Rewiring the Future: Kia Melvin’s Bold Journey from Night Shift to Neuroscience
What if we could stop Alzheimer’s before memory loss even begins? What if doctors could turn off the gene that causes ALS? Could changing a tiny piece of DNA really break the cycle of addiction?
These are the questions that spark late-night curiosity in Kia Melvin’s mind, right around 3 a.m. on a quiet shift at Amazon, while most of the world sleeps and she’s busy lighting the path forward, both for new employees and for herself.
At 33, Kia is no stranger to detours. Her academic journey has been full of pivots, pauses, and restarts, but never a full stop. She earned her two associate degrees (in science and arts) before setting her sights on a very specific goal: a Bachelor of Science in Psychology.
“Most programs I found were a B.A.,” she says. “But I’m more interested in the science of the brain — cognitive neuroscience, labs, cells, the works. UNC Charlotte was the only school in the area offering the kind of bachelor of science I was looking for. I said, ‘Okay, this is where I’m going.’”
And go, she did.
Thanks to Amazon’s Career Choice and UNC Charlotte’s Tuition Benefits Partnership programs, Kia doesn’t pay a dime out of pocket for her degree. “It means a lot,” she says. “Without it, I wouldn’t even be in school. Tuition, childcare, life. It all adds up. My employer takes that financial burden off me, so I can actually focus on school.”
Kia’s days (and nights) are a masterclass in time management. She works the third shift, 5:30 p.m. to 4 a.m., as a Learning Trainer at Amazon, onboarding new employees, coaching team members, and helping others meet performance goals. In her downtime at work, she squeezes in study sessions. During the day, she’s in class or doing homework. Somewhere in the blur, she grabs a few hours of sleep, raises two boys (ages 7 and 13), and manages to ace psychology courses like Brain, Behavior and Mental Processes, her current favorite.
“That class opened my eyes to how addiction changes the brain,” she says. “It made everything click. I’m actually good at this. I understand it.”
Kia’s dream career? Something in neuroscience. Maybe lab work. Maybe working with patients with Alzheimer’s or dementia. “Anything dealing with the brain,” she says. “That’s where I want to be.”
It hasn’t been easy. Balancing kids, work, and school rarely is, but she credits her mom as her MVP. “She believed in me before I did,” Kia says. “She helps with the kids, keeps me grounded, and reminds me I will finish this.”
With two semesters to go, Kia is on track to graduate in 2026 or early 2027, depending on her course load. Her advice to others?
“Just do it,” she says. “I waited because I didn’t think it was possible. But it is. You just have to find your rhythm. Give yourself grace, find your routine, and stick with it.”
Because for Kia Melvin, every assignment, every class, every overnight shift brings her one step closer to the future she’s mapping. One neuron at a time.