaneda remembered.
While at Ardrey Kell High School, she joined her school’s HOSA and DECA clubs and took some marketing and business classes.
Castaneda juggled between the two, taking field trips and classes to explore what she liked the most. But after some difficult science classes and taking a personality quiz that told her Human Resources was a good match, her decision was made.
“I realized that I enjoyed talking to people and understanding how people interact with one another,” said Castaneda. “So my bachelor’s is in business management with a concentration in HR and a minor in international business.”
Castaneda graduated from Ardrey Kell in 2020 during the
pandemic. She said her family jokes about how quick her graduation was.
“I always say that graduation was faster than the Chick-fil-A drive through,” said Castaneda with a laugh. “My parents were like ‘this was amazing/the quickest graduation we’ve ever been to.’ But at the time, we just had to make do.”
Castaneda spent her first year as a student at Appalachian State University studying remotely at home. When she moved on campus into an apartment, she lived with friends from elementary school. One of her roommates was in her same kindergarten class at McKee Elementary School as well as in her first grade class at Polo Ridge.
“It was a good support system,” said Castaneda.
Castaneda was finishing her last year at Appalachian State University while applying for jobs. Her mom, who also works for Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools, encouraged her to look at jobs in the district. Castaneda applied to several positions, including a substitute teacher position, before seeing an opening for a P-Card assistant.
Castaneda said she felt she met the qualifications and decided to apply. Next thing she knew, she was called in to do an interview.
“During my interview, they asked if I liked the team which I said ‘yes’”, she recalled. “Greg said they were going to talk it over and then I got a call asking if I wanted the job, to which I said ‘yes!’”
Castaneda is a P-Card assistant in Procurement for Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools and has been with the district since September 2024. She handles Central Office transactions and processing approvals for departments and chiefs, like professional development, materials needed for meetings, etc. Castaneda said her team is like a “tight-knit family,” and she’s excited for growth and new opportunities in her role.
