As students at Georgia Highlands College (GHC) worked toward graduation this spring semester, the novel COVID-19 virus created a unique situation for students across all programs of study. However, through their resilience, more than 1,000 students are set to be highlighted in the upcoming virtual commencement.

The pre-recorded 2020 Virtual Commencement Ceremony will be available for viewing on July 25th at 10AM. The virtual nursing pinning will be available for viewing on July 24th at 10AM.

Taniesha Harrison is one of the combined 119 students who have graduated with either an Associate of Science in Nursing (ASN) or a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN). Following the completion of her ASN, Harrison has been accepted into the college’s BSN program.

“I want people to know that it is never too late to follow your dreams,” Harrison said.

Through the hard work of her instructors and academic advisor, Harrison said she was able to easily make the switch from in-person classes to the virtual face-to-face classes during GHC’s change to remote delivery to help stem the spread of the coronavirus this spring and summer.

“The transition to remote learning was smooth and the staff were very helpful,” Harrison said, adding that faculty and staff began providing information about how to handle transition early on. She specifically cited recently retired Director of Nursing and Professor Rebecca Maddox, who she said called her personally to make sure she had the proper equipment for remote learning and testing.

“The teachers researched all the online interactive clinical simulation and they ended up picking i-Human, which was great,” Harrison said. “It was easy to navigate through, and if you had any issues they were right there to help. By them finding this program, it helped us to graduate on time because the board of nursing accepted this instead of doing our preceptorship hours.”

Harrison, who lives in Acworth and has attended classes on both the Rome campus and the Cartersville site, faced numerous obstacles working toward her education in the era of COVID-19. Despite these difficulties, she said GHC provided options and assistance to help her reach her goals and continue her education.

Harrison previously served as a Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) for two years and as a Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) for 10 years. She said her next goal is to become a Neonatal Nurse Practitioner.

Georgia Highlands College will host its 50^th commencement virtually on July 25. For more information about upcoming virtual events and programs of study, please visit highlands.edu.

The Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice program at Georgia Highlands College, which began in 2019, is celebrating its first graduate, Richey Harrell. Harrell’s accomplishment coincides with the college’s 50^th graduation commencement, which will be celebrated virtually on July 25.

“I had been involved in law enforcement for 25 years when I decided it was time to pursue my goal of obtaining a college degree,” Harrell Said. “After reaching out to my friend and Criminal Justice Professor Randy Green, I decided to begin my journey. My first goal was to obtain my associate degree in criminal justice with the plan to continue after that to obtain my bachelor’s. My ultimate end goal is to obtain my master’s degree and become a professor of criminal justice at GHC.”

Harrell said while obtaining his associate degree, he joined Phi Theta Kappa and was an honorary member of the Criminal Justice Club.

“I chose to attend GHC because of the reputation of the faculty and staff at the college,” Harrell said. “Dr. Greg Sumner and Professor Randy Green were instrumental in that decision due to their experience in the criminal justice field. I feel it is important for the professors that are leading the student to be experienced in the field and both of these gentlemen are not only well respected in academia but also in their respective law enforcement careers. This was a huge impact on my decision to attend GHC.”

For Harrell, enrolling at GHC provided him an opportunity to meet both a personal goal and to become an inspiration to others working to meet their goals.

“My decision to attend college was as a result of regrets that I had in my personal life,” Harrell said. “I was 50 years old and very happy in my career but regretted not attending college. I wanted to not only do this for myself, but also to set an example for the deputies that I worked with on a daily basis. I wanted them to see that if an older person could take on this challenge that it is also an achievable goal for them as well.”

Criminal Justice Professor Greg Sumner said the program is a great option for those seeking to grow and advance their career options at the entry level or while working for a law enforcement agency.

“The need for more officers with a Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice degree has continued to grow, meaning more law enforcement agencies are requiring a bachelor’s degree to obtain executive level ranks to include Chief of Police,” Sumner said. “The International and Georgia Associations of Chiefs of Police both recommend any agency hiring a Chief of Police to hire someone with a minimum of a bachelor’s degree, preferably in criminal justice.”

In addition to all courses being eight weeks in length and being offered online, students have full access to GHC facilities as well as instructors for on-campus and online conferencing. The program also offers college credit through the Peace Officer Standards and Training Council (POST) for law enforcement officers and prior military.

“Students enrolled in the program have a dedicated advisor to assist them with course registration and long-range planning,” Online Advising Coordinator and eMajor Liaison Leslie Terrell-Payne said. “Our Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice degree is well below the average cost for an online degree program compared to many of the top schools providing similar programs. Tuition is just $199 per credit hour, while most online programs charge $300 per credit hour and higher.”

Currently, the program enrolls more than 40 students and is growing due to its popularity and job outlook.

“This program has great support from GHC and the University System of Georgia,” Sumner said. “It has great faculty who have a passion to help and inspire our students to obtain a bachelor’s degree and make positive changes in the field of criminal justice. There is no better time than now to further your education; our communities are relying upon it.”

The program is being offered completely online at Georgia Highlands College, as a part of the University System of Georgia (USG) eMajor initiative.

The USG eMajor program has delivered flexible, online degree programs through multiple USG institutions since 2012. The purpose of eMajor is to provide affordable, quality, innovative, high-demand programs through traditional institutions, such as GHC.

“eMajor degrees are designed specifically for non-traditional students and include several benefits and student success resources in addition to those already available through GHC,” GHC Vice President for Academic Affairs Dana Nichols said. “eMajor programs are ideal for those who need to balance work and family responsibilities with their pursuit of higher education.”

For more information on the Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice program, please visit https://sites.highlands.edu/criminal-justice/

Georgia Highlands College is now providing students an opportunity to enter the growing world of sports management by introducing the Sports Management Pathway this fall.

Students can start this pathway in August by applying before the July 15^th fall deadline.

“This program was developed to meet a growing need of professionals that are interested in a career in business and sports/fitness,” Department Chair of Kinesiology and Wellness Lisa Jellum said. “This pathway allows for graduates to pursue a career in sports taking on a multitude of roles, including a coach, booking agent, event coordinator, fitness professional, facilities manager, sport marketing professional, sales coordinator, or serving in guest relations.”

Sports management is more than professional athletes and ball games. It’s a big business full of huge budget decisions and complex negotiations in which managers will need to draw on their knowledge of health, fitness, business and law. Graduates of the Sports Management Pathway may go on to organize the Super Bowl, work for the New York Yankees, or build a facility plan for a major college or university. Other graduates, for example, may seek to oversee and manage their local city’s youth basketball league or recreation department.

“Getting a degree in Sports Management is a great move for people wanting to be involved with both the business side of the field, including marketing, management and ownership, as well as sports and recreation,” Jellum said. “There are lucrative job opportunities for people in this field of study.”

Sport management calls for the combination of skills related to planning, organizing, directing, controlling, budgeting, leading and evaluating within the context of an organization or department whose primary product or service is related to sport or physical activity.

Students who complete the pathway will be prepared to continue their education and expand their career opportunities by transferring into bachelor programs in areas such as Sports Management, Recreation Administration, Fitness Leadership, Outdoor Recreation Management, or Leisure Studies.

The pathway may be completed in two years.

For more information on the Sports Management Pathway, visit https://www.highlands.edu/areas-of-study/sports-management-pathway/

In 1971, Claudia Williams Taxel is the lone graduate of a small college in Rome, Georgia, in its infancy. She stands with the college president, David McCorkle, and the dean, Wesley Walraven, in a newly constructed building, as a photo is snapped for the local newspaper. Her two-year diploma in education is conferred, and she and her father, Floyd County Commission Chairman Charles Williams, pose together for another photo Claudia still has to this day.

Read the full story on GHC’s 50th Celebration page at 50years.highlands.edu

PICTURE: Disclaimer: Photos displayed on this website may have been taken prior to March 2020.

Although COVID-19 and the switch to remote delivery at the college caused some setbacks, Georgia Highlands College’s student organizations overcame many obstacles to achieve a series of state and national first place awards and accolades.

Chief among these are GHC’s Alpha Psi Omicron chapter of Phi Theta Kappa (PTK) and the GHC student newspaper the Six Mile Post (SMP).

Phi Theta Kappa

For PTK, the chapter received the following awards: Top Distinguished College Project, Top 5-Star Chapter Status, Reach Rewards Status, being named a Top Regional Chapter, Regional Office Chapter, Regional Top 5-Star Status and Regional Award in Excellence for Scholarship. In addition, member Dalton Swanson received the Regional Hall of Honor and GHC President Don Green was recognized as Distinguished Administrator and PTK’s 2020 Shirley B. Gordon Award of Distinction. Other chapter awards include Distinguished Honors in Action (HIA) Theme 2 Runner-Up and Regional Office Chapter.

PTK officers Dalton Swanson, Madhavi Scharko and Dajah Dixon along with alumni Thomas Boylan, Lexii Daniel and Karishma Patel attended PTK’s Fall Regional Conference at Atlanta Metro College in October and supported the regional service project which collected education and hygiene supplies for a Mozambique village for Mission Machangulo. During the conference, in addition to earning numerous chapter awards, the Georgia Regional Alumni Chapter was chartered and faculty lead advisor Karen Huggin was inducted as PTK’s Associate Regional Coordinator.

Huggin said the team has found ways to connect with members and other chapters around the country and are working on steps to achieve 5-Star Chapter Status for the new year, as well as attending PTK’s first International Catalyst Virtual Conference. In addition, GHC President Don Green was selected as a recipient of PTK’s 2020 Shirley B. Gordon Award of Distinction.

Six Mile Post

The SMP was awarded a combined seven first-place awards by both the Southern Regional Press Institute (SRPI) and Georgia College Press Association (GCPA). The SRPI awarded the organization first place in Best Overall Print Newspaper and first place in Best Online News Site along with individual awards for Best News Reporting, Best Sports Writing and Best Feature Photography. The GCPA recognized the SMP with first place individual awards for Best Editorial or Editorial Series as well as the Impact award.

Six Mile Post Editor-in-Chief and GHC student Olivia D. Fortner said she is proud of all the hard work the organization’s staff has done to generate so many organizational and individual awards over the past year.

“Receiving first place in the Best Online News Site is a great accomplishment,” Six Mile Post Editor-in-Chief Olivia D. Fortner said. Fortner said the Six Mile Post maintains its focus of being first and foremost a news outlet.

“I am most proud of the overall improvement award,” Fortner added, referencing the outlet’s third place Improvement award granted by the GCPA. “This speaks volumes for the work our staff has put in. Most of us were inexperienced in journalism and design. We did a lot to learn the style of AP writing and building a newspaper. We worked together and produced a paper better than the last. I hope this continues and we improve with each issue.”

The individual awards from the SRPI competition include; Best News Reporting – first place – Nick Whitmire; second place Best Feature Writing –– Samantha Warner; Best Sports Writing – first place – Trevor Gonzales; Best Feature Photography – first place – Penelope Stephens; and Best Feature Photography – third place – Catie Sullivan.

The GCPA recognized the SMP staff with awards for Layout and Design – second place; Improvement – third place; and Best Campus Community Service – Features – third place. Individual awards include Best Editorial or Editorial Series – first place – Jonah Peters; Best Editorial or Editorial Series – second place – Catie Sullivan; Best Photograph-Editorial/Feature – second place – Emma Veale; Best Photo Essay – third place – Penelope Stephens; Best Column – third place – Mariah Redmond; Best Column – third place – Nathaniel Flahardy; Best Column – third place – Jonah Peters; Best Entertainment Feature – second and third places – Joseph McDaniel; Impact Award – first place – Julia Belew.

Readers can go to www.sixmilepostonline.com to see the new look and visit Apple and Android app stores to download the free College News Source app for easier reading on mobile devices.

All University System of Georgia institutions switched to remote delivery for courses in March and continued this way for the remainder of the spring and summer semesters to help stem the spread of the coronavirus. USG institutions are tentatively planning to return to normal on-campus operations for the fall semester should guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Georgia Department of Public Health allow it.

Georgia Highlands College (GHC) will be holding a virtual commencement and virtual nursing pinning ceremony at the end of July to celebrate the class of 2020.

The pre-recorded 2020 Virtual Commencement Ceremony will be available for viewing on July 25th at 10AM. The virtual nursing pinning will be available for viewing on July 24th at 10AM.

To watch, please tune in to GHC Online TV, Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram.

GHC’s faculty chose Jonathan Hershey, Dean of Humanities, as the 2020 Mace Bearer and Professor of Geology Billy Morris as the recipient of the Wesley C. Walraven Faculty Award.

Student Government Association President Tristen Tolbert will speak on behalf of the student body.

All University System of Georgia institutions switched to remote delivery for courses in March and continued this way for the remainder of the spring and summer semesters to help stem the spread of the coronavirus. For these same reasons, GHC decided to hold commencement virtually in July.

For Director of Nursing and Professor Rebecca (Becca) Maddox, retiring from Georgia Highlands College after two decades of service and during COVID-19 remote operations is a bittersweet experience, but her family’s roots with the college, her time mentoring and helping cultivate the next generation of healthcare workers, and her unwavering pride for GHC culminate, for her, as a long career of success and happiness.

A “Virtual” Retirement Celebration

As the college moved to remote operations during her last year at GHC before retirement, Maddox wasn’t sure exactly what her retirement celebration may look like or if it could even happen at all. However, her friends and colleagues made sure to provide her with a sendoff she will always remember.

It all started with a proposal for a virtual “going away” party.

“When we started the Zoom session, I was told to go to my front door,” Maddox said. “When I opened the door, there were gifts, chips, salsa, guacamole and margaritas waiting there for me. The gifts were awesome! They had put together a scrap book covering my 20-plus years at [GHC]. They had also had a wall hanging and quilt made. Each faculty member had been given a square to decorate however they wished. They had also tracked down many faculty who taught with me in the past. Some of the squares were embroidered, some were hand drawn with fabric paint and some were transfers of photos. They were about my personal life and hobbies, represented good memories from throughout the years, relationships and friendships formed and the family we have all become.”

Teaching and Mentoring Over the Years

Maddox has seen GHC change names and grow across the region over the past 20 years, transitioning from a junior college to a two-year unit of the University System of Georgia and then to a state college.

“When I first started teaching, we were on the Floyd campus. When I returned in 1998, the nursing program had moved to Heritage Hall,” Maddox said. “That has been my primary location, but I taught a few classes when the college was located on Gilmer Street in Cartersville, taught occasionally when we taught nursing on the North Metro campus in Acworth, taught a few classes when we were located on the Southern Poly campus, and finally taught some classes when the nursing program was offered at the WellStar Development Center.”

Running the gamut of instruction formats, Maddox has said she always sought the same result from her students.

“I love teaching, both face-to-face and online. I enjoy watching the light bulb come on when students begin to grasp difficult concepts and start putting all the pieces together,” Maddox said. “I enjoyed being in the clinical setting working with students and caring for patients with them. I had high standards in the clinical setting, but the students knew what those standards were and strived to meet and exceed them.”

Maddox said she also appreciates the experiences she has had serving as a mentor for students, helping them to find their path in higher education. She said students would occasionally enter health-based programs that may not fit their personal strengths and skillsets, but she enjoyed helping students find the right program to bring them academic and professional success.

“I enjoy advising students. I strive to be the person for them that my father was for me,” Maddox said. “Navigating the educational system can be difficult for students. Not everyone understands the ‘ins and outs.’ Many students declare nursing as their pathway because that is what they know, what they have heard about. Occasionally I ran into students who didn’t really want to be a nurse, but who didn’t know what other healthcare options were available. Some were there because their parents wanted them to be a nurse. Nursing school is hard — too hard if you don’t really want to be there.”

One Student’s Token of Thanks

In another example of Maddox making an impression on a student was when a student took a page from the traditional exchange of military challenge coins.

“Typically, military exchange coins are presented by unit commanders to recognize a special achievement by a member of the unit. The presentation is made by passing the coin during a handshake,” Maddox said. “Somehow, challenge coins became a topic of conversation with one of my clinical groups one semester.”

During the college’s spring 2012 pinning ceremony, nursing students were awarded the Georgia Highlands College Nursing pin to acknowledge academic work well done, entry into the profession of nursing and as a reminder of nursing’s historical mission to serve the sick.

“It is a very emotional ceremony. Many students hug me after receiving their pins,” Maddox said. “During this ceremony, one of the students came across the stage to get her pin, but instead of hugging me, she stepped back and shook my hand. At first I was a bit perplexed, then realized that there was something in that handshake. I looked down at our hands and then back up to her face. She was just grinning the biggest grin. She had tracked down a Nursing challenge coin and had passed it to me in the handshake. It brought me to tears and still does remember it. I still carry that challenge coin with me. It was one of the most meaningful moments of my career.”

A Family Tradition

Maddox said she will always be thankful for the lessons she has learned and skills she obtained on her path to being successful as a teacher, an assistant director, an interim chair and a director.

For Maddox, her family’s history echoed through the halls of Georgia Highlands College, often bringing back memories as well as inspiration to continue a tradition of excellence.

GHC’s Heritage Hall location is named for the late Judge James D. Maddox, whose family once owned the property where the building now sits. He is known for being one of the individuals who helped establish Floyd Junior College, now GHC, by spearheading the effort to pass a $3.2 million bond issue to begin construction on the institution in 1970.

“It wasn’t too long after the plaque of dad’s picture was hung in the building. I was sitting at the desk in Centre Stage while students were taking a final,” Maddox said. “I was thinking about everything that had been going on at the college. All of the changes. All of the changes in my life since dad had passed away. I looked up, and there he was. The plaque is hung so that incidentally his picture lines up with the little window in both the outer and inner doors to Centre Stage and lined straight up with where I was sitting. As I said, Heritage Hall is my home away from home and dad was looking over us.”

Keeping the GHC Spirit Alive

As many of her colleagues continue on at GHC and as future educators and staff come on board, Maddox shared some advice to help keep them motivated as they help others achieve their goals.

“Be proud of the college. Be proud of your contributions to the college and to the students,” Maddox said. “It takes each and every one of you to make this college the great place that it is. The home that it is for many of us and our students. Keep looking after each other and keep being family. Those of us who have been here a while will be leaving the college in your hands. From what I have seen over the past few years, the college is in great hands and will continue to grow and excel in providing affordable, quality education to meet the needs of the communities we serve.”

She said this type of attitude and approach to overseeing the execution and growth of an educational institution is what helped GHC grow to what it is recognized as today.

“If it had not been for that citizens’ committee and the strength, foresight, and drive of its members, if it had not been for the bond referendum to provide funds for the establishment of the college, the college would not be here to afford us the opportunity to make a difference. I look forward to seeing how the college grows.”

She continued, “My goal was to be an integral part of the college, to make a difference in the lives of students, to contribute to the nursing program being the best program in the area. I definitely feel that I have made contributions to the program along the way, but more importantly, I feel I have made a difference in the lives of students. I feel I have done my best to live up to my father’s legacy.”

GHC and West Georgia Technical College held a virtual signing to highlight a new transfer partnership from West Georgia Technical College into Georgia Highlands College.

Georgia Highlands College (GHC) alumnus Bryson Horne recently received a phone call that resulted in reaching a long-time goal: an offer to sign with the Atlanta Braves as an undrafted free agent.

“It was pretty surreal because I had been talking with them for a little while, but actually getting that phone call was a lifelong dream,” Horne said. “This is something I’ve worked for my whole life and to make it a reality was amazing.”

For his career at GHC ending in 2019, Horne belted out a .345 batting average with 24 doubles, 8 home runs, and 76 RBI’s. He also stole 17 bases as a Charger and was issued 63 free passes while being named an All-Georgia Collegiate Athletic Association performer in his sophomore season.

Not only was Horne a dominant force in the batter’s box for GHC, he also played a big role in the Charger’s defensive strategy, manning multiple positions as a sophomore. Enrolled in the General Studies pathway at GHC and attending classes at the Cartersville site while living in Canton, Horne then transferred to Columbus State University (CSU) to continue his academic, athletic and future professional career.

“Going to GHC really helped prepare me for baseball and for life,” Horne said. “I think I grew a lot and matured during my two years at GHC.”

Horne said he appreciates his experience as a student and as an athlete at GHC, praising the work of GHC Head Baseball Coach Dash O’Neill and Pitching coach/Recruiting Coordinator Brock Moss during his time as a Charger.

“If any kid out there is considering college baseball, really consider GHC,” Horne said. “I thoroughly enjoyed my time there going to school and playing baseball.”

For more information on the GHC Chargers, visit www.ghcchargers.com