When she was younger Amelia Marrone struggled with what she wanted for her future.
Questions throughout high school of “what college are you going to?” and “what are your plans after graduation?” along with the pressure to follow a traditional college path began to feel overwhelming.
A chance conversation at First Avenue’s 7th Street Entry with a fellow concert goer really stuck with her.
“We had been talking about life and future aspirations, and I know they could tell that I was so unsure,” Marrone recalls. “And then they told me ‘You’re right where you need to be. Wherever you are right now, you’re right where you need to be.’”
Marrone took that conversation to heart and has held on to that advice ever since.
Fast forward to today, and Marrone is about to graduate from Dunwoody with an Associate of Applied Science degree in Web Programming & Database Development. She also earned recognition as one of the Academic Excellence Award recipients of 2025.
Choosing dunwoody
“One day at work I was standing at my desk in an unconditioned warehouse doing paperwork when I realized ‘I don’t want to do this anymore,’” she said.
She decided it was time to put energy into something she was actually interested in. At the time she had been working on a network engineering project and had stumbled upon the computer programs at Dunwoody.
She ended up applying that night and put in her notice at that job shortly after.
Part of what drew Marrone to a Dunwoody education initially was that it was not only a hands-on environment, but it was a two-year program instead of four.
“Typically computer science programs are four years, and from what I understand the first few years are spent focused on concepts in lecture halls,” she said. “But I didn’t want to waste time. I wanted to dive into the deep-end and learn to swim.”
Marrone originally started in the Computer Networking Systems program, but soon realized that she was drawn to another area of study.
“While I was still excelling at my networking courses, I found myself working on coding projects and was becoming more interested in software development and low-level computer science/hardware architecture,” she said.
So she made the switch to the Web Programming & Database Development program.
Although Marrone’s original intention was to quickly earn a degree and secure a job in the field, she says she soon found herself “more engrossed in learning and expanding my knowledge.”
Her passion and drive did not go unnoticed.
“From the beginning Amelia has had a strong passion for learning,” said Associate Professor Amalan Pulendran. “She is always curious, always asking good questions, and always eager to learn more.”
Outside of the classroom Marrone supported the department as a student worker, making a positive impact along the way.
“She is respectful, thoughtful, and helpful to everyone around her,” Pulendran said, adding that she has been a strong advocate for her classmates and an asset to the department.
Marrone was surprised at learning she would be named an Academic Excellence Award recipient, admitting that school had been a struggle before she attended Dunwoody.
“This is the first time I feel I’ve truly excelled academically,” Marrone said. “To be recognized for my academic pursuits despite being my own worst critic means more than I can put into words.”
As for what comes next, she doesn’t have a plan just yet — and is okay with not knowing: “I really haven’t thought about it. I suppose having a plan would be the responsible thing, but really I’m just happy to be here. Whatever comes my way, I plan to tackle with confidence and determination.”