For Georgia Highlands College alumnus Corey Pitts, opening his private gym, CMP Training, in Rome, this year was a dream come true after years of hard work driven by his passion for helping others.
“What drew me into choosing fitness as career was that I wanted to own my own business, and fitness has been a part of me since eighth grade,” Pitts said. “Family history also played a big part pushing forward into fitness. I wanted to help as many people as I can to be a better version of themselves.”
While offering his training services at Harbin Clinic in his early 20s, Pitts said one day he decided he wanted to start his own private gym.
“From then I had an idea and a vision,” Pitts said.
Pitts’ next stop was training out of a small gym called Wrights Athletics for seven years. His business grew from there, building clients through the Rome Athletic Club, and Pitts went on to lease a space in the club’s warehouse for three years.
In January of 2023, he was able to open CMP Training.
“My first initial goal was to have my own brick and mortar building in the right location since day one,” he said. “As of today, my goal was reached in my 10th year.”
Pitts said attending GHC was a great decision, and helped with building a foundation he applies to his professional endeavors.
“Georgia Highlands shaped my educational outlook every year and every semester,” Pitts said. “From meeting people, sports, public speaking, learning to handle large tasks, to failing, persevering and time management, the list goes on.”
One way Pitts was able to utilize his time at GHC was by joining and serving as president of organization Brother 2 Brother (B2B), then known as Black Awareness Society. The organization provided him with additional leadership opportunities through the GHC Foundation Camp.
“As I reflect on the time I was at GHC, I enjoyed the journey of being a student, a worker, growing from a GHC Foundation Camp Counselor to a Camp Director, to being the Strength and Conditioning coach for the boys basketball team for four years,” Pitts said. “Plenty of memories come to mind as I take a trip down memory lane.”
In addition to applying for and receiving scholarships from the GHC Foundation, Pitts also found a unique way to fund his education.
“I do recall a time I didn’t have enough money to pay for college and Dr. Jon Hershey [Project Director for Inclusion and Equity] was my mentor and suggested using a skill to create a business,” he said. “So, I created a car wash business to pay for my college tuition that year.”
An athlete since five-years-old, Pitts has played on travel basketball teams, semi-pro basketball leagues, college intramural teams, high school track and field along with practicing ongoing strength and conditioning training. In addition, Pitts served as a firefighter for three years.
