Maretta is a proud mom of eight kids. She moved to Charlotte in 2004 from Buffalo, NY because she was looking for a change. She has family in South Carolina and Atlanta, so figured Charlotte would be a good place in the middle. She just recently retired from Charlotte Mecklenburg Schools (CMS) working as a site coordinator for the Before School Program and a lead associate for the After School Program. Maretta has always loved to bake, especially for her church and for clientele from CMS. Now that she is retired, she was looking for things to do that would enhance her passion for baking. So, she Googled some programs and found CCSC. She’s already learned so many new things and credits the Chefs for being so great and patient with the students. This has also opened a bigger opportunity for her because she’s never worked in a commercial kitchen before. She says, “The culinary field is so broad, there is always something new to learn.” After she graduates, Maretta would like to continue pursing her passion of baking. She would love to eventually open her own small café.