In 2025, Georgia Northwestern Technical College (GNTC) entered into strategic partnerships that boost educational opportunities for northwest Georgia residents, earned recognition and continued to grow its footprint in the northwest Georgia region.
AdventHealth and GNTC signed an agreement designed to boost enrollment in GNTC’s Associate of Science in Nursing (ASN) program, thereby helping to expand and continue nursing education services in northwest Georgia.
The collaboration is designed to strengthen the connection between academic preparation and clinical practice by expanding clinical placement opportunities, supporting workforce development and fostering shared initiatives in nursing education, evidence-based practice and quality care.
“GNTC’s mission has always centered on meeting the workforce needs of our community,” said Dr. Heidi Popham, GNTC president. “This partnership with AdventHealth will not only expand access to nursing education, but will also help ensure our healthcare providers have the trained professionals they need to deliver high-quality care.”
Statewide recognition
Noelia Sargento, a student from GNTC, was named the Technical College System of Georgia’s (TCSG) 2025 Adult Education Student of the Year and recipient of the Dinah Culbreath Wayne Exceptional Adult Georgian in Literacy Education (EAGLE) Award for the State of Georgia.
The Leadership Institute recognizes and honors those students who have demonstrated superior achievement in Adult Education classes and programs. Sargento earned her High School Equivalency (HSE) through GNTC’s Adult Education program in June 2024.
“I consider myself a modern mom, balancing my family and career,” Sargento said. “Despite a full plate, I managed to make room to further my education. At first, I struggled to juggle school, work, raising two children and supporting my husband, but the online HSE courses were flexible to fit my schedule.”
Regional recognition
Dr. Heidi Popham, president of GNTC, was selected to serve on the Board of Trustees for the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC).
SACSCOC is the accrediting body for degree-granting higher education institutions in the southern states, including Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas and Virginia and Latin America and certain other international sites approved by the SACSCOC Board of Trustees that award associate, baccalaureate, master’s or doctoral degrees. Its mission is to assure the educational quality and improve the effectiveness of its member institutions; the organization’s core values are integrity, continuous quality improvement, peer review/self-regulation, accountability, student learning and transparency.
Dr. Popham was elected to serve as part of Georgia’s SACSCOC delegation during the 2025 SACSCOC Annual Meeting in Nashville. Her 3-year term began in January.
National recognition
The Aspen Institute named GNTC as one of the 200 institutions eligible to compete for the $1 million Aspen Prize for Community College Excellence, the nation’s premier recognition of high achievement and performance among two-year colleges. The 200 colleges were selected based on their student outcomes data, including retention, completion, transfer and bachelor’s attainment rates.
Together, these 200 colleges represent the breadth and diversity of the community college sector. Some of these colleges focus primarily on workforce programs, while others focus on transfer and bachelor’s attainment or a combination of the two.
“The Aspen Prize rewards colleges that achieve the kind of outcomes that actually matter to students—completing college degree programs that, in turn, lead to lifelong success,” said Josh Wyner, executive director of the Aspen Institute College Excellence Program.
Continued growth
As part of its continued growth in the northwest Georgia region, GNTC is expanding its Commercial Truck Driving-Class A program with a new driving range on the Whitfield Murray Campus in Dalton.
The new 100,515 square foot driving range will be in addition to the Commercial Truck Driving-Class A driving range on the Walker County Campus (WCC) in Rock Spring. GNTC also has a driving range on its Polk County Campus (PCC) in Rockmart that offers Commercial Truck Driving-Class B training and certification, as well as training and certification for a restricted Class A Commercial Truck Driving (CDL) license as part of the Electrical Lineworker Program.
A new classroom building will be part of the new driving range facilities at WMC.
Georgia Northwestern Technical College provides quality workforce education to the citizens of northwest Georgia. Students have the opportunity to earn an associate degree, diploma or a certificate in aviation, business, health, industrial or public service career paths. This past year, 12,241 people benefited from GNTC’s credit and noncredit programs. GNTC has an annual credit enrollment of 8,031 students and an additional enrollment of 4,210 people through adult education, continuing education, business and industry training and Georgia Quick Start.
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