Karen Abney: From Student to Employee

On May 27, 2025, Community College of Philadelphia hosted its first graduation ceremony for the inaugural cohort of the City College for Municipal Employment (CCME). The event celebrated more than 20 students who worked hard to invest in themselves and the City of Philadelphia. The CCME program is a partnership between CCP and the City of Philadelphia that provides workforce training and a pathway to employment, free of charge, to eligible students. This program increases access to education and helps prepare individuals for careers in city government.

Karen Abney was one of the first to graduate from CCME’s Business and Administration pathway. She finished the program in December of 2024, and her accomplishment was celebrated at the May 2025 ceremony along with her fellow CCME graduates. Karen came to the program after taking a hiatus from previous employment with the City. Little did she know that after completing the program, Karen would find herself in an administrative role within CCP’s CCME office itself.

“When I enrolled in this program, my goal was simple: to enhance the skills I had developed over time and take them to an even greater level,” Karen said. “What I didn’t expect was how much I would grow—not just professionally, but personally.” For Karen, the CCME program opened more than just job opportunities for her. It opened her eyes to ways to build greater empathy for folks within and outside the workplace. Karen found the power skills course that was required for the program to be particularly impactful.

"So, the power skills [course] is like [building] communication skills and trying to de-escalate, learning how to talk in regard to body language and then reading body language,” she said. Karen added that in the course, students were tasked with role playing certain scenarios and participating in honest evaluation of each other, all of which got her out of her comfort zone and showed her how to effectively express herself and help others do the same. She feels that this skill will help tremendously in her new role as she learns to work with students, faculty and staff.

Karen’s unique perspective as a graduate of the CCME program is also a valuable asset to her role in the office. Since she started, Karen has already seen how the program is growing and evolving to better suit students’ needs. “I see different things being added, so it's like, ‘OK, this is really taking off!’ I like to watch it grow.”

Karen is also gaining new insights in the role and seeing how other staff members handle their responsibilities and tasks. “So basically, right now I'm learning how everything is operating,” she said.

Karen is so glad that she participated in the CCME program because now she can bring the skills she learned and honed into her role in the CCME office at CCP. She recommends the program to anyone who is interested and eligible. “You can't beat the program. I mean, when I say it's free, it’s true. It's no cost to you, but just your time, your energy and your commitment.”