Georgia Highlands College (GHC) is moving from its former location on Stewart Parkway in Douglasville to a new location at the Murray Educational Center on Bill Arp Road (Highway 5) to further expand degree offerings to students in Douglas County. The move will also open up more ways to take classes this fall in Douglasville with options for remote instruction.

GHC will officially hold classes at the new site in August for the upcoming fall semester.

With the new remote instruction option, Douglasville students will be able to take classes from home while pursuing a wider array of pathways than ever before. The ability to attend traditional face-to-face classes in a virtual format will now give students in Douglas County the advantage of completing pathways or courses offered at nearly any GHC location each semester.

“The move to this new location and our new class offerings allows us the chance to truly grow and tell our Douglasville community in a big way that ‘we are here,’” Douglasville Site Director Julia Areh said. “We want to bring even more opportunity to our Douglasville students and to our future students who are looking for that access to a college degree that will put them on track to a degree and career they want with little to no debt after graduating with us. Our mission is to help our community continue to take charge of the future together.”

The Douglasville location was opened in 2010 when it became GHC’s fifth location. GHC is a state college in the University System of Georgia and currently serves more than 6,000 students across five locations in Rome, Cartersville, Dallas, Douglasville and Marietta.

In 2018, GHC was reaffirmed by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC), and in 2012, the college was also given Level II status by SACSCOC, allowing the institution to begin offering four-year degrees.

SACSCOC said GHC was a “dynamic, vibrant community” that is open, enthusiastic, displays mutual respect between faculty and staff, encourages open dialogue between students and employees and overall has a “commitment to students and to the mission of the college.”

GHC currently offers over 30 areas of study both in the classroom and online with associate degree and bachelor’s degree options at one of the most affordable rates in the state and country with a rate of less than $8,000 and less than $16,000 respectively.

In addition to a growing number of two-year and four-year programs, students can pursue a Bachelor of Science in both nursing and dental hygiene, a Bachelor of Science in Health Science, and a Bachelor of Business Administration in both healthcare management and logistics and supply chain management.

GHC’s Douglasville site will be moving from 5901 Stewart Parkway to 4841 Bill Arp Road (Highway 5).

Picture: Google Maps Street View

Tim Herrington grew up well-acquainted with Georgia Highlands College. His mother graduated from the college while it was known as Floyd Junior College, and his brother and sister later earned degrees from Floyd College.

However, college was far from Tim’s mind in his younger days.

“When I was younger, I dreamed of being a professional football player,” Tim said. “I was really enthusiastic and dedicated to achieving this goal until reality forced me to look at the number of young men worldwide that also had that same dream and only a very small percentage actually achieve the distinction.”

Realizing he needed to become more responsible and self-reliant, Tim enlisted in the military.

“I joined the Army, and for the next seven years I focused on that,” Tim said.

After being honorably discharged, Tim returned to Floyd County where he started a career with Floyd County’s government.

“I actually began my career in May of 2003 as an unpaid volunteer rescue volunteer with emergency management,” Tim said. “I was working full time with the Floyd County Public Works and volunteering on the weekends with emergency management.”

His dedication to public service coupled with skills developed in the military led to a full-time career with Floyd County Emergency Management, with Tim eventually being named director of the department in 2014.

“My favorite part is the community events that we participate in, which vary from the Wings Over North Georgia Air Show, balloon festivals, fireworks, Christmas parade, and summer camp programs,” Tim said. “These events afford me the opportunity to meet and interact with the community and share preparedness information, and ensure the community is prepared for emergencies that could affect our area.”

After nearly 30 years of being out of school, Tim was able to follow in his family’s footsteps of attending Georgia Highlands College, with the help of a scholarship from the Community Criminal Justice Foundation.

“GHC made it financially possible to go to college and make that transition after being out of school for almost thirty years,” he said. “It has given me the opportunity to demonstrate and lead by example and show the importance of education regardless of age.”

Tim earned his associate degree from GHC in 2016, but he doesn’t plan to stop there.

“GHC rekindled my desire to push myself and continue to explore my options in education,” Tim said. “I have since enrolled in the bachelor’s program for emergency management at Jacksonville State University.”

As an emergency response director, Tim has experience regarding preparation for situations such as COVID-19.

“We actually started planning back in 2006 and that is was when we were planning for the H1N1 virus that was so prevalent at that time,” Tim said. “We didn’t have any issues here stateside. In 2009 we changed over for pandemic planning for Ebola virus, and again, we didn’t have any significant issues here.”

As time passed, Tim said, planning for a pandemic was set aside as the department, and nation, dealt with other issues.

“Once we started seeing what was going on in China, then we kind of started to have to pull out the plan and dust it off,” Tim said. “The issue we’re having is a lot of the planning that we had for H1N1 virus and for Ebola, the plans generally incorporated some sort of vaccine being available. With COVID-19 we haven’t developed a successful vaccine yet that we’re able to release to everyone, so that’s been a struggle for us.”

Tim said he has witnessed goodwill during this time as local communities have come together to face the threats associated with COVID-19.

“Fortunately, we have had a lot of folks within the community to step up and donate several items,” Tim said. “I’ve had a lot of people call, email, or text me messages and tell me about different contacts they have that we’re able to access and try to acquire those resources as well. I get emails from other states, people who have businesses who have stopped manufacturing what they normally do and send out equipment to us just wanting to help.”

As everyone works toward the eventual reopening of business, schools, and governmental services, Tim said the key is to continue doing what has been proven to work.

“The main thing is to help get the word out and tell people social distancing is working,” Tim said. “I know it feels like you’ve been cooped up, especially with the kids. I have grandkids and they want to see their friends and they want to go and play and go to birthday parties and all that, and at some point when this is all over we hope that we’ll be able to go back to all that. But for right now, we just need to keep encouraging everyone to keep doing what we’re doing. It’s working, and at some point we’ll going to get through this thing.”

Students with an interest or natural talent in design now have an opportunity to further their skills and establish a rewarding career in the field of graphic design with a new associate degree at Georgia Highlands College beginning this fall.

“Students will be able to design and layout commercial artwork in conjunction with advertising and marketing organizations,” Humanities Division Chair Allen Dutch said. “Our students will receive a foundation in these skills that they will take with them into the workplace or on to a four-year program.”

The 60-hour pathway should take about four semesters to complete if students attend GHC full time.

According to the U.S Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Outlook for 2019, there are currently almost 300,000 Americans working in this industry with a median income of $52,000 per year.

“This pathway was created for students that would like to be involved in a career in artistic design both by hand and by utilizing computer software and techniques,” Dutch said. “The pathway is designed for students that would like to continue on to attain a bachelor’s degree from a four-year program.”

Current instructors Brian Barr and Russell Cook are experienced in fine art, design and illustration. The program will be adding additional instructors with computer graphic and digital design skills, as well.

For more information, visit highlands.edu

Georgia Highlands College has announced students named to the spring 2020 President’s List and Dean’s List. To achieve President’s List status, students must earn a 4.0 grade point average and attain a minimum of nine semester hours of credit. To make Dean’s List students must complete a minimum of nine semester hours and achieve at least a 3.5 average.

The following students were named to the President’s List (by state and county):

AL-CHEROKEE

Bailee Kerr, Piedmont

GA-BALDWIN

Betsy Chamblee, Milledgeville

GA-BARROW
Tiffany Carter, Winder

GA-BARTOW

Enoch Abell, Taylorsville

Kathryn Anderson, Cartersville

Morgan Bailey, Euharlee

Charlie Baker, Cartersville

Jacob Barnette, Cartersville

Christy Belcher, Cartersville

Julia Belew, Adairsville

Brooke Bishop, Rydal

Michael Bonds, Rockmart

Paulina Bravo, Acworth

Grayson Breedlove, Cartersville

Seth Brookshire, Adairsville

Cody Brown, Euharlee

Johnny Brown, Cartersville

Tyra Brown, White

Sara Browning, Adairsville

Gloria Brownlow, Adairsville

Lauren Bruce, Taylorsville

Krista Burt, Kingston

Linet Chege, Cartersville

Preston Christ, Cartersville

Jack Condra, White

Madison Cornwell, Euharlee

Victoria Covington, Cartersville

Heather Cramer, Cartersville

Michele Crowe, Cartersville

Shannon Dean, Cartersville

Dev Desai, Cartersville

Destiny Dial, Adairsville

David Echeverria Villela, Cartersville

Brenlee Edwards, Cartersville

Alysha Elrod, Cartersville

Kaley Estrada, Cartersville

Daniel Fabry, Cartersville

Trecia Fannin, Euharlee

Nathaniel Flahardy, Kingston

Christopher Fulton, Euharlee

Sarah Garber, Cartersville

Emily Garcia, Kingston

Hannah Garland, Adairsville

Rachael Gatien, Acworth

Courtney Godfrey, Rome

Areli Gonzalez, Cartersville

Danny Gonzalez Vicente, Adairsville

Kimberly Gottschling, Adairsville

Cesar Grande, Cartersville

Alexis Hancock, Euharlee

Muhammad Hanzala, Cartersville

Parker Hardin, Cartersville

Loren Harris, Cassville

Anastasia Haynes, Cartersville

Chloe Hendrix, Taylorsville

Sylvia Henson, Cartersville

William Hilburn, Adairsville

Carly Hill, Cartersville

Erin Horgan, Cartersville

Kaitlyn Ingram, Cartersville

Madison Ivey, Cartersville

Dalton Jackson, Cartersville

Andrea Jenkins, Cartersville

Brooke Kirby, White

Kandace Layton, Cartersville

Tzelda Longhurst, Cartersville

Leila McClellan-Karp, White

Makenzi McIntyre, Rydal

Stephanie Mesa, Cartersville

Lyrica Miron, Cartersville

Isela Moraga, Cartersville

Chandler Morris, Cartersville

Lauren Morris, Cartersville

Paula Mullinax, Rydal

Marissa Nash, Rydal

Scott Nguyen, Adairsville

Fidelia Martha Omondi, Cartersville

Brittany Ozmore, Adairsville

Jenna Patterson, Cartersville

Amanda Planchet, Cartersville

Briseyda Pulido, Acworth

Triston Purvine, Rydal

Holly Quick, Cartersville

Kiera Ray, Cartersville

Brandi Rhodes, Cartersville

Victoria Roach, Cartersville

Elizabeth Roberson, Cartersville

Madison Sanford, Cartersville

Caylee Silvers, Cartersville

Cassy Simmons, White

Disney Smith, Adairsville

Ella Smith, Cartersville

Kaya Smith, Cartersville

Samantha Sperry, White

Jade Suit, Cartersville

Ellise Taylor, Cartersville

Katherine Tolbert, Taylorsville

Jillian Tyree, Taylorsville

Kevin Valencia Rendon, Cartersville

Zackary Vandenburg, Euharlee

Olivia Venuti, Cartersville

Grant Vicknair, Cartersville

William Wacker, Adairsville

Jessica Wallace, Cartersville

Jesse Warren, Kingston

Andrea Wesley, Adairsville

Anna Wilson, Adairsville

Addison Wright, Adairsville

GA-CARROLL

Jordan Carlisle, Villa Rica

Laura Goodfriend, Villa Rica

Latasha Johnson, Temple

Abigail Michel, Villa Rica

Ryanne Thomas, Carrollton

Faith Thompson, Whitesburg

GA-CHATTOOGA

Autumn Bandy, Trion

Garren Clark, Summerville

Bailey Evans, Summerville

Jodie Henderson, Trion

Elijah Hudgins, Menlo

Joel Mosqueda-Arreola, Trion

Savannah Price, Lyerly

Christopher Shields, Trion

Levi Thomas, Trion

GA-CHEROKEE

Cody Altwies, Ball Ground

Austin Brown, Canton

David Browne, Acworth

Jackie Croft, Canton

Amanda Curley, Woodstock

Brandon Dobbs, Canton

Marianka Dodd, Canton

Abigail Dotson, Woodstock

Alexandria Eden, Woodstock

Stephani Flores Delgado, Ball Ground

Robin Fowler-Allen, Woodstock

Amy Gravitte, Canton

Brandon Hubbard, Acworth

Brooke Johnson, Canton

Leyda Lozano-Hernandez, Woodstock

Giselle Martinez-Jimenez, Canton

Maria Miranda, Woodstock

Aura Morales de Cabrera, Woodstock

Alexa Neal, Canton

Maegan Payne, Woodstock

Matthew Pilchard, Canton

Haley Prouty, Acworth

Virginia Ransom, Canton

Dalia Rincon Fuentes, Canton

Megan Springfield, Ball Ground

Ramsey Start, Woodstock

Haley Stooksbury, Woodstock

Michelle Suzal-George, Canton

Ethan Underwood, Woodstock

Lauren Underwood, Woodstock

John Vaughan, Acworth

Harper Wall, Woodstock

Vanessa West, Holly Springs

GA-CLAYTON

Aniya Jackson, Riverdale

Adaeze Osy-Odife, Hampton

GA-COBB

Maria Acosta-Lopez, Marietta

Oluwatomisin Adeogun, Mableton

Jailene Aguilar, Marietta

James Alexander, Marietta

Ana Luiza Amorim, Marietta

Faith Apollonio, Kennesaw

Mark Arthen, Kennesaw

Renee Barron, Smyrna

Emily Bates, Marietta

Paige Bockart, Marietta

Vladislava Bodnariuc, Kennesaw

Robyn Booher, Marietta

Meggan Brant, Acworth

Alexandra Bueno, Acworth

Maria Calvario Tula, Smyrna

Christina Cebelenski, Acworth

Alexis Coffil, Mableton

Mayra Cordova, Marietta

Nathan Dawkins, Marietta

Dariela Delgado Castro, Marietta

Dajah Dixon, Acworth

Lauren Eckman, Marietta

Krystal Ellis, Acworth

Kenzie Eubanks, Smyrna

Barton Evans, Kennesaw

Katie Ferguson, Kennesaw

Raymond Fleming, Marietta

Yanis Frausto, Marietta

Cristian Garcia, Austell

Dean Garcia Basoria, Marietta

Victoria Gatewood, Acworth

Jessica Geiger, Acworth

Cindy Giles, Smyrna

Tristin Gilliand, Powder Springs

Clare Gomez, Acworth

Lidia Gomez, Powder Springs

Michael Griffin, Kennesaw

Isabella Groover, Austell

Sydney Guerin, Marietta

Giselle Guzman, Smyrna

Carl Hayes, Marietta

Kayli Holliman, Acworth

Jonathan Holmes, Powder Springs

Candace Jenkins, Acworth

Lindsey Jordan, Marietta

Charity Kariuki, Powder Springs

Mallory King, Powder Springs

Euijin Lee, Marietta

Maria Lopez, Powder Springs

Michael Lyons, Kennesaw

Izabely MacEdo, Kennesaw

Charles Maxwell, Marietta

Logan Maxwell, Acworth

Karla Melo, Marietta

Jennifer Mendoza, Kennesaw

Victoria Micalizzi, Acworth

Katherine Mittleider, Marietta

Sandra Mora, Acworth

Ayana Moss, Marietta

Madison Mosteller, Kennesaw

Malaun Nelson, Kennesaw

Angela Nguyen, Acworth

Chinelo Nwokike, Smyrna

Morgan Papageorge, Acworth

Maria Paula Ramirez, Marietta

Robert Reeves, Marietta

Kayla Reid, Acworth

Nallely Rendon, Kennesaw

Jonathan Reynolds, Kennesaw

Daniel Robinson, Acworth

Jacqueline Rodriguez Orozco, Marietta

Patricia Rubacha, Kennesaw

Taylor Saldivar, Kennesaw

Samantha Samuels, Kennesaw

Camelia Singh, Powder Springs

Amber Skonicki, Powder Springs

Robert Smedley, Powder Springs

Caroline Southern, Powder Springs

Donald Spencer, Acworth

Caitlin Thompson, Acworth

Courtney Ulmer, Smyrna

Matthew Vaccaro, Marietta

Michelle Vaccaro, Marietta

Genesis Veliz, Powder Springs

Taitt Vosatka, Acworth

Hannah Walker, Powder Springs

Chandler West, Acworth

Caroline Williams-Ramirez, Acworth

Anna Zomprelli, Austell

GA-DAWSON

Maggie Schandera, Gainesville

GA-DOUGLAS

Khaled Abdul Rahman, Douglasville

Temitope Anthony, Douglasville

Angela Benedict, Douglasville

Bailey Bolton, Douglasville

Summer Bridges, Douglasville

Jasmine Brown, Douglasville

Joseph Bruce, Douglasville

Bianca Foster, Douglasville

Andrew Hawkinson, Douglasville

Michael Howard, Douglasville

Brooklynn Jenkins, Douglasville

Jacquelyn Jones, Winston

Aubrey Jordan, Douglasville

Kimberly Kreider, Douglasville

Alejandra Landaverde Labrador, Douglasville

Matthew Locke, Douglasville

Sam Love, Douglasville

Kristy Muse, Douglasville

Olivia Reidenbach, Douglasville

Skye Richardson, Douglasville

Oluwawemimo Suberu, Douglasville

Jessica Ventura, Douglasville

Macy Washington, Douglasville

GA-FAYETTE

Joshua Conant, Fayetteville

GA-FLOYD

Hannah Abbott, Rome

Yajaira Aguilar, Rome

Cole Alexander, Cave Spring

Courtney Baron, Rome

Ethan Bartlett, Rome

Lacey Barwick, Rome

Kevin Boatfield, Rome

Cody Boazman, Rome

Malorie Bradfield, Silver Creek

Esmeralda Buitrago Ariza, Rome

Christina Chapman, Rome

Yadira Chavez-Alvarez, Rome

Joseph Cheriyampurathu, Rome

Sarah Corbitt, Rome

Kansas Coronado, Rome

Jackson Cosper, Rome

Brandon Cox, Rome

Amy Cruz, Rome

Dante Delira-Ramirez, Rome

Samantha Dempsey, Armuchee

Jazmin Diego, Silver Creek

Maura Duke, Rome

Bethany Duvall, Rome

Mason Edwards, Rome

Olivia Fortner, Rome

Kennesha Frazier, Rome

Tennesha Frazier, Rome

Julia Frost, Rome

Blake Fuller, Rome

Zachary Garrett, Rome

Carson Graham, Silver Creek

Jackson Greer, Rome

Grayson Grimes, Rome

Kaitlin Guess, Rome

Cheyenne Hall, Rome

Justin Hardin, Armuchee

Mckenzie Hardy, Rome

Anna Harper, Rome

Ethan Hester, Rome

Cailee Hix, Rome

Cailin Hughes, Lindale

Samuel Johnson, Silver Creek

Sarah Jones, Rome

Nayeli Juarez-Cruz, Rome

Kuljit Kaur, Rome

Heather Keeney, Cave Spring

Nancy Keeney, Cave Spring

Rachael Keeney, Cave Spring

Ryan Keeney, Cave Spring

Lamya Khateeb Jabara, Rome

Noora Khateeb Jabara, Rome

Shelsea Lamboy, Cave Spring

David Legg, Silver Creek

Harlie Lewis, Rome

Reeha Malik, Rome

Ashley Manchester, Armuchee

Abby Manis, Rome

Callee Anne Manna, Rome

Thor Martin, Rome

Kayla Mathis, Rome

Chloe McCord, Rome

Cassie McFather, Rome

Carmen Mijangos-Melendez, Rome

Elian Morales, Rome

Amber Munday, Rome

Helen Murphy, Cave Spring

Emily Ogden, Rome

Lori Ogden, Armuchee

Connor Oguin, Rome

Anna Parker, Silver Creek

Heema Patel, Rome

Nidhi Patel, Rome

Trisha Phillips, Armuchee

Jared Ponder, Rome

Kinsey Pyles, Rome

Tommy Ray, Aragon

Rachel Rentz, Rome

Isaac Roberson, Kingston

Shannon Robinson, Silver Creek

Ansley Roden, Rome

Kelly Samson, Rome

Tara Sexton, Armuchee

Brady Smith, Rome

Alonna Sparks, Rome

Dylan Stacy, Rome

Kayla Steele, Rome

Brittany Sublett, Rome

Lila Tanner, Rome

Shayna Thompson, Rome

Vasilena Foxy Vasileva, Rome

Macy Wallace, Silver Creek

Marah Warren, Aragon

Hunter Wilkerson, Rome

Madelyn Wilkes, Rome

Judson Wilson, Cave Spring

Sabrina Wilson, Rome

Nicholas Yarbrough, Rome

GA-FORSYTH

Hilary Baldwin, Cumming

Allison Daffron, Cumming

Stormy Ortiz, Cumming

GA-FULTON

Abigail Brooks, Alpharetta

Lauren Chapman, Atlanta

Emily Cook, Atlanta

Kristene Heeney, Atlanta

Mary Karamarkovich, Alpharetta

Yagnesh Patel, Atlanta

Noah Prince, Roswell

Maria Serrano Marquez, Roswell

GA-GILMER

Ashley Barr, Ellijay

GA-GORDON

Hannah Arthur, Fairmount

Joria Brooks, Calhoun

Sergio Hernandez, Calhoun

Emily Jones, Resaca

Rebecca Long, Calhoun

Jacy Meadows, Fairmount

Josie Mirtes, Calhoun

Maria Palmerin Palmerin, Calhoun

Michala Petty, Calhoun

Shelly Richmond, Calhoun

Nicole Sikes, Calhoun

Charity Smith, Calhoun

Riley Werner, Calhoun

GA-GWINNETT

Natalia Herrera, Buford

Sidonee Josephs, Dacula

Caroline Musco, Suwanee

Danielle Romatz, Buford

Robert Smithson, Grayson

GA-HALL

Barbie Casey, Flowery Branch

Marlee Reece, Gainesville

Denise Woods, Gainesville

GA-HARALSON

Brooke Walker, Buchanan

GA-JACKSON

Angelique Mills, Hoschton

GA-JASPER

Lacey Rutledge, Monticello

GA-JONES

Mori Bryant, Dallas

GA-MUSCOGEE

Dalton Bradford, Columbus

GA-PAULDING

Nemer Abohasen, Acworth

April Anderson, Hiram

Seth Atcheson, Dallas

Trevor Ball, Dallas

Michael Barber, Dallas

Sarah Begg, Dallas

Madison Bishop, Dallas

Victoria Bissette, Dallas

Nathaniel Carr, Dallas

David Carter, Dallas

Stephanie Cervantes, Powder Springs

Chastidy Collins, Acworth

Jacob Cook, Dallas

Nicole Corrao, Acworth

Maranda Couch, Dallas

Ashley Cronon, Dallas

Tiffany Crowe, Dallas

Edward Dascanio, Dallas

Lauren Dello Joio, Dallas

Emily Dowse, Acworth

Katelyn Dutton, Dallas

Trinitee Echols, Dallas

Keri Ferriss, Dallas

Kiley Freeman, Dallas

Sierra Gehweiler, Dallas

Sarah Gillespie, Dallas

Thomas Hawley, Dallas

Elijah Heath, Dallas

Parker Hobbs, Dallas

Ashley-Savannah Hunter, Dallas

Amylee Jeffries, Dallas

Madison Jett, Dallas

Makiah Jordan, Hiram

Taylor King, Dallas

Mikayla Lewis, Hiram

Madison Loftin, Dallas

Madeline McDowell, Dallas

Lauren McRae, Acworth

Austin Molden, Dallas

Lauren Moore, Dallas

Haleigh Olson, Dallas

Madison Parham, Hiram

Megan Penar, Dallas

Joshua Pitts, Dallas

Kymberly Postell, Acworth

Jose Romero, Kennesaw

Jordan Salce, Dallas

Teressa Scarantino, Douglasville

Hannah Sermersheim, Dallas

Kayla Sherfesee, Rockmart

Elizabeth Shropshire, Dallas

Hailey Sisk, Powder Springs

Brittany Skeen, Dallas

Brooke Smith, Temple

Charity Sneed, Hiram

Kari Soeder, Hiram

Amber Stevens, Dallas

Elizabeth Stout, Dallas

Sierrah Strange, Rockmart

Taylor Strupp, Dallas

Samuel Vahanian, Dallas

Justyna Voigt, Dallas

Megan Willis, Dallas

Craig Wood, Dallas

Kevin Zamor, Dallas

GA-PICKENS

Lisa Donohue, Jasper

GA-POLK

Sarah Adair, Aragon

Guillermo Aguilar, Cedartown

Juana Aguilar, Cedartown

Erica Barnes, Rockmart

Hannah Coleman, Cedartown

Elida Cornejo, Cedartown

Brittney Cromer, Cedartown

Mia Duffy, Rockmart

Haley Fairel, Rockmart

Jo Anne Francis, Cedartown

Shirley Greenway, Cedartown

Amanda Harris, Rockmart

Abraham Hodgins, Cedartown

William Howard, Cedartown

Jacob Hudson, Cedartown

Bonnie Ingram, Cedartown

Arian Jolly, Cedartown

Austin Kiker, Rockmart

Courtney Lester, Rockmart

Maggie Marchbanks, Cedartown

Kristi Medley, Rockmart

Kristen Phillips, Cedartown

Jessie Pope, Cedartown

Madison Rampley, Cedartown

Chloe Reid, Cedartown

Kristi Reid, Cedartown

Karen Rogers, Rockmart

Johana Segura-Torres, Cedartown

Nekoda Self, Cedartown

Kevin Shackelford, Cedartown

Emma Sheffield, Cedartown

Mary Vaughn, Cedartown

Dakota Wheeler, Rockmart

Erin Wilder, Aragon

Natalie Wilder, Rockmart

GA-ROCKDALE

Roxanne Montano, Conyers

GA-TIFT

Megan Tawzer, Tifton

GA-WILCOX

Mary-Margaret Graham, Pitts

The following students were named to the Dean’s List (by state and county):

GA-BARTOW

Brie-Lenn Abney, Cartersville

Megan Adams, Cartersville

Justin Anderson, Adairsville

Elisabeth Archer, Cartersville

Ebony Arnold, Cartersville

Ivy Arnold, Euharlee

Naima Atalla, Cartersville

Amanda Aynes, Acworth

Shakhinakhon Azimova, Cartersville

Madison Bailey, Adairsville

Daniel Belisle, Cartersville

Maria Belman, Cartersville

Rosalinda Beltran, Cartersville

Jairus Blackwell, Cartersville

Hannah Boling, Cartersville

Colin Bonner, Cartersville

Alexander Bradley, Euharlee

Crosley Brady, Cartersville

Lindsey Bray, Euharlee

Camden Bridges, Cartersville

Bryan Casler-Tyrrell, Adairsville

Tabitha Chamlee, Cartersville

BreeAnna Chance, White

Trinity Chapman, Cartersville

Heather Choate, Cartersville

Justin Clark, Cartersville

Chloe Cochran, Adairsville

Andrea Coheley, Kingston

Seth Colston, Cartersville

Courtney Corbett, Cartersville

Isabella Corrigan, Cartersville

Anna Cox, Cartersville

Maria Crespo, Cartersville

Ciara Crider, Cartersville

Alexander Culpepper, Adairsville

Sara Daniels, Cartersville

A’Mya Davis, Cartersville

Brandon Eberhart, White

Katrena Ellington, Cartersville

Joseph Ellis, Cartersville

Brooke Evans, Cartersville

Charity Farr, Kingston

Dillan Frazier, Kingston

Catherine Furtado, Taylorsville

Jocelyn Gervacio Barajas, Cartersville

Hailey Gomisch, Cartersville

Tyler Gustat, White

Makenzie Gwin, Rydal

Stephen Harmon, Cartersville

Hannah Harrell, Kingston

Charles Hawkins, Euharlee

Carlie Hendrix, Taylorsville

Valera Holman, White

Taylor Howren, Cartersville

Rocio Huerta, Cartersville

Ansley Hyde, Cartersville

Natalie Jimenez, Emerson

Kerry Jordan, Cartersville

Jordan Kale, Cartersville

Jacob Kirkland, Adairsville

Anthony Kraut, Cartersville

Cassidy Lee, Cartersville

Savannah Lively, Acworth

Cherry Manning, Cartersville

Hunter Martin, Adairsville

Hannah Martinez, Cartersville

Michele Maserjian, Taylorsville

Shakita Mays, Cartersville

Hunter McCreary, Cartersville

Brooklyn Miller, Cartersville

Kasey Miller, Cartersville

Audrey Mixon, Rydal

Dorothy Moates, Cartersville

Laurie Morris, Cartersville

Thomas Moseley, Cartersville

Victoria Najarro, Cartersville

Logan Nash, White

Maria Newberry, Rydal

Ashley Nutter, Cartersville

Allison Parks, Cartersville

Naiya Patel, Cartersville

Sahil Patel, Cartersville

Alexandria Payne, White

William Perez, Acworth

Yathziri Pineda, Cartersville

Matia Probus, Cartersville

Pedro Robledo, Cartersville

Kaitlyn Rogers, Kingston

Lisa Rose, Cartersville

Leslie Ruiz, Cartersville

Hannah Simeon, Cartersville

Shayla Simpson, Adairsville

Roland Skepton, Adairsville

Chandler Smith, Adairsville

Marleigh Smith, Taylorsville

Lauren Sowden, Euharlee

Cheyenne Spinks, Cartersville

Victoria Stafford, Cartersville

Alexandria Stodghill, Cartersville

Autumn Talbott, Cartersville

Lucrecia Tun, Cartersville

Hennessy Valle, Cartersville

Julia Varner, Cartersville

Lauren Varner, Cartersville

Lydia Vavases, Cartersville

Marisa Vazquez, Fairmount

Cecilia Vazquez Pineda, Fairmount

Larissa Ware, Cartersville

Nathan Warner, Euharlee

Madison Whitmore, Adairsville

Austin Williams, Cartersville

Timothy Williams, Cartersville

Amber Winkelman, Kingston

Jaylyn Wylie, Cartersville

Nicholas Zessack, Cartersville

GA-BIBB

Thomas Carter, Macon

GA-CARROLL

Haley Adams, Temple

Jacqueline Brown, Villa Rica

Jacob Glover, Villa Rica

China Gray, Carrollton

Breyuna Shorter, Villa Rica

Victoria Vaneffen, Villa Rica

Jennifer Walker, Temple

GA-CHATTOOGA

Lauren Allison, Summerville

Devin Baker, Trion

Chealsea Canongo, Summerville

Ashley Duran, Summerville

Lauren Edwards, Summerville

Carlie Filetti, Armuchee

Justin Hammitt, Summerville

Melissa Hines, Trion

Laura Mann, Summerville

Celina Norton, Lyerly

Kelsey Rutledge, Summerville

Katherine Wofford, Summerville

GA-CHEROKEE

Michael Beltrami, Acworth

Brianna Benefield, Canton

Nora Berry, Acworth

Amanda Bishop, Ball Ground

Tiffany Blalock, Canton

Shannon Brown, Canton

Katelyn Chandler, Canton

Chase Clayton, Woodstock

Alfredo Coronado, Canton

Roxanne Cournoyer, Canton

Marta Covre, Waleska

Brendan Creighton, Woodstock

Angely Cuesta-Castano, Woodstock

Brittny Depuy, Woodstock

Stephanie Garcia-Hernandez, Acworth

Zachary Gleason, Canton

Lisa Hallmark, Canton

Shelly Hester, Canton

Erica Horton, Acworth

Catherine Illies, Woodstock

Mariela Jaimes, Canton

Tiffany Jenkins, Acworth

Roseanne Johnson, Acworth

Kevin Jones, Canton

Alexandria Miller, Woodstock

Mackinley Morris, Canton

Sean Moser, Canton

Amanda Noonan, Woodstock

Michael Page, Canton

Austin Quattrocchi, Woodstock

Kristin Richards, Canton

Kiera Rollins, Acworth

Hannah Smith, Canton

Ryan Smith, Canton

Jennifer Stratton, Canton

Scott Thayer, Woodstock

Tammy Trinh, Acworth

Leah Waagen, Canton

Eden Walker, Canton

Martisa Webster, Acworth

Logan White, Canton

GA-COBB

Maria Aguilar, Atlanta

Vanessa Aguirre, Marietta

Rayan Al-Ibrahim, Kennesaw

Victoria Alexander, Acworth

Maria Andrade, Marietta

Aleksandra Arana, Kennesaw

Emily Barrett, Kennesaw

Zilma Beaupierre, Kennesaw

Connor Blake, Acworth

Marsha Bourdeau, Kennesaw

Allie Bowen, Powder Springs

Bailey Britten, Marietta

Anah Brown, Austell

Jasmine Brownlee, Marietta

Ambria Burton, Marietta

Michael Busby, Powder Springs

Lorenzo Caseiro, Kennesaw

Jasmine Castillo, Smyrna

Evan Caylor, Acworth

Erin Caze, Marietta

Budour Chabayta, Marietta

Brent Chadwick, Kennesaw

Kelli Chapman, Acworth

Joshua Cherenfant, Powder Springs

John Chester, Acworth

Atiyya Clayton, Kennesaw

Ashlynn Copen, Kennesaw

Emily Cox, Smyrna

Caleb Currier, Acworth

John Datillo, Powder Springs

Nia Davis, Marietta

Delaney Denton, Marietta

Sarah Dewitte, Kennesaw

Priya Dey, Kennesaw

Ashley Diemer, Kennesaw

Akira Dunn, Marietta

Azra Dzonlic, Kennesaw

Abigail Eliance, Marietta

Bryce Elkins, Kennesaw

Keana Erie, Kennesaw

Chelsea Exume, Powder Springs

Kayley Foxworth, Acworth

Alexander Franji, Marietta

Danielle Fraser, Austell

Victoria Frater, Mableton

Stephanie Galicia, Mableton

Emilee Galper, Powder Springs

Carsyn Gambrell, Acworth

Jacqueline Garcia, Marietta

Jose Garcia, Austell

Savannah Gassett, Powder Springs

Amber Geiger, Marietta

Logan Gepfert, Acworth

Bethany Girard, Marietta

Isabella Glass, Powder Springs

Makenzie Glass, Kennesaw

Kyle Goldstein, Marietta

James Gould, Acworth

Blair Grant, Marietta

Lucas Harper, Kennesaw

Joshua Harrelson, Kennesaw

Megan Harris, Kennesaw

Gabrielle Hattersley, Marietta

Jayda Hector-Wallace, Marietta

Jennifer Hill, Powder Springs

Austin Holmes, Powder Springs

Chloe Holnaider, Mableton

Janely Huerta, Powder Springs

Angela Hyatt, Acworth

Armando Irizarry-Vazquez, Marietta

Madeline Jones, Acworth

Madisyn Kendall, Kennesaw

Kalee Kennedy, Kenesaw

Gi Kim, Marietta

Victoria Kisella-Smith, Acworth

Emily Kiser, Kennesaw

Samuel Kithuka, Austell

Amanda Koffiaz, Powder Springs

Caroline Kohler, Marietta

Kaliee Kready, Acworth

Zachary Kyzer, Acworth

Brandon Laughridge, Kennesaw

Alexis Lopez, Marietta

Cristopher Lopez Cortes, Marietta

Hisham Maarouf, Kennesaw

Kelly Madeira, Kennesaw

Ansley Magee, Acworth

Amairany Maldonado, Smyrna

Tamera Maphenduka, Acworth

Carolina Martinez, Marietta

Jose Martinez, Smyrna

Christopher McAdams, Acworth

Joshua McClure, Powder Springs

Sydney Meagher, Kennesaw

Anna Miller, Powder Springs

Lacey Miller, Kennesaw

Damani Mitchell, Austell

Rocio Montealvo, Kennesaw

Mikila Mullan, Kennesaw

Colleen Napior, Marietta

Chelsea Ogala, Marietta

Cassander Okonofua, Smyrna

Francis Palacios, Marietta

William Palmer, Acworth

Emely Paz, Kennesaw

Abigail Perez, Marietta

Michelle Perez, Marietta

Saul Perez, Kennesaw

Monica Phillips, Mableton

Erik Picazo, Marietta

Alexis Price, Kennesaw

Wesley Price, Austell

Charles Pritchard, Powder Springs

Jacob Ragozzine, Acworth

Ja’Lyn Reese, Powder Springs

Vanessa Resendiz, Marietta

Jeffrey Romero, Kennesaw

David Ryan, Acworth

Alia Saad, Powder Springs

Robert Satcher, Powder Springs

Kylie Schmidt, Acworth

Haley Shaw, Powder Springs

Megan Shepard, Acworth

Kellie Shirie, Marietta

Stephen Sigmon, Marietta

Bradley Singh, Kennesaw

Oleg Tkachenko, Powder Springs

Rashidat Tokosi, Powder Springs

Eden Townsend, Mableton

Manuela Toxtle, Marietta

Javon Tucker, Acworth

O’Mariyah Tucker, Powder Springs

Dulce Valdez, Marietta

Jessica Valdez, Marietta

Elia Vandervorst, Marietta

Fabiola Vega, Smyrna

Zachariah Watson, Acworth

Tessa Webb, Marietta

Cooper White, Kennesaw

Michael Wilkin, Acworth

Marissa Williamson, Marietta

Blake Wilson, Marietta

Javion Wilson, Acworth

Breana Wisniewski, Kennesaw

Maggie Wix, Acworth

Lacy Wolfe, Powder Springs

Lily Wood, Acworth

Stephanie Woodard, Mableton

Tatum Young, Marietta

Kelsey Zehnder, Acworth

GA-COLUMBIA

Ashton Thomas, Evans

GA-COWETA

Thaddeus Findley, Newnan

Martina Laso, Newnan

GA-DEKALB

Daniel Cardona, Atlanta

GA-DOUGLAS

Liven Benson, Douglasville

Dana Bonner, Lithia Springs

Emily Brinkley, Douglasville

Molli Brunsvold, Douglasville

Jorge Carbajal, Douglasville

Tim Castellanos, Douglasville

Amy Espinoza, Douglasville

Montana Fincher, Douglasville

Chelsey Ginther, Douglasville

Thomas Holcombe, Douglasville

Caleb Hornback, Douglasville

Steven Lewis, Douglasville

Valeria Martinez, Douglasville

Stephanie McGee, Douglasville

Hannah McLeod, Douglasville

Emily McManus, Winston

Leslie Norato, Douglasville

Bernard Oteng, Douglasville

Haley Overton, Lithia Springs

Jhanvi Patel, Douglasville

Nyah Patterson, Lithia Springs

David Perry, Douglasville

Cristen Queen, Douglasville

Alexcia Salvant, Douglasville

Madison Scogin, Winston

Moncerrat Serna-Melchor, Douglasville

Alexa Shuman, Douglasville

Diandra Sims, Douglasville

Madison Smith, Douglasville

Morgan Smith, Douglasville

Kaetlyn Sorhaindo, Douglasville

Madison Whited, Douglasville

Lukas Willis, Douglasville

Carmen Wilson, Douglasville

Takiaya Wilson, Lithia Springs

GA-FAYETTE

Madhavi Scharko, Tyrone

Chase Townsend, Fayetteville

Madisen Wheeler, Fayetteville

GA-FLOYD

Ryan Acree, Rome

Andani Angeles, Rome

Brittany Anthony, Armuchee

Michael Aszman, Rome

Jackson Bennett, Silver Creek

Katherine Blankenship, Rome

Robert Brooks, Rome

Jacquez Brown, Rome

Kaylen Brown, Rome

Julia Cescutti, Rome

Giselle Chavez, Rome

Madisen Clines, Rome

Abel Cordero, Silver Creek

Wyatt Crider, Rome

Brayden Dean, Rome

Fraidenes Deleon Gramajo, Rome

Salomon Diego-Miguel, Rome

Chance Dixon, Cave Springs

Marvin Domingo, Rome

Kelly Domingo Juan, Rome

Stephanie Ford, Rome

Preston Frazier, Silver Creek

Edward Gallanthen, Silver Creek

Madison Graham, Rome

Kenzie Green, Silver Creek

Julissa Guzman-Martinez, Rome

Lauren Hamilton, Armuchee

William Hobbs, Rome

Natalie Hubbard, Rome

Charisma Jean, Rome

Sidney Lacey, Cave Spring

Abigail Lambert, Rome

Cindy Landing, Armuchee

Chelsie Lansdell, Rome

Hannah Laury, Rome

Chera Leroy, Rome

Jasmine Limon, Rome

Alyssa Logan, Rome

Jennifer Lopez, Rome

Diana Lopez Pinacho, Armuchee

Miguel Luna, Rome

Madilyn McWhorter, Rome

Laura McFry, Rome

Phillip McGinty, Silver Creek

Kara Middleton, Rome

Yvonne Milligan, Rome

Lauren Mitchell, Rome

Autumn Moore, Rome

Tawnee Moore, Rome

Janelle Morales-Ruiz, Rome

Trent Mull, Rome

Abby Murphy, Rome

Maggie Oakes, Rome

Tammy Parson, Rome

Ravena Patel, Rome

Cynthia Paz-Calderon, Rome

Annelyse Pearson, Rome

Michael Peters, Rome

Andrew Rainey, Rome

Javier Reyes, Rome

Jasmine Ruano, Rome

Jaquelin Sandoval-Pozos, Rome

Brittany Sheetz, Rome

Ashley Shelton, Rome

Lainey Simms, Cave Spring

Reannah Smith, Lindale

Ashlynn Sutton, Rome

Hannah Tanner, Rome

Fabiana Tomas, Rome

Samuel Traylor, Rome

Steven Turner, Rome

Emily Van Kleef, Rome

Hayden Waddell, Rome

Savannah Walraven, Lindale

Samantha Warner, Rome

Benjamin Whelchel, Silver Creek

Mackenzie Wilson, Lindale

Paul Wilson, Rome

Charity Wofford, Rome

Dalynn Wooten, Rome

GA-FULTON

Tacory Bey, Atlanta

Jeffrey Kern, Roswell

Mason List, Alpharetta

GA-GORDON

Bailey Brewer, Calhoun

Taylor Burns, Calhoun

Annelies Carr, Fairmount

Christina Caulder, Calhoun

Haley Crider, Ranger

Madison Garnett, Calhoun

Joannie Gutierrez, Calhoun

Dawson Hendrix, Fairmount

Jaylen Jarrett, Calhoun

Cory Lewis, Calhoun

Miriam Lister, Calhoun

Karen Orozco, Calhoun

Priya Patel, Calhoun

Ashley Rabanales, Calhoun

Katlyn Sexton, Calhoun

GA-GWINNETT

Kelsey Cuozzo, Buford

Denisa Dafinescu, Suwanee

Madeline Hairston, Lawrenceville

Berthe Kapwadi, Duluth

Trace Twardoski, Lawrenceville

GA-HALL

Kayla Buckley, Flowery Branch

Taylor Clark, Murrayville

GA-HARALSON

Ashlan Garey, Bremen

Eden Harris, Buchanan

Brandon Prince, Bremen

Georgia Steele, Felton

GA-HARRIS

Roger Carroll, Pine Mountain

GA-JONES

Darrell Dunn, Gray

GA-MADISON

Tadamien Curry, Colbert

GA-MURRAY

Sydney Bryson, Chatsworth

GA-PAULDING

Kaitlyn Adams, Temple

Tinuke Akinrolabu, Dallas

Johanne Bayard, Hiram

Jada Beasley, Hiram

Joshua Beatty, Dallas

Anna Boughton, Dallas

Brianna Brewer, Dallas

Koryna Briggs, Dallas

Maxxi Bryant, Dallas

Hunter Bullard, Dallas

Sarah Burch, Dallas

Joshua Carter, Hiram

Samantha Chardavoine, Dallas

Gregory Chenoweth, Dallas

Richard Chewning, Dallas

Melissa Clopein, Dallas

Ansley Clower, Rockmart

Heather Combs, Dallas

Kara DiCarluccio, Hiram

Enoch Edusei, Dallas

John Finch, Dallas

Nile Finch, Dallas

Madison Foster, Dallas

Kaylee Gardner, Dallas

Angel Gonzalez-Baez, Powder Springs

Wesley Hales, Dallas

Kirsten Hall, Hiram

Jurgen Hauer, Dallas

Maggie Heflin, Dallas

Sarah Hiers, Acworth

Taryn Hitchcock, Hiram

Epiphany Huff, Dallas

Alexis James, Hiram

Taylor Johnson, Dallas

Eric Jones, Acworth

Jacob Kent, Hiram

Jessica Knight, Douglasville

Samuel Kramer, Dallas

Sarah Kramer, Dallas

Andrea Lopez, Dallas

Jose Lopez, Dallas

Ashley Marston, Dallas

Desyne Martinez, Dallas

Melody Martinez, Hiram

Stephen Martinez, Hiram

Peyton Massey, Dallas

Lillian Mathison, Dallas

Rhiannon McPherson, Dallas

Kayla McDonald, Dallas

Kayla Miller, Dallas

Taylor Miller, Dallas

Addison Molden, Dallas

Breanna Moore, Dallas

Malia Moorer, Dallas

Ruben Morales Rivas, Dallas

Tiffany Morris, Dallas

Chandler Mott, Douglasville

Lakeshia Pendleton, Dallas

Sean Penney, Dallas

Matthew Perry, Dallas

Elizabeth Pope, Dallas

Jacob Ray, Dallas

Jessica Reid, Temple

Martha Reid, Dallas

Dawson Schmidt, Dallas

Meghan Shelton, Rockmart

Starlee Simmons, Dallas

Aiden Soriano, Dallas

James Stephens, Dallas

Herman Streetman, Dallas

Charles Summers, Dallas

Zachary Tierce, Dallas

Landon Tucker, Dallas

Blake Turner, Dallas

Andrew Vahanian, Dallas

Alonzo Wallace, Dallas

Hope Weiss, Dallas

William Wilkins, Dallas

Audra Williams, Dallas

Jessica Yacinthe, Dallas

Griffin Zito, Dallas

GA-PICKENS

Haley Aiken, Jasper

Haleigh McKenzie, Jasper

GA-PIKE

Breanna Normandy, Williamson

GA-POLK

Traci Abram, Cedartown

Ariadna Avila-Ortuno, Cedartown

Ariel Bishop, Aragon

Augustus Blackwell, Cedartown

Amanda Bray, Cedartown

Collin Coleman, Cedartown

Aakayla Dudley, Cedartown

Logan Dunn, Aragon

Justin Elrod, Rockmart

Jenifer Escalante Morales, Cedartown

Krista Fuller, Cedartown

Duncan George, Rockmart

Lillian Hayes, Cedartown

Cameron Johnson, Rockmart

Kayla Legg, Rockmart

Samantha Lewis, Rockmart

Rafael Nunez, Cedartown

Campbell Parham, Cedartown

Samuel Pollard, Cedartown

Emily Redden, Cedartown

Omar Reyes-Chavez, Cedartown

Kimberly Sanchez, Cedartown

Kemi Scoggins, Aragon

Rachael Self, Cedartown

Nathanael Seymour, Rockmart

Shanika Skonieczny, Rockmart

Austin Smith, Cedartown

Hannah Sparks, Cedartown

Hannah Studdard, Rockmart

Noemi Velasco, Cedartown

Gabriela Zavala Garcia, Cedartown

GA-WALTON

David Ochoa-Flores, Loganville

GA-WHITFIELD

Diana Landaverde, Dalton

Paola Rangel, Dalton

IL-PEORIA

Montana Ledbetter, Hanna City

KS-SEDGWICK

Isabel Marcotte, Wichita

MI-OTTAWA

Alyssandra Hernandez, Holland

NH-ROCKINGHAM

Rachel Drake, Londonderry

VA-JAMES CITY

Madalyn Morton, Williamsburg

To continue recognizing students for their academic achievements over the past year, Georgia Highlands College brought its 2020 Honors Ceremony to a virtual format.

“This was our 48^th annual Honors Ceremony, so it was a tradition that we did not want to be impacted by social distancing guidelines,” Director of Student Life John Spranza said. “Our students work hard every year, but this year’s special circumstances showed some unique perseverance and dedication to closing out the year in a manner that none of us were prepared for when the semester began. Recognizing the achievements of our students became especially important in order to celebrate during a time that was difficult for everyone.”

The event was presented through a video compiled of prerecorded messages from faculty- and student-submitted photos. Faculty and staff nominated award winners earlier in the spring semester and then created short videos of themselves presenting the awards. Event organizers contacted the students being recognized and gave them the opportunity to submit their own photos to be used in the production. Award certificates were mailed to their home addresses.

“We support the holistic development of our students and want all of our students to engage and excel both inside and outside the classroom,” Spranza said. “Students that invest in their campus community find it can pay dividends towards their success both while at GHC and beyond. Recognizing that success is key in validating their experience and showing our pride in what they have achieved while at GHC.”

The program included several categories of awards and recognition, such as Academic Awards, Athletic Awards, Special Recognition Awards and Leadership Awards.

While the event highlighted the achievements of many GHC students, Spranza said the college recognizes that all students go above and beyond in their roles inside and outside the GHC community.

“We specifically recognized these students during the presentation, but I know there are many more GHC students out there that also deserve recognition,” Spranza said. “While accolades and awards are an important way to honor our high-achieving students, I also think it’s important that we congratulate all the students that attained their goals this year.”

For example, Spranza said it is important to continue recognizing students who are able to overcome academic struggles by passing difficult courses, who manage careers and families while working toward degrees and students who successfully made the transition to remote delivery this semester.

“During this pandemic, we had students that were front-line workers, medical professionals, grocery-store clerks, delivery drivers and so many more in essential jobs that put their health and wellness in jeopardy all while still working to complete class assignments and finish the semester,” Spranza. “To all of them, I say ‘Thank You!’”

48^th annual Honors Ceremony

Despite moving to remote operations this spring, Georgia Highlands College has continued its annual student art exhibit in a virtual format, allowing students to place their work on display and giving others the opportunity to see students’ talent and creative efforts.

“Usually we have a spring exhibition of work that had been produced in the art program’s studio courses and we exhibit the work in the Lakeview Art Gallery,” Humanities Professor Brian Barr said. “This year, since we were working remotely, the art faculty set up the online exhibit, so it worked the same way – we had students submit their assignments online and we selected pieces from that collection. There were no awards this year, but the pieces were chosen by the course instructors.”

Barr said once the college moved to remote teaching, instructors revised the normal assignments to new subjects that could be better completed at home, such as drawing from photographs and interior studies. Instructors then used synchronous, virtual class-meetings to evaluate students’ work.

Most of the show came from the work that students did remotely. About 20 of the 30 submissions received were placed on display.

GHC student Julia Belew, of Adairsville, entered several of her pieces in the exhibit. Belew, who is pursuing an Associate of Arts in Art, is no stranger to having her work on display, and said she has fond memories of a lifetime of sharing her work with others.

“My artwork is very personal to me as I’m sure it is for most artists, but I progressed so much as an artist last semester working with [GHC] Professor Barr and I wanted to show off that progression via the art exhibit,” Belew said. “Before starting Drawing I, it was rare that I stepped back from a finished piece and felt proud, but last semester, I created several pieces I am proud of.”

She said while the transition to an online learning format has some challenges, she feels her instructors have continued to provide quality instruction outside of the traditional classroom setting.

“All my teachers at [GHC] have been really wonderful with the switch [to remote delivery],” Belew said.

The exhibit can be viewed by visiting https://sites.highlands.edu/division-of-humanities/art/spring-2020-student-exhibition/

PHOTO: GHC student Julia Belew, of Adairsville, entered several of her pieces in the exhibit. 

Georgia Highlands College is helping students meet the need for the quickly expanding healthcare sector in Georgia by offering a new bachelor’s in health science. Students interested in working toward a career in the field of healthcare will now have a new opportunity at GHC beginning this fall.

The U.S. Department of Labor’s (DOL) Bureau of Labor Statistics projects that healthcare occupations are projected to grow 18 percent through 2026, much faster than the average for all occupations, adding about 2.4 million new jobs.

“Currently, more than 25 percent of the students at the college are enrolled in a healthcare-related pathway,” Dean of Health Sciences Michelle Boyce said. “By offering this new program, students now have the opportunity to continue their education at GHC to obtain a bachelor’s degree and help fill employment needs in our local area. Students can gain employment immediately upon graduation or they can apply to professional graduate programs such as public health, physical therapy, dietetics, or medical school.”

GHC’s health science degree can be completed full-time in four years. Students with an associate degree in a health profession can complete the program in one to two years, depending on previous coursework.

“Students who have previously completed an associate degree in healthcare career programs such as Radiologic Technology, Surgical Technology, or Pharmacy Technology can also transfer to GHC and complete a bachelor’s degree,” Boyce said.

The DOL estimated there were 57,570 health educators in 2016 and employment is projected to grow 21 percent. The Georgia Department of Labor (GDOL) projects annual growth of 2.3 percent per year for healthcare occupations, and 15 of the 20 fastest growing occupations are in healthcare or are healthcare related.

Graduates of GHC’s program will be able to perform, develop, evaluate, correlate and assure the accuracy and validity of health programs and health information.

“GHC graduates will be able to direct and supervise health education programs and operations and collaborate with clinicians and the general population,” Boyce said. “Furthermore, they will be equipped to provide information crucial to improve the health of all individuals.”

For more information on the new Bachelor of Health Science, please visit https://sites.highlands.edu/division-of-health-sciences/division-of-health-sciences/bachelor-of-science-in-health-science/

Georgia Highlands College will begin distributing $2,110,118 in CARES Act funds to students affected by changes due to COVID-19.

The CARES Act establishes and funds the Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund (HEERF) and allows institutions of higher education to use funds they receive to cover any costs associated with significant changes to the delivery of instruction due to the coronavirus.

As soon as funds are made available to GHC for disbursement, an email will be sent out to notify all students with an expected funding date, and GHC will distribute those funds to affected students.

Right now, funding will only be available for those who have completed a 2019/2020 FAFSA application before June 30, 2020. Students in the Dual Enrollment program, transient students or students who started the semester in online-only classes will not be qualified for these funds.

Additional eligibility requirements may be found at caresact.highlands.edu

You may also read more about CARES Act and these funds by visiting the US Department of Education website.

Students will now have the opportunity to learn the skills necessary to work in one of the fastest growing film industries right here in Georgia with a new pathway offered at Georgia Highlands College. Starting this fall, GHC students in the new film pathway will choose between a Film Studies or a Film Production track putting them on the path to join any one of the hundreds of productions currently being filmed in Georgia for movies like Marvel’s “Avengers” series or Netflix shows like “Stranger Things.”

“The ability to tell a story is a fundamental skill that proves useful in many modern career paths,” Humanities Chair Seth Ingram said. “Visual media is now more than ever a common tool of human communication. The skills acquired in our film studies program not only focus on the art aspects of film but also on film as a vocation.”

Since the State of Georgia’s creation of the Georgia Entertainment Industry Investment Act, Georgia has established itself as a leading production hub for both feature films and television productions.

“This act has created a workforce need on film sets across Georgia,” Ingram said. “The Georgia Film Academy (GFA) was established to serve this demand by training students to be set ready upon completing the program. The GHC and GFA partnership will provide students choosing a path in production to be workforce ready while allowing the student the option to continue their education towards a higher degree. The GFA Production Track capstones by offering students the opportunity to apply for an onset internship on a major production. The internships are focused within specific departments of the film production.”

The Georgia Film Academy is a collaboration of the University System of Georgia and the Technical College System of Georgia created by state leadership to meet education and workforce needs for high demand careers in Georgia’s film and creative industries.

The GFA higher education program offers rigorous professional training, and may lead to union-covered film and television production craft internships and placement in creative industries apprenticeships and jobs.

The Film Studies Pathway will prepare students to enter a baccalaureate program for film or media studies. Completion of the second pathway, Film Production, will earn graduates an associate degree, preparing students to jump immediately into an on-set film career.

The courses will be taught by Ingram as well as Assistant Professor of Humanities Amy Gandolfi.

Ingram, a film scholar, has been with GHC for years working in technology while also working independently as a writer, director and producer for the film and television industry. He is well known in the Rome community as the director of the Rome International Film Festival (RIFF), which will celebrate its 17th year this November.

Gandolfi, also a film scholar, taught the courses Film History, Film Aesthetics and Analysis, and Media, Ethics and Society at Georgia State University. Among other courses within the GHC’s Communication Department, she has been teaching Introduction to Mass Communication at GHC since 2014.

In addition to instructors with a history in film, Georgia Highlands College has a track record of graduating students with undeniable talent in the field. For example, alumnus Keitravis Squire co-owns the independent production company Imprint Studios and has received numerous accolades and awards for his work. His short film, “Midnight Blue,” won numerous awards, including Best Film Noir Short, Gold Award in the April 2018 Independent Shorts Awards, Special Mention in the 2018 Global Shorts competition and recognition as a Semi-Finalist in the 2018 Los Angeles CineFest.

“The Film Studies Pathways at GHC have already been met with an overwhelming response and the classes are filling up fast for the fall of 2020,” Ingram said. “As the program continues to grow, GHC hopes to expand the offerings and the program in the not-so-distant future.”

For more information on the Film Studies Program, please visit https://sites.highlands.edu/division-of-humanities/film. Interested parties can register for a virtual information session on June 16 at 10AM by visiting this link.

PICTURE: Students working in a class at the Georgia Film Academy. GHC has a partnership with GFA that provides students choosing a path in production to be workforce ready while allowing students the option to continue their education towards a higher degree.

Some of Georgia Highlands College’s best and brightest students have worked together to propose products and ideas to help make the world a better place. In the vein of the popular television series “Shark Tank,” GHC launched the Charger Innovation Challenge (CIC) this spring, with a virtual competition being held in late April.

“The Charger Innovation Challenge is very similar to the television series ‘Shark Tank,’” Social Sciences Curriculum Coordinator Patrick Manna said. “The only difference is that we are not asking students to create a business or marketing plan. One of the primary objectives is for teams to identify a void in the marketplace or a need that could be filled by an innovative product or service. Everyone knows ‘Shark Tank,’ so the general idea is to create a real-world experience pitching to real-world practitioners and to answer questions on their feet as well as encourage critical thinking. We want teams to be innovative and the bring us their ‘Big Idea.’”

Manna said the CIC is based on the Bulldog Business Bowl he created while teaching at the Citadel, the military college of South Carolina. It was then modified by Social Sciences Assistant Professor Lucinda Montgomery specifically for GHC students.

“We have a unique student population at GHC, and my goal was to tweak what worked at the Citadel and format it in a way that would provide our student body the opportunity to present their ideas,” Montgomery said.

Manna said the CIC is a new venture modeling format and that the questions that need to be answered through the presentations are about the potential market need and the big idea to fulfill that market need.

“Only the student’s imagination will limit the ideas we receive,” Montgomery said leading up to the competition. “The ideas presented could be anything from solving a problem they have encountered or even an idea to improve on something that is already in the market. The sky is the limit.”

Some say that in business there are only detours, not roadblocks. This concept rang true as GHC converted to remote operations in March.

“I do not think the words ‘cancel’ or ‘postpone’ ever came to our minds when GHC moved to remote delivery,” Montgomery said. “The question that came up in conversations between Pat and I was, ‘How do we pivot and continue the competition for students? We go digital.’”

The creation of the CIC allowed students to draw from their classroom experience and translate it to a real-world scenario.

“We hope to provide a real-world experience, enhance student’s critical thinking skills, engage local business leaders and provide an opportunity for students to show everyone what they are made of,” Manna said. “All of this allows us to expand the GHC brand while engaging businesses and entrepreneurial leaders.”

For a competition of such high caliber, only the best judges were recruited.

“Our judges were business practitioners with decades of experience,” Montgomery said. “We have a vice president of marketing and customer solutions, a retired member of the New York Stock Exchange, the president of a media company, as well as a franchisee who operates high-traffic restaurant locations in the metro-Atlanta area.”

This year’s winner is Team Thayer, composed of students Scott Thayer, Nathaniel Carr and Brady Smith.

Smith, who attends the Cartersville site and is majoring in GHC’s Bachelor of Business Administration Logistics and Supply Chain Management program, said the team’s proposed product aided safety, convenience and sustainability.

“We proposed a disposable product that would be inexpensive to produce and easy to recycle that would allow those working in car shops and hangar’s an added benefit of safety and convenience,” Smith said. “Safety comes from the ability to immediately dispose of the product after coming into contact with oil or grease, as well as being made from a slick-proof material itself. Convenience, in that it allows those working in the shop to get into customers cars, as well as walk back inside the shop without risking tracking oil grease.”

Smith said Thayer presented the idea to the group, and the creative process grew from there.

“As someone that watches ‘Shark Tank’ weekly and loves the idea of investing into companies, this was a great opportunity,” Smith said. “Unlike ‘Shark Tank’ where I am looking at the show from the point of view of the investor only, I was able to look at our pitch from start to finish as the investor as well as the one with the product. So, while we weren’t concerned with selling part of our company, we were concerned with selling our idea, which is the first step to any entrepreneurial beginning.”

He said the Charger Innovation Challenge had a direct correlation with what he has learned in the classroom.

“Marketing, procurement, outsourcing as well as our assignments on company strategies has taught me the ways many businesses have been able to begin as an idea, and how to coherently come up with a strategy to get a business off the ground,” Smith said.

The long-term goal of the CIC is to evolve into a full-fledged business plan competition that would take place over a full academic year.

PICTURE: From top left to bottom right: Scott Thayer; Nathaniel Carr; Robin Seikerman (Vice President Marketing and Customers Solutions at The Shippers Group); GHC Social Sciences Curriculum Coordinator Patrick Manna; Brady Smith