(Media release from Georgia Northwestern Technical College):
Georgia Northwestern Technical College’s (GNTC) Office of Adult Education held its Fall 2023 Commencement Ceremony on Thursday, Dec. 7, for students who have earned their General Educational Development® (GED®) 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, vice president of Adult Education at GNTC, followed by opening remarks by Dr. Heidi Popham, GNTC president, and the introduction of speaker Leyner Argueta, program director and instructor of Business Management at GNTC, by Shaw.
“Success is not a destination; it’s a journey,” Argueta said. “It’s about continuous learning, adaptability and the courage to embrace change. Don’t be afraid to dream big, set audacious goals and challenge yourself to reach new heights.”
Argueta reminded graduates that failure, rather than being the end, is a stepping stone to success and that every stumble presents an opportunity to learn, grow and become a better version of themselves.
“Let the pride of this accomplishment fuel your future endeavors,” Argueta said. “The challenges you’ve faced and conquered have molded you into resilient, capable individuals ready to make a positive impact on the world.”
Listed are the graduates who participated in the Fall 2023 Adult Education 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 commencement program was printed: Kelli Amelia Jean Adams, Kierstan Barnett, Emma Grace Bedwell, Francisco Benitez, Tamara Bice, Jesse Blackburn, Jerad Bradley, Edaena Brito Moreno, Thurman James Collins, Cynthia Denise Cooper, Lauren Craig, Kadie Douglas, Brittany Dawn Fincher, William Fletcher, Cristal Guzman Garcia, Kevin Hall, Ashely Danielle Hallman, Cheyenne Henderson, Angelica Herrera, Losvin Ibarra, Danica Jones, Betty Ann Kennedy, James C. Krincek, Jose Jesus Lopez, Claudia Lua-Capistran, Emily Brooke Lucas, Yuridia Maldonado, Nicole Morgan, Laci Newport, Chantale Nicolas, Serenity Angelina Omlor, Hunter Parsley, Tori Pool, Tony Reyes, Emma Adelia Roberts, Clara Amalia Rodriguez, Brittany Schlapa, Aron Shaw, Christopher Shaw, Kisha Snell, Hannah Tucker, Heather Tucker, Jhonnathan E. Velasquez Reyes, Desiree Wesley, Carlos Williams, Destiny Womack and Lowell Yancey.
Derrick McDaniel, Adult Education instructional coordinator, recognized Honor graduates Kierstan Barnett, Kadie Douglas, Brittany Dawn Fincher, Ashley Danielle Hallman, James C. Krincek, Claudia Lua-Capistran, Nicole Morgan, Serenity Angelina Omlor, Hannah Tucker and Heather Tucker.
Hannah Tucker had the highest score on an individual test, and Heather Tucker had the highest overall score on the GED® exam.
The Adult Education program acknowledged the following organizations who provided scholarships: Calhoun-Gordon Council for a Literate Society, Catoosa Citizens for Literacy, Chattooga County Literacy Council, Conasauga Drug Court Program, Dalton-Whitfield Community Foundation, Dalton Rotary Club, Dollar General Literacy Foundation, LaFayette Presbyterian Church, North Georgia Electric Membership Corp. (NGEMC), Polk County Council, Polk County Rotary Club, Rome-Floyd County Commission on Children and Youth, Rome Rotary Club, Shaw Industries and Tallatoona Community Action Partnership Inc.
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.
