GNTC honors Fall 2021 graduates
Close to 300 Georgia Northwestern Technical College students crossed the stage of the Dalton Convention Center on Thursday, Dec. 2, to the cheers of their families, friends and instructors.
GNTC held two separate Commencement Ceremonies in order to practice social distancing guidelines and accommodate friends and families of the graduates.
A ceremony was held at 12 p.m. to recognize students in GNTC’s Business and Health programs and the second ceremony held at 4 p.m. recognized the students in GNTC’s Aviation, Industrial and Public Service programs.
At both ceremonies, Dr. Heidi Popham, president of GNTC, welcomed guests, congratulated the graduates and introduced Jeremiah Cooper, GNTC’s 2021 Rick Perkins Instructor of the Year, as the keynote commencement speaker.
“After hosting three drivethru ceremonies, we are thrilled to be hosting a graduation ceremony again indoors,” said Dr. Popham as she welcomed the graduates and guests.
Jeremiah Cooper has been an instructor at GNTC since 2013. He is the program director and instructor of Welding and Joining Technology on the Walker County Campus. This is his second time serving as GNTC’s Rick Perkins Instructor of the Year.
“Don’t forget the people who helped you get here today,” said Cooper during the commencement address. “Be that same individual for somebody else. We are all here today because somebody took time out of their lives to invest in us, invest in somebody else, somebody helped you get here today, help somebody else get here tomorrow.”
Stuart Phillips, vice president of Student Affairs at GNTC, recognized High Honor graduates with a 4.0 grade point average and Honor graduates with a 3.5 to 3.99 grade point average. Phillips also led a special recognition for graduates that are veterans, apprentices, Phi Beta Lambda members, SkillsUSA members, Student Government Association members, first generation college students and dual enrollment high school students.
Dr. Elizabeth Anderson, vice president of Academic Affairs at GNTC, presented the graduates and Dr.
Heidi Popham conferred the graduates with associate degrees, diplomas and certificates.
The ceremonies concluded with closing remarks by Dr. Popham in which she challenged the graduates, “do not let this be the end of your educational journey, never stop learning.”
A special post-ceremony recognition was held by the Georgia Chapter Independent Electrical Contractors (IEC) as they commemorated the GNTC Fox Systems, Inc. IEC Electrical Apprenticeship graduating class of 2021.
GNTC Fox Systems Inc. IEC Apprenticeship graduates included Wesley Cook,
Noah Thomas Dutton, Caleb Edwards, Michael Gordon, William Curry Jennings, Brandon Michael McBee, Marvin George McDougle III, Tyler Philip Robbins, Miguel Angel Sanchez and John F. Tate. (not all apprenticeship graduates participated in the GNTC Commencement Ceremony)
In addition to four years of instruction, each GNTC Fox Systems Inc. IEC Apprenticeship graduate attended a minimum of 576 hours of classroom and lab instruction and completed a minimum of 8,000 hours of on-the-job training.