GNTC holds 2019 GED® Commencement Ceremony

May 22, 2019
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Georgia Northwestern Technical College (GNTC) held its 2018-19 GED® Commencement Ceremony on Thursday, May 16, for students who have earned their General Educational Development® diplomas.

The ceremony was held at the Conference Center on GNTC’s Gordon County Campus in Calhoun to accommodate students and families from all nine counties of GNTC’s service area. 

The evening began with a welcome and introductions by Lisa Shaw, interim director of Adult Education at GNTC. Shaw congratulated the graduates and thanked the organizations that provided GED® scholarships.

Those organizations include: Calhoun-Gordon Council for a Literate Society, Catoosa Citizens for Literacy, Chattooga County Literacy Council, Conasauga Drug Court Program, Dalton-Whitfield Community Foundation, LaFayette Presbyterian Church, North Georgia EMC, Polk County Rotary Club, Rome-Floyd CCCY, Rome Rotary Club, Shaw Industries, Tallatoona CAP, United Way, Dalton-Whitfield Rotary Club and the GNTC Foundation.

Graduates turn the tassels during GNTC's 2018-19 GED® Commencement Ceremony on Thursday, May 16.
Graduates turn the tassels during GNTC's 2018-19 GED® Commencement Ceremony on Thursday, May 16.

Stuart Philips, interim president of GNTC, recognized the graduates for their achievements and thanked the friends and families that were in the audience.

“It’s an honor to be here with you tonight to celebrate this special occasion. One of my favorite events here at the college are the graduation ceremonies,” said Philips. “It’s just an exciting time, a time of celebration for our graduates, a time to recognize your hard work, dedication and your willingness to overcome obstacles.”

Harley Chastain, GNTC’s 2019 EAGLE Delegate, delivered the keynote address. Chastain was chosen as a regional finalist for the State EAGLE Award by the Technical College System of Georgia.

“There are many job opportunities out there just waiting to be filled by the right person,” said Chastain. “However often times those jobs require some form of high school or GED diploma. This program enables people to step in and fill those positions.”

Listed are the graduates that participated in the 2018-19 GED® Commencement Ceremony. This list does not include students that have graduated, but did not participate in the ceremony, or students that registered for the ceremony after the GED® commencement program was printed:

Martha Abbott, Yesenia Alvarez, Julio Barrientos, Angela Barrientos-Rodriguez, Sierra Binion, Timothy Buie, Jacob Alexander Chapman, Blake Chubb, Elijah Cole, Bessie Coleman, Lisa Cooper, Levi Crabtree, Judy Culver, Kennedy Davenport, Sterling Doyle, Alison Duckett, Brandon Dyer, Anastasia Fite, Maria Gabriela Garcia, Victor Manuel Garcia, Wesley Garland, Ricky Garrett, David Lamar Hall, Elizabeth Hamrick, Bree Hill, Ashley Johnson, Tucker Jameson Langford, Bryson Lanham, Carley Michelle Layman, Emanuel Major, Steven Blake Martin, Zoriah Mccrae, William Sean Rayman Nash, George News, Kyle W. Norman, Yulma Phillips, Wesley Dean Porter, Cindy Ramos-Mendoza, Destiney Faye, LaDawn Ray, Amanda Marie Reese, Hunter Gage Richards, Matthew Richner, Sarah Russell, Maria de Lourdes Solis, Robert Spangler, Cordell Squires, Elizabeth Stacey, Heather Leigh Stafford, Christopher Stanley, Joshua Stephens, Taylor Nathaniel Stone, Caleb Taylor, Haylee Nevaeh Turner, Michael Usry, Mikayla Leigh Wells, Kyla White, Raymond Stanley Williams, Jr., Diana Michelle Wilson and Gerardo Zuniga.

GNTC is an official General Educational Development® Testing Center and a site for computer-based GED® Testing in partnership with Pearson Vue, GED® Testing Services, and the Technical College System of Georgia. The mission of GNTC’s Adult Education program is to enable every adult learner in the service delivery area to acquire the necessary basic skills to be able to compete successfully in today’s workplace, strengthen family foundations and exercise full citizenship.

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 business, health, industrial, or public service career paths. This past year, 12,785 people benefited from GNTC’s credit and noncredit programs. With an annual credit enrollment of 7,499 students, GNTC is the largest college in Northwest Georgia. GNTC has an additional enrollment of 5,286 people through adult education, continuing education, business and industry training, and Georgia Quick Start. GNTC is a unit of the Technical College System of Georgia and an Equal Opportunity Institution.

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