Georgia Highlands College helped hundreds of people in its series of free workshops called “First Friday FAFSA” last year. GHC will be continuing the workshops this year, as well.

The workshops are designed to educate about and promote the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). Workshops are free and open to the public.

Attendees will learn more about Federal Student Aid, which is responsible for managing the student financial assistance programs authorized under Title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965. These programs provide grants, loans and work-study funds to students attending college or career school.

Workshops will take place the first Friday of each month at each GHC location until the end of the year: February 2, March 2, April 6, May 4, June 1, July 6, August 3, September 7, October 5, November 2, December 7.

All events are from 9AM to 11AM.

“The purpose is to help students (potential, new, and current) and their parents complete their FAFSAs in an accurate and timely manner,” Senior Counselor Lisa Garrett said. “Anyone is welcome to attend a workshop.”

Workshop attendees will get one-on-one assistance and can learn how to secure financial aid before college payment deadlines.

“Our workshop teaches you how to set up an FSA ID for the student (and parent if applicable) and also how to fill out the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid). In addition, any questions you may have will be answered at the workshop, such as what types of aid you can apply for and qualifications needed for eligibility,” Garrett said.

Although attending a workshop is not required to get aid, Garrett stated it can be strong first step for those considering going to college anywhere.

“It is beneficial to participate in a workshop as it helps the financial aid process go more smoothly and ensures that students are able to receive their financial aid in a timely manner,” Garrett said.

Those interested in the workshop can learn more about the basics of FAFSA by visiting: highlands.edu/financial-aid/fafsa/

Workshop attendees are encouraged to bring copies of their 1040 tax forms and W2 forms, as well as know the birthdates and social security numbers for anyone included on the FAFSA application.

If you have further questions about what to bring, you may contact GHC’s financial aid office at: finaid@highlands.edu

To reserve your space in one of the upcoming free FAFSA workshops, please visit: https://sites.highlands.edu/forms/fafsa/fafsa-days/

The Georgia Highlands College men’s and women’s basketball teams will be playing to raise cancer awareness with a benefit game on February 7^th in Rome at the GHC gym. The women will start at 5:30 p.m. followed by the men at 7:30 p.m.

The benefit game is in honor of Dean of Natural Sciences and Physical Education Greg Ford’s wife, Holly, who is currently battling cervical cancer.

Shirts can be ordered at all GHC locations in the business office. Proceeds from the shirt sales and the game ticket sales will go to cancer research.

All the players will wear the shirts during warm-up, then all the cheerleaders and coaches will be wearing the shirts during the game. The players will additionally wear a teal wrist band with #FordStrong on it to honor Holly and to help raise cancer awareness.

To purchase a shirt, please visit any GHC location’s business office. Shirts must be ordered by January 29^th.

For more information about the game and GHC athletics, please visit: http://ghcchargers.com/landing/index

Georgia Highlands College has announced students named to the fall 2017 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 county):

AZ-MARICOPA

Jatea Saunders, Avondale, AZ

BARTOW

Brianna Anders, Taylorsville

Sydney Andrews, Cartersville

Anniston Bagley, Cartersville

Harrison Banks, Cartersville

Samantha Battle, Cartersville

Joel Bowers, Taylorsville

Joria Brooks, Adairsville

Gretchen Brown, Cartersville

Daniella Bustillo, Cartersville

Morgan Callari, Cartersville

Sh’nae Carr, Cartersville

Victoria Cash, Adairsville

Alexandria Chitwood, Cartersville

Joshua Clark, Cartersville

Christina Cooper, Cartersville

Michaela Crowe, Cartersville

Robert Crowe, Cartersville

Jesus De La Cruz, Cartersville

Tambari Deeyaa, Cartersville

Megan Dillard, Cartersville

Anna Furrow, Cartersville

Milisa Gallardo, Cartersville

Angelica Gallegos, Cartersville

Sierrah Gani, Cartersville

Lizeth Garcia Perez, Cartersville

Kelly Getz, Cartersville

Bradley Gilmore, Cartersville

Grant Harris, Cartersville

Antonio Hernandez, Cartersville

Cheyenne Holt, Adairsville

Erin Horgan, Cartersville

Allison Hulit, Euharlee

Tanner Hund, Cartersville

Ashlie Hunt, Kingston

Maxwell Jacob, Cartersville

Stephanie Jordan-Cain, Cartersville

Jordan Kale, Cartersville

Huda Kamal, Cartersville

Ruhma Kamal, Cartersville

Charles Keeney, Cartersville

Jarrett Kilgo, Euharlee

William Lange, Cartersville

William Lawrence, Euharlee

Anna-marie Lawson, Adairsville

Kaitlyn Marshall, Cartersville

Katie Martin, Cartersville

Johanna Maserjian, Taylorsville

Tara Mathis, Cartersville

Lauren McKaig, Cartersville

Marcelino Mejia Lopez, Cartersville

Matthew Morrow, Adairsville

David Moseley, Cartersville

Sarah Murray, Taylorsville

Marissa Nash, Rydal

Tina Ogletree, Cartersville

Henry Pabst, Cartersville

Emily Parker, Adairsville

Karishmaben Patel, Cartersville

Rutva Patel, Cartersville

Matthew Payne, Cartersville

Madison Poe, Cartersville

Ashlee Price, Adairsville

Tori Pritchett, Kingston

Cecilia Reyes-cruz, Cartersville

Brandi Rhodes, Cartersville

Joshua Rowland, Cartersville

Ashlynn Russell, Cartersville

Kristian Rutledge, White

Andre Sanders, Cartersville

Emily Sharp, Cartersville

Carlee Silvers, Cartersville

Sean Simmons, Aragon

Abigail Smith, Cartersville

Kaitlyn Stewart, Cartersville

Megan Threlkeld, Cartersville

Christienne Tolero, White

Kimberly Veliz, Cartersville

Justin Vocke, Cartersville

Samantha Walker, Cartersville

Kassie West, Adairsville

Kendyl Westmoreland, White

Kyra Williams, Cartersville

Anna Wilson, Adairsville

Kaylee Wilson, Cartersville

Susan Wood, Cartersville

Kelsey Wright, Cartersville

CARROLL

Martya Chapel Chambers, Vlla Rica

Anna Lowery, Carrollton

Juritzi Medina, Temple

Megan York, Villa Rica

CHATHAM

Renata Berni, Pooler

CHATTOOGA

Steven Cook, Summerville

Kallie Johnson, Summerville

Brooke Landry, Lyerly

Jamie Meadows, Cloudland

MaCayla Mobley, Summerville

Payton Payne, Summerville

Lakelin Pilcher, Menlo

Madison Rabun, Trion

Levi Thomas, Trion

Dakota Thurston, Summerville

John Young, Summerville

CHEROKEE

Johan Avila, Woodstock

Hannah Bearden, Waleska

Joshua Bennett, Ball Ground

Stacie Broyles, Acworth

Jamie Covington, Canton

Alexandra Deaton, Canton

Justin Dobbs, Canton

Zachary Farrell, Canton

Mitchell Feltham, Waleska

Emily Gebhard, Woodstock

Amber Gilliam, Canton

Kayla Gravitt, Canton

Michael Linares, Acworth

Christopher McDuffie, Woodstock

Rebecca Newton, Canton

Julia Patterson, Canton

Megan Poehlein, Acworth

Virginia Ransom, Canton

Alex Richardson, White

Hannah Shorrock, Acworth

Hayley Sirmons, Acworth

Jessica Smith, Canton

Sierra Spencer, Acworth

Elijah Strickland, Canton

Bryson Trapp, Canton

Nelida Vasquez-Jimenez, Canton

Madison Wheatley, White

Breanna Wilkinson, Woodstock

COBB

Cindy Aguirre Reyes, Marietta

Aderemi Ajibowo, Marietta

Kimberly Amaya, Smyrna

Jerry Antwi, Acworth

Andrew Beard, Marietta

Lauren Black, Acworth

Olga Boyarshynova, Marietta

Rachel Boyd, Kennesaw

Kathleen Brack, Kennesaw

Ayanlah Brocks, Kennesaw

Austin Buchanan, Kennesaw

Natasha Cabarcas, Marietta

Marili Canedo, Marietta

Michelle Castro, Kennesaw

Benjamin Chipman, Powder Springs

Florencio Collazo, Marietta

Catherine Cooper, Marietta

Hannah Coppola, Acworth

Seth Cowan, Acworth

Elexus Daniels, Marietta

Jessica Darity, Powder Springs

Tajera Davy, Kennesaw

Tania Diaz, Smyrna

Ashley Diehl, Dallas

Cynthia Dominguez, Mableton

Alicia Dunkerton, Powder Springs

Mitchell Elliot, Kennesaw

Vanessa Fierro, Kennesaw

Ein Findley, Powder Springs

Mckenzie Finley, Kennesaw

Rachel Foster, Acworth

Marfier Garcia, Mableton

Steven Garcia, Smyrna

Curtis Gardner, Kennesaw

David Gossett, Kennesaw

Alexandria Haney, Powder Springs

Dalia Hernandez, Marietta

Carl Jacka, Kennesaw

Eric Jones, Acworth

Shawn Kade, Marietta

Gregory Keyes, Kennesaw

Alanna Levine, Kennesaw

Natalia Mandujano, Marietta

Zachary Marotta, Smyrna

Jessie Mccraney, Marietta

Cindy Mendoza Razo, Kennesaw

Marybeth Mentzer, Kennesaw

Madison Mosteller, Kennesaw

Samantha Murphy, Kennesaw

Hiba Nasser, Marietta

Angela Nguyen, Acworth

Minh Nguyen, Marietta

Emily Onofrey, Powder Springs

Fawzieh Osman, Austell

John Pallotti, Powder Springs

Jennifer Petty, Kennesaw

Juan Ramirez, Powder Springs

Jonathan Reynolds, Kennesaw

Tiesha Rogers, Marietta

Adrian Salinas, Austell

Shelby Sands, Marietta

Natia Shaw, Austell

Clayton Sheasby, Marietta

Kaitlyn Smith, Kennesaw

Michael Smoak, Kennesaw

Zachary Spears, Acworth

Asia Thompson, Austell

Christofer Udave, Acworth

Cooper Uvena, Acworth

Christina Uvena Croft, Acworth

Duliar Valladares, Marietta

Pablo Varagon, Marietta

Gloria Zagal, Marietta

Elizabeth Zapata, Marietta

Donna Zedler, Kennesaw

DEKALB

Kyle Keas, Atlanta

DOUGLAS

Andrew Baggett, Winston

Elijah Bransford, Douglasville

Jordan Carlisle, Douglasville

Taylor Casino, Douglasville

Danielle Cook, Lithia Springs

Amanda Dorvelus, Douglasville

Cassidy Edwards, Douglasville

Elizabeth Fowler, Villa Rica

Andrew Fox, Winston

Patrick Hogan, Douglasville

Jelena Hooi, Douglasville

Carly Johnson, Douglasville

Sidney Johnson, Douglasville

Leila Langelier, Lithia Springs

Allison Leahey, Winston

Laura Mason, Douglasville

Sarah Miller, Douglasville

Sergey Molokvas, Douglasville

Audrey Myers, Douglasville

Hope Palmer, Villa Rica

Jonathan Pender, Douglasville

Paul Pieper, Douglasville

Tanner Poltzer, Douglasville

Krista Pugh, Douglasville

Daniel Reynolds, Douglasville

McKenna Rigdon, Douglasville

Angel Robbins, Douglasville

John Robbins, Douglasville

Aaron Roberts, Douglasville

Jessica Robinson, Lithia Springs

Carolyn Shields, Douglasville

Madison Signoret, Winston

Kamraun Sorhaindo, Douglasville

Hailey Sosa, Villa Rica

Gabriel Strawn, Winston

FANNIN

Erick Rosas Rosas, Blue Ridge

FLOYD

Ashley Addison, Rome

Jose Ajanel, Rome

Roger Amaya, Rome

Andani Angeles, Rome

Joshua Atha, Rome

Cameron Atkinson, Rome

Leah Ayers, Rome

Emily Blalock, Rome

Sarah Bowden, Kingston

John Burchett, Rome

Priscilla Byars, Lindale

Abigail Campos, Rome

Mackenzie Cochran, Rome

Carly Comer, Rome

Vanessa Cornejo, Rome

Brittany Cromer, Rome

Russell Delaino, Rome

Carol Dempsey, Rome

Jazmin Diego, Silver Creek

Brittany Dowdy, Silver Creek

Andrew Dulaney, Cave Spring

Kathryn Forsyth, Aragon

Hannah Fuller, Silver Creek

Elijah-david Glick, Rome

Amelia Goble, Lindale

Trevor Gonzales, Silver Creek

Heather Gooch, Rome

Steven Googe, Rome

Theresa Graham, Rome

Brandon Gray, Rome

Hannah Green, Silver Creek

Danielle Griesemer, Rome

Miranda Grizzle, Rome

Cheyenne Hall, Rome

Savannah Haney, Armuchee

Justin Hardin, Armuchee

Emily Haynes, Rome

Kaila Haynes, Rome

Robin House, Armuchee

Amber Hubbard, Rome

Baylee Jacobs, Silver Creek

Tiffany Jacobs, Silver Creek

Holli Jones, Armuchee

Malachi Keasler, Rome

Maxwell Kemnitz, Silver Creek

Lamya Khateeb Jabara, Rome

Maha Khatib, Rome

Bethany Kinard, Silver Creek

Rebecca Lansdell, Rome

Paige Levesque, Rome

Joshua Mabry, Lindale

Christopher Marshall, Rome

Giselle Martinez, Rome

Mary Masters, Rome

Amanda Maxwell, Rome

Destiny McElwee, Lindale

Maria Meyers, Rome

Mary Moody, Rome

Bethany Mostella, Rome

Wendy Mull, Rome

Joanna Mullenax, Rome

Dylan Nelson, Lindale

Virginia Patterson, Rome

Aubryn Patton, Rome

Michael Peters, Rome

Princesa Reyes, Rome

Juliette Roper, Silver Creek

Leah Rowell, Rome

Elsa Sales, Rome

Jose Sales, Rome

Hunter Sheffield, Rome

Michelle Stamper, Silver Creek

Allison Stanley, Rome

Jacob Stewart, Rome

Samantha Tate, Armuchee

Parveen Tekwani, Rome

Jason Threadgill, Rome

Brittany Trawick, Rome

Haydn Turner, Rome

Ryan Umphrey, Silver Creek

Julissa Vazquez, Rome

Dicie Waters, Rome

Hannah White, Rome

Marlee Wright, Silver Creek

FORSYTH

April Powell, Cumming

FULTON

Nicholas Piccapietra, Alpharetta

Travis Sands, Johns Creek

James Shepherd, Atlanta

GILMER

Ashley Barr, Ellijay

GORDON

Kyleigh Carney, Calhoun

Aaron Hunter Grizzle, Ranger

Cindy Palacios, Calhoun

Madison Walker, Plainville

Katelin West, Calhoun

Andrew Wilson, Ranger

Alexis Young, Calhoun

GWINNETT

Natasha Lajara, Dacula

Josey Rogers, Lilburn

Shakeem Soanes, Lawrenceville

Makenzie Vanderhorst, Suwanee

HARALSON

Brooke Walker, Buchanan

PAULDING

Chandler Albrecht, Hiram

Colton Anderson, Hiram

Jonathon Barrett, Powder Springs

Erin Beasley, Hiram

Charles Begg, Dallas

Kerry Benjamin, Dallas

Morgan Bishop, Hiram

Shana Bishop, Dallas

Tabitha Boyd, Dallas

Katie Brown, Dallas

Maranda Buckner, Dallas

Nathaniel Carr, Dallas

Kelsey Cole, Dallas

Hannah Coleman, Dallas

Sarah Enwright, Dallas

Hannah Ernst, Douglasville

Madison Foster, Dallas

Ashley Galderise, Dallas

Kaylee Gardner, Dallas

Cole Golden, Dallas

Victoria Griffin, Dallas

Kenzie Hagerty, Hiram

Brooke Haney, Dallas

Destyni Herbert, Dallas

Jyssica Hightower, Dallas

Stacey Holcomb, Rockmart

Macy Hollis, Dallas

Kayla Lenahan, Hiram

Alysyn Long, Hiram

Kamryn Mckinley, Powder Springs

Elizabeth Mcknight, Douglasville

Allison Miller, Dallas

Brandon Moore, Dallas

Katherine Moore, Dallas

Taylar Nall, Dallas

Jenna Newman, Acworth

Hannah Ollis, Dallas

Alex Ott, Hiram

Felicia Padgett, Dallas

Sydney Patton, Hiram

Keily Perla, Dallas

Erin Peterson, Dallas

Cassy Pierre, Douglasville

Robert Ragsdale, Douglasville

Madison Rhodes, Acworth

Kaitlyn Seagle, Dallas

Meghan Shelton, Dallas

Brittany Smith, Dallas

Kendra Stansbury, Dallas

Autumn Strange, Dallas

Kiril Tassev, Dallas

Heather Tatum, Dallas

Heather Teague, Dallas

Taylor Voraphongphibul, Rockmart

Patricia Weatherwax, Hiram

Sandra West, Dallas

Dillon White, Temple

Madison White, Temple

Briana Woullard, Dallas

PICKENS

Lisa Donohue, Jasper

Julie Hak, Talking Rock

POLK

Jessica Barber, Rockmart

Hailey Bennett, Aragon

Anna Bowman, Silver Creek

Tatton Cameron, Rockmart

Kelly Clark, Cedartown

Briceyda Cortes-Leon, Cedartown

Alison Eaves, Rockmart

Melissa Flores, Cedartown

Shannon Francis, Cedartown

Margaret Gardner, Cedartown

Holly Gosdin, Rockmart

Meghan Guice, Cedartown

Remington Jackson, Cedartown

Erik Jacobo Alvarado, Cedartown

Moises Ledesma, Silver Creek

Maggie Marchbanks, Cedartown

Jenna Mccollum, Aragon

Joyce Myers, Rockmart

Rebeka Neal, Cedartown

Jason Parker, Cedartown

Danielle Schroeder, Cedartown

Brenda Segura-Aguilar, Cedartown

Sasha Sheron, Cedartown

Elsy Sibrian, Cedartown

Melody Skonieczny, Rockmart

Jennifer Vaughn, Cedartown

Guadalupe Zarate, Cedartown

AL-CHEROKEE

Anna Holly, Cedar Bluff, AL

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

AL-JACKSON

Brianna Davis, Bryant, AL

CA-RIVERSIDE

Xitlali Lopez, Corona, CA

FL-CALHOUN

Bryson Horne, Blountstown, FL

BARTOW

Ashley Askew, Cartersville

Anthony Avello, Cartersville

Anna Bedell, Cartersville

Kaitlyn Belcher, Rydal

Daniel Belisle, Cartersville

Karsten Black, Cartersville

Mckenzie Black, Adairsville

Emily Blackburn, White

Sarah Bracken, Euharlee

Katelynn Brannon, Cartersville

Kanon Breedlove, Cartersville

Sara Brooks, White

Cody Brown, Euharlee

Carley Bruce, Emerson

Hannah Bruley, Rydal

Tara Butler, Kingston

Eugene Carlson, Cartersville

Anthony Catanzaro, Euharlee

Avery Cissa, White

Alyssa Cochran, Cartersville

Kaden Cochran, Adairsville

Seth Colston, Cartersville

Rachel Craig, Adairsville

Courtney Crane, Adairsville

Morgan Creel, Kingston

William Crowe, Cartersville

Nedalys Delcid, Cartersville

Destiny Dial, Adairsville

Bryan Dittrich, Cartersville

Callaway Dodd, Cartersville

Tristan Dorsey, Cartersville

Amethyst Dunn, Kingston

Kellcy Dunsmore, Rydal

Gerald Erambert, Cartersville

Brooke Eure, Cartersville

Lacey Evans, Rydal

Brandy Folger, Adairsville

Carson Ford, Cartersville

Sarah Franklin, Cartersville

Sarah Garber, Cartersville

Jonathan Garcia, Euharlee

Jeffrey Gilbert, Cartersville

Zoree Griffin, Cartersville

Ivey Hampton, Euharlee

Kristen Haney, Kingston

Tanner Harrell, Cartersville

Braden Harris, Cartersville

Makenzie Holmes, Cartersville

Haley Howard, Cartersville

Brittany Huth, Cartersville

Taylor Hutson, Cartersville

Noah James, Cartersville

Erica Jones, Cartersville

Lillian Jordan, Taylorsville

Andrew Kennedy, Cartersville

Kylie Knox, Taylorsville

Brittany Laughlin, Cartersville

Garam Lim, Cartersville

Noah Little, Cartersville

Thacker Lively, Emerson

Dawson Lynch, Kingston

Leah Martin, Cartersville

Abigail Maryfield, Cartersville

Cynthia Mata, Cartersville

Chelsey McClure, Adairsville

Kelsey Mckinley, Cartersville

Caliope Miron, Cartersville

Chandler Morris, Cartersville

Marissa Mowry, Cartersville

Vincent Myrick, Cartersville

Taylor Nickens, Cartersville

Morgan Ong, Cartersville

Brittany Ozmore, Adairsville

Christa Page, Taylorsville

Caleb Parker, White

Michala Petty, Adairsville

Bianca Pineda, Cartersville

Amanda Planchet, Cartersville

Caston Pritchett, Cartersville

Elizabeth Quinonez, Cartersville

Hali Rader, Cartersville

Abigail Ranic, Adairsville

Kelli Rollins, Cartersville

Jillian Scanlon, Cartersville

Joshua Scott, Cartersville

Abigail Smith, Euharlee

Jeremy Thomas, Adairsville

Jorge Tinoco-Ramos, Cartersville

Amiee Truett, Taylorsville

Megan Turner, Cartersville

Cecilia Vazquez Pineda, Fairmount

Hannah Walker, Cartersville

Whitney Wallace, Cartersville

Christina Wilson, Cartersville

Kayla Wooten, Cartersville

Victoria Worley, Cartersville

CARROLL

Joshua Davison, Villa Rica

Alexander Holdbrooks, Villa Rica

Sasandra Maceus, Temple

Malorie Moore, Villa Rica

Robert Shipp, Villa Rica

Isabella Thomas, Villa Rica

CHATTOOGA

Ansley Allison, Summerville

Jessica Corbitt, Summerville

Deborah Kellar, Trion

Jenifer Lopez, Summerville

John Maddux, Summerville

Andrew McGuire, Summerville

Anslie Miller, Summerville

Andrew Soule, Menlo

Marie Stephens, Summerville

Jordan Thrasher, Summerville

Dominic Weems, Summerville

CHEROKEE

Alexandra Brown, Woodstock

Ann Marie Chastain, White

Matthew Dobbs, Canton

Robin Gandolfi, Woodstock

Paige Gathercole, Acworth

Theodore Gecowets, Woodstock

Sarah Greer, Alpharetta

Miranda Grogan, Canton

Destiney Haynes, Canton

Maddison Houwing, Canton

Blake Johnston, Canton

Reggie Klein, Acworth

Benjamin Kretz, Acworth

Abigail Louzader, Woodstock

Mario Magana, Canton

Mark Magana, Canton

Brittney Maurer, Woodstock

Joshua Maurer, Woodstock

Jade Mcdowell, Woodstock

Alexandria Miller, Woodstock

Aaron Moore, Acworth

Megan Oden, Canton

Elizabeth Palacio-Sanchez, Canton

Alexis Palazzo, Woodstock

Alexis Philips, Woodstock

Dalia RIncon Fuentes, Canton

Katie Redd, Canton

Kindell Reeves, Canton

Ariel Rhue, Acworth

Cara Rimer, Woodstock

Noah Sanchez, Woodstock

Baylen Smith, Holly Springs

Samantha Thompson, Canton

Jair Tolliver, Acworth

Samantha Williams, Canton

COBB

Nelida Aguirre, Powder Springs

Carlos Alfonso, Marietta

Jocelyn Alvarado, Acworth

Samantha Andrews, Kennesaw

Jamie Ashe, Acworth

Jamonika Autrey, Powder Springs

Chloe Avery, Acworth

Jessica Avila, Acworth

Aicha Bah, Marietta

Nathan Bailey, Powder Springs

Hilary Baldwin, Kennesaw

Abigail Barrales, Austell

Christine Barrett, Acworth

Sierra Barrett, Kennesaw

Brett Baxter, Powder Springs

Hannah Bednarek, Kennesaw

Laura Beier, Powder Springs

Kristina Bennett, Acworth

Sarah Beno, Marietta

Alexandra Benoit, Marietta

Daneshka Besson, Acworth

Timothy Bice, Powder Springs

Ryan Boler, Acworth

Adam Bomar, Acworth

Alexandra Boyland, Powder Springs

Abby Brake, Marietta

Rebecca Browne, Kennesaw

Nicholas Bush, Acworth

Kayla Cain, Kennesaw

Rachel Cain, Smyrna

Maria Calvario Tula, Smyrna

Breanna Cameron, Kennesaw

Kaleigh Camp, Kennesaw

Quianne Campbell, Marietta

Hien Chau, Austell

Alexandra Chavez, Acworth

Sigourney Chavez, Kennesaw

Kathryn Childress, Marietta

Ashley Coker, Kennesaw

Andrea Covarrubias, Austell

Kaitlyn Creighton, Kennesaw

Charles Crider, Smyrna

Peyton Darling, Powder Springs

Brooke Deffes, Acworth

Anthony Delfavero, Acworth

Mariam Diaby, Acworth

Nicole Diaz, Marietta

Bianca Dingle, Marietta

Joy Duru, Austell

Kaitlyn Duvall, Marietta

Mackenzie Duvall, Kennesaw

Lauren Eckman, Acworth

Alexander Egan, Marietta

Joshua England, Marietta

Joseph Estep, Marietta

Kara Fetters, Marietta

Allison Foley, Roswell

Ke’andre Foster, Powder Springs

Alexander Franji, Marietta

Leonei Garcia, Smyrna

Shaheen Ghazyani, Marietta

Emanuel Gomez, Austell

Ivan Gonzalez, Kennesaw

Mayra Hernandez-Arroyo, Kennesaw

Lezli Herrera, Powder Springs

Brande Holm, Powder Springs

Grant Holton, Marietta

Senna Houston, Marietta

Jayce Jackson, Marietta

Toneisha Johnson, Mableton

Miranda Jones, Marietta

Donna Joseph, Marietta

Lynn Kimwele, Austell

Amanda Lewis, Powder Springs

Nicole Lovinggood, Powder Springs

Karen Machuca Mani, Marietta

Jaqueline Macias, Powder Springs

Nickolas Maguire, Acworth

Carolina Manzano, Kennesaw

Christian Marrero, Acworth

Patrick Martin, Powder Springs

Asminda Martinez, Marietta

Azai Martinez, Marietta

Emily Martinez, Kennesaw

Logan Maxwell, Acworth

Patrick Mcfarland, Marietta

Connor Mcminamin, Acworth

Deanna Morgan, Marietta

Katie Palma, Austell

Liliana Pantoja, Marietta

Morgan Papageorge, Acworth

Leyda Paredes, Marietta

Mayra Patino, Mableton

Katlyn Pillow, Marietta

Jeremiah Polk, Austell

Brittany Pratt, Woodstock

Himaanshu Puri, Kennesaw

Zane Quillen, Kennesaw

Alanna Reuben, Marietta

Shannon Ridings, Marietta

Alan Rodriguez Rios, Marietta

Nurit Rojas, Marietta

John Roland, Marietta

Bernardita Ruiz Kirsinger, Acworth

Jose Salazar, Marietta

Shanna Salcedo, Austell

Ashleigh Saunders, Kennesaw

Karen Schubert, Kennesaw

Ashley Scott, Kennesaw

Tiffani Scott, Acworth

Jocelyn Sebastian, Smyrna

Jordan Southerland, Acworth

Lauren Stanfill, Acworth

Yocelyn Suarez, Austell

John Sweitzer, Marietta

Ganyuan Tan, Kennesaw

Alexander Taylor, Powder Springs

Kimberly Taylor, Powder Springs

Erica Thompson, Kennesaw

Shayna Thompson, Marietta

Jared Townsend, Acworth

Quynh Tran, Marietta

Ryan Vickery, Marietta

Kaitlin Walker, Kennesaw

Morgan Warren, Kennesaw

Delores Wiley, Marietta

William Winnie, Kennesaw

Breana Wisniewski, Kennesaw

Simone Wright, Acworth

DEKALB

Shayla Smith, Stone Mountain

DOUGLAS

James Adams, Villa Rica

Christopher Aguirre, Douglasville

Eneida Alvarez, Douglasville

Ansleigh Bentley, Villa Rica

Landen Brooks, Douglasville

Tiffany Brown, Douglasville

Marsalis Byrd, Douglasville

Mahmod Deeb, Douglasville

Amy Espinoza, Douglasville

Adison Garbutt, Douglasville

Dhamon Hall, Douglasvilee

Bianca Haskins, Douglasville

Cydney Henderson, Douglasville

Kalista Lyons, Douglasville

Daniel Melton, Douglasville

Rebecca Mitchell, Douglasville

Andrea Mixon, Douglasville

Robert Newborn, Lithia Springs

Eunice Paillant, Douglasville

Evan Sabin, Villa Rica

Jordan Scott, Douglasville

Dejah Shipman, Douglasville

Alexander Smith, Douglasville

Maggie Strickland, Winston

Alexander Walker, Douglasville

Braydon Ward, Douglasville

Isabelle Wilkins, Douglasville

FLOYD

Jennifer Adair, Adairsville

Natalie Aguilar, Rome

Mercedes Ajanel, Rome

Emily Allmon, Rome

Itzel Angeles, Rome

Jose Arias, Rome

Alexis Beard, Lindale

Joshua Bomer, Rome

Thomas Boylan, Silver Creek

Jacob Brown, Rome

Kaylen Brown, Rome

Jesse Burkhalter, Lindale

Merilyn Bustos, Rome

Karson Cabe, Rome

Justin Carver, Kingston

Cassidy Causey, Rome

Yadira Chavez-Alvarez, Rome

Lyric Choat, Rome

Maria Elena Cisneros Reyes, Rome

Alexis Clark, Rome

Sarah Clark, Rome

Abigail Cummings, Rome

Martha Delreal, Rome

Joshua Dempsey, Rome

Bonnie Dodd, Kingston

Madison Dorsey, Rome

Abigail Duke, Rome

Tanner Dunkin, Rome

Erin Dyer, Rome

Mason Edwards, Rome

Veronica Escutia, Rome

Abbey Faile, Rome

Zeb Falcitelli, Rome

Areeba Farooq, Rome

Jacqueline Gentry, Rome

Vivian Graham, Lindale

Grant Griffin, Rome

Jennyfer Gudino, Rome

Aubrey Guerrero, Rome

Paige Gumienny, Rome

Julia Hall, Rome

Peyton Hancock, Rome

Kenley Hann, Silver Creek

Adam Hatcher, Rome

Jeremiah Hayes, Rome

Haley Holder, Cave Spring

Matthew Huff, Rome

Megan Huff, Rome

Blake Hunter, Rome

Julia Jeronimo, Lindale

Karleigh Jones, Armuchee

Britney Maner, Rome

Destiney Mcdaniel, Rome

Cassie Mcfather, Rome

Tesla Medckie, Rome

Joy Mendoza, Armuchee

Melissa Mestizo, Rome

Margaret Meyers, Rome

Kallie Minter, Armuchee

Luzvella Miranda, Rome

Jordan Mitchell, Rome

Lauren Mitchell, Rome

Talyn Murphy, Rome

Kinsley Padgett, Rome

Noah Payne, Rome

Kateryna Pazzaglia Khomenko, Rome

Heather Peace, Rome

Erin Pearson, Rome

Lydia Peugh, Armuchee

Justin Pineda, Rome

Alexis Pledger, Rome

Victoria Pollock, Armuchee

Autumn Pritchard, Aragon

Hannah Pullen, Silver Creek

Lucas Purdy, Calhoun

Riley Purdy, Calhoun

Brandon Ray, Cave Spring

Tommy Ray, Aragon

Thomas Reese, Armuchee

Rachel Renaud, Cave Spring

Morgan Rentz, Rome

Elizabeth Reyes, Rome

Shelby Rhinehart, Rome

Devin Rhodes, Rome

Morgan Richerson, Rome

Ethan Riggs, Rome

Geshlee Ruiz, Silver Creek

Samuel Russell, Rome

Robert Seymour, Rome

Carolyn Smith, Lindale

Kianna Smith, Rome

Katlyn Tanner, Rome

Macy Wallace, Silver Creek

Seth Waters, Rome

Tyler White, Silver Creek

Tiffany Woods, Silver Creek

Harrison Wrisley, Rome

Ciara Zarr, Rome

FORSYTH

Jocelyn Shaw, Cumming

FULTON

Adrianna Adcock, Alpharetta

Emily Aseff, Atlanta

Christian Crabtree, Atlanta

GORDON

Judith Anguiano Palmerin, Calhoun

Alie Beasley, Calhoun

Makenna Bryan, Calhoun

Macy Burggraf, Calhoun

Kaley Harris, Adairsville

Hailey Hyde, Calhoun

Maria Palmerin Palmerin, Calhoun

Rebeca Parada, Calhoun

Uriel Pena Leon, Calhoun

Britney Perry, Calhoun

Emily Pruitt, Ranger

Johan Santizo, Calhoun

Jordan Stone, Calhoun

Kenzie Williams, Adairsville

GWINNETT

Zachary Miller, Lawrenceville

Sophia Newton-Welcome, Norcross

HALL

Mackenzy Mcfarland, Flowerybranch

HARALSON

Richard Ceballos, Temple

MADISON

Emily Poston, Commerce

PAULDING

Magee Adjaho, Acworth

Logan Albertson, Hiram

Emma Atcheson, Dallas

Sydney Bechtel, Dallas

Anderson Bivins, Dallas

Hayley Bookhammer, Dallas

Jared Borgese, Acworth

Brennon Bourque, Dallas

Brittany Brown, Dallas

Kortney Bryant, Hiram

Jessica Burke, Douglasville

David Carter, Dallas

Bryan Chappell, Dallas

Alyssa Chumley, Dallas

Rachel Clark, Dallas

Shatoria Clark, Dallas

Jacob Conner, Hiram

Anders Deneergaard, Dallas

Olivia Dobbs, Dallas

Abbie Dorrough, Dallas

Jeremy Edwards, Hiram

William Evans, Dallas

Elizabeth Farmer, Dallas

Aaliyah Flanagan, Powder Springs

Taylor Fox, Dallas

Amanda Friend, Rockmart

Kenneth Froelke, Dallas

Shelby Glosson, Dallas

Joshua Goodwill, Hiram

Madeline Graben, Dallas

Blake Green, Hiram

Stephanie Gregory, Hiram

Kerenha Haro, Dallas

Ashley Hewitt, Dallas

David Hill, Douglasville

Martyn Holder, Acworth

Taylor Hornbuckle, Cartersville

Caitlynn Hudson, Dallas

Kristen Hudson, Dallas

Caitlyn Ingram, Hiram

Samston Jean, Hiram

Kamryn Joyce, Hiram

Erin Keeney, Dallas

Donovan Kuykendall, Douglasville

Christopher Lane, Dallas

Haley Lash, Dallas

Taylor Leatherwood, Dallas

Brandon Leckie, Douglasville

Kara Ledbetter, Dallas

Tiffany Loera, Dallas

Natalie Long, Hiram

Sharmell Mahadeo, Rockmart

Jacqueline Mancia, Douglasville

Taylor Maney, Temple

Desyne Martinez, Dallas

Emorie Mcginty, Dallas

Dalton Meeks, Dallas

Leeann Meldrim, Hiram

Hannah Mundell, Dallas

James Norton, Hiram

Kathryn Ohern, Powder Springs

Marianne Ossie, Hiram

Hunter Pittman, Acworth

Kristal Pitts, Douglasville

James Plummer, Acworth

Lidia Popazoglo, Powder Springs

Stephanie Rapaz, Dallas

Robert Reily, Dallas

Eden Reynolds, Hiram

Samantha Rivera, Dallas

Savannah Robinson, Dallas

Noe Ruiz, Dallas

Endi Sadiku, Dallas

Kirstan Sharp, Dallas

Taylor Shipp, Dallas

TeAna Singletary, Dallas

Joshua Smith, Dallas

Kassandra Smith, Dallas

Robert Smith, Powder Springs

Sabrina St.Martin, Dallas

Sarah Steffner, Acworth

Valerie Tonkin, Dallas

Vasilena Foxy Vasileva, Dallas

Joshua Weehunt, Dallas

Adam Whiteis, Dallas

Melissa Williams, Dallas

Craig Wood, Dallas

Barbara Wooley, Dallas

PICKENS

Sarah Aiken, Jasper

Haleigh Mckenzie, Jasper

Autumn Young, Jasper

PIKE

Breanna Normandy, Williamson

POLK

Hunter Adkins, Cedartown

Erica Barnes, Rockmart

Brooklyn Barron, Cedartown

Sydney Blackmon, Cedartown

Briana Boatner, Cedartown

Brooklyn Brame, Cedartown

Keershton Camara, Rockmart

Nancy Cervantes, Cedartown

Faith Cheeks, Cedartown

Nathaniel Conn, Cedartown

Tammie Cornejo, Cedartown

Nancy Cruz, Cedartown

Curtis Dobbs, Cedartown

Cassidy Fincher, Cedartown

Jo Anne Francis, Cedartown

Jonatan Gomez-Ramirez, Cedartown

Darius Green, Cedartown

Misty Hamrick, Cedartown

Landon Hendrix, Cedartown

Hannah Hulsey, Aragon

Alexis Mcadams, Aragon

Marina Miller, Rockmart

Marlon Morales, Rockmart

Jennifer Palacios, Cedartown

Darian Paris, Cedartown

Vianey Pineda, Cedartown

Christen Pruitt, Cedartown

Morgan Pruitt, Rockmart

Katlyn Register, Rockmart

Anne-marie Robinson, Aragon

Juan Sibrian, Cedartown

Mary Stewart, Taylorsville

Melissa Streetman, Cedartown

Jennifer Tomlinson, Aragon

Mary Vaughn, Cedartown

Marah Warren, Cedartown

Mirista Watts, Cedartown

Hannah West, Rockamart

Nicholas Whitmire, Cedartown

Catlynn Williams, Rockmart

TALBOT

Jeffery Fuller, Box Springs

WHITFIELD

Abigale Ladage, Dalton

MS-MADISON

Temeria Payton, Canton, MS

NY-KINGS

Qaiyoom Olanlege, Brooklyn, NY

Military Advanced Education & Transition (MAE&T) has awarded Georgia Highlands College the designation of a Top School in its 2018 Guide to Colleges & Universities, measuring best practices in military and veteran education. GHC was also recognized by MAE&T in the 2012, 2014, 2015, 2016 and 2017 editions.

The guide was recently released, and is available online at www.mae-kmi.com.

The guide presents results of a questionnaire of the military-supportive policies enacted at hundreds of institutions including private, public, for-profit, not-for-profit, four-year, and two-year colleges. From community colleges to state universities, online universities and nationally known centers of higher learning, MAE&T’s 2018 Guide to Colleges & Universities arms students with information about institutions that are Top Schools for military and veteran students.

Colleges like GHC are evaluated in number of areas to be considered a Top School by MAE&T. Top Schools must meet a certain threshold of military-supportive actions, as identified by MAE&T staff. This could include a veterans center, a dedicated veterans counselor, and financial incentives for military-affiliated students, to name just a few examples.

This year, institutions were evaluated on: military culture, financial aid, flexibility, general support, on-campus support and online support services.

“There are many different variables by which you could evaluate an institution, but we focus on the best practices that have been asserted by various higher education groups and reinforced by veteran groups. These best practices assure students that they have a high chance of success and support at their school of choice,” said Fodel. “That’s why we consider our survey to be the most detailed and informative in the industry.”

Visit www.mae-kmi.com for MAE&T’s 2018 Guide to Colleges and Universities, or pick up a copy of the December issue of Military Advanced Education & Transition.

Georgia Highlands College brought home the highest honor for colleges in the University System of Georgia at the 2017 Chancellor’s Annual Service Excellence Awards ceremony. GHC and President Don Green were presented with the Gold Award for Outstanding Institution of the Year and President.

This award goes to the institution and president that demonstrated the highest commitment and performance levels in service excellence across the institution over the last year, including “Best Practice” accomplishments and employee activities that foster service excellence.

GHC and President Don Green were presented the Silver Award for Outstanding Institution of the Year and President Award in 2016.

Consideration was based on participation in programs and initiatives that resulted in service excellence improvements; performance measurements (e.g. Key Performance Indicators-KPIs, customer satisfaction survey results, and achievements as reported in their Service Excellence Improvement Plans or other reports. Winners were selected based on seven attributes of service excellence: Respectful, Accessible, Informed, Supportive, Culture of Collaboration or Teamwork, High Morale of Employees, and Organizational Performance.

Additionally, Dean of Natural Sciences and Physical Education Greg Ford was presented with the Silver Award for Outstanding Leader. This award recognizes administrator-level employees who, through their extraordinary leadership over the last year, demonstrated outstanding service to students, colleagues and other customers of the USG, and promoted a workforce culture that fosters “above and beyond” service experiences.

The awards ceremony was held at Georgia State University in December.

For more information on the Chancellor’s Annual Service Excellence Awards ceremony, please visit: usg.edu/service_excellence/recognition_programs

PICTURE: (L-R) GHC Vice President of Finance and Administration Jeff Davis; Marietta Campus Dean Ken Reaves; GHC Dean of Natural Sciences and Physical Education Greg Ford; University System of Georgia Chancellor Steve Wrigley; GHC President Don Green; GHC Cartersville Campus Dean Leslie Johnson; and USG Vice Chancellor for Organizational Effectiveness John Fuchko.

Lucas Lester’s college journey didn’t start like most. He wasn’t eagerly waiting for an acceptance letter. He wasn’t researching what degree he wanted to get or planning what career he might pursue. His future began with a decision—a decision to turn his life around...

You see, Lucas found himself at his lowest point. He remembers sitting in an isolated cell with padded walls. He had nothing but a hole in the floor to use as his restroom. He had nothing but a roll of toilet paper to use as his blanket and pillow.

“I found myself contemplating what I was going to do when I got out,” he said.

Lucas’ conviction and incarceration slowed his spiraling life down long enough for him to really think about where his current road was taking him. And it was a place he did not want to go.

When he was finally free, his grandparents urged him to go to college. And that’s when he sought out Georgia Highlands College. He signed up for classes and plunged headfirst into student life, getting as involved as much as he could.

“I became involved first with Brother 2 Brother,” he said. “This provided me with a support group
of like-minded students, and most importantly, it instilled in me the principles of accountability, proactive leadership, self-discipline, and intellectual development.”

For Lucas, this was a great place for him to start, a place he could make himself thrive within.

Students in the group are required to sign a B2B/ GHAME contract that promotes a healthy academic career, including attending all classes, performing community service with the group, and spending time in the tutorial center every week.

And once Lucas hit the ground running, he couldn’t stop.

He joined Green Highlands, a student group that promotes sustainability and environmental awareness. His work with the group has led to the development of a Charger Garden on the Floyd campus that will one day contribute food to GHC’s Charger Food Pantry, which was started in 2016 to meet the needs of food insecurity among college students.

In that same time, Lucas joined the Student Government Association and ran for president. He was elected by his peers and served in that role for 2016-17.

“All of these activities allowed me to open my mind and think about things in a way that I had previously not considered important,” he said.

But the more Lucas moved forward, the more he thought about where he had come from.

He soon became very passionate about providing encouragement and assistance to individuals who have been incarcerated, been on probation, and/or had a criminal record.

“This is important to me because I have been in these negative situations and know the difficult challenges associated with re-entering society as a positive and productive citizen,” he said. “I realized while I was incarcerated no one ever came into the jail to talk about the importance of a college education in today’s economy or the positive impact a college education can have on someone’s sense of purpose or direction they go in life.”

Lucas now works to reach out to people who are coming out of prison and trying to make a new start.

“I have first-hand experience and knowledge that college can really help a person succeed,” he said. “I want to help provide this information to inmates, probationers, or anyone with no family or positive influences around them.”

Lucas’ decision to change and make his life better has put him on track to earning his associate degree from GHC in political science. Next, he plans to head to West Georgia to get his bachelor’s in philosophy on a pre-law track in preparation for law school.

He credits GHC in part for helping him achieve things he never thought he ever could.

“It is the internal change that I have experienced and watched others experience while at GHC that makes me forever have a place in my heart for this college,” he said. “In Brother 2 Brother, we would close out a meeting by reciting the words: ‘saving lives, salvaging dreams.’ GHC, the faculty and staff, and organizations like Brother 2 Brother saved my life and salvaged my dreams. Georgia Highlands College has lit a fire in me that otherwise would have remained dormant. I am forever grateful for GHC and what it means to the communities in which it serves.”

Georgia Highlands College’s new bachelor’s in business administration (BBA) students brought their first semester to a close with a service learning project aimed to help the homeless this holiday season.

GHC’s two new bachelor’s degrees in healthcare management and logistics and supply chain management started fall 2017. Students from both of the programs participated.

The students teamed up with the Will2Way foundation, which is a local non-profit organization with a mission to serve the community by providing for the homeless, organizing disaster relief efforts across the United States, and providing mentoring services for youth. The organization has served over 40,000 individuals since 2014.

Working alongside Will2Way, students organized donation drives to collect various items, such as gloves, gently used blankets, shirts, socks and travel-sized toiletry items. The students collected almost 1,400 items.

“The goal of the service learning project is to meet the educational needs of students while also teaching students the importance of becoming an active member of their community which can have a lasting, positive impact and allow students to provide a service to those who need it most,” said BBA coordinator Mecole Ledbetter.

Ledbetter stated the students were responsible for participating, performing and documenting all aspects of the operation, including: appointing a liaison as a go between for each group and the organization itself; appointing a chairman to collect and track non-monetary donations; advertising/promotions; coordination and placement of collection boxes; sorting and packing; donation delivery to non-profit organization; and more.

Following the project completion, a final report from each group is required for grading purposes. The report describes the project and each step taken in the planning, coordinating and execution phases of the operations.

“Because this is an Operations Management course, students will be graded based on how well they manage the operations of the project,” Ledbetter said. “Students will also be graded on their attempt to create the highest level of efficiency possible during the planning, coordinating and execution stages of the service learning project.”

The new BBA degrees in Healthcare Management and in Logistics and Supply Chain Management began fall 2017. To learn more about the program or to apply, please visit: https://sites.highlands.edu/bba/

This week Georgia Highlands College will hold a First-Generation Student Celebration for all students, faculty and staff who are or were first-generation college students in their family.

GHC’s New Student and Retention Programs is partnering with Student Life to have a table with buttons for all first-generation students, faculty and staff, as well as a graffiti wall for students to voice why it is important to be the first in the family to go to college.

New Student and Retention Programs Manager Crystal Edenfield said it is important to champion student success, especially for those taking on the challenge of college as the first in their family.

“This group of individuals can face many challenges when trying to navigate the processes of applying to college, getting financial aid, and taking on college coursework for the first time,” she said. “They may not feel comfortable asking questions or asking for help. More importantly, they may not know what questions to ask.”

Edenfield is particularly invested in helping first-generation students, since she was the first person in her family to go to college, as well.

“A college education opened me up to a world that was so much bigger than my small town. Just taking the step to begin college is a huge accomplishment for first generation college students,” she said. “I want them to know that the college is here to answer questions, to help, to support, and to celebrate milestones, such as finishing the first semester strong, persisting from the first semester to the second semester, registering for classes second year or completing their associate degree.”

First-generation student Emily Cook said events like these are one of the many reasons she enjoys attending GHC.

“I love the atmosphere at Georgia Highlands College,” she said. “If I ever need help, someone is always there to lend a hand.”

Cook started at GHC in 2014. She is working on her business degree. She said it’s a special thing to be the first person in your family to go to college.

“My advice to other students who are first-generation college students is don’t be so afraid. You may not know everything at first,” she said. “You will learn most of it as you go. College can be intimidating, but make sure you’re going for something that inspires you and gives you something to really look forward too. Always remember your goals.”

GHC’s First-Generation Student Celebration will take place at all of its locations throughout the week.

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PICTURE: Special “I was the First” buttons being handed out to first-generation students, faculty, and staff during the First-Generation Student Celebration this week.

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Locations/dates

December 4 / Cartersville and Douglasville

December 5 / Floyd

December 6 / Floyd, Paulding, and Marietta

Lex Vick clads his arm and hand with a simple leather gauntlet. He enters his aviary just behind his house. And when he emerges, a large Red-tailed hawk rests on the end of his fist.

It’s a magnificent bird with a predator’s dark gaze, a fierce angled beak, and talons with points as sharp as hypodermic needles and inclined to vice grip tendencies.

Her name is Koda, which is a Sioux term for “companion.”

She stalks and hunts her prey from the skies like a Boeing B-52 Stratofortress. She is all about power and presenting power, Lex notes.

And although there seems to be a close connection between Lex and Koda, he is quick to point out she is not a pet. It’s a working relationship. They work together on each and every hunt.

Lex got into falconry several years ago. He has moved from apprentice to general and will be a master in 2018. Each rank requires years of training and different levels to unlock to do more and more with the birds.

He explained falconry has a long history, dating back to even ancient humans. Falconers today hunt with falcons, hawks, and other birds of prey and are trained to work with a number of different species of bird.

But the most interesting part of it all for Lex is being “in the front row seat of what happens naturally every single day.”

“Just getting to see the natural world from the predator’s side is just amazing,” he said. “I’ve always loved animals. I was the type of kid that would just read encyclopedias on animals.”

Lex is currently working on his associate in biology at Georgia Highlands College. He wants to continue on to Berry College to get a bachelor’s in animal science before attending veterinarian school at the University of Georgia.

He does some volunteer education events for local schools now, but feels the urge to hunt with his hawk more than anything.

And although now Koda is quick to return to him with one call of her name, it took time, training, and a lot of patience to get to that point.

Lex’s training required him to go through several legal steps with the Department of Natural Resources, including a test, inspections, and more. It’s an arduous process. It’s estimated there are only 5,000 falconers in the country today.

Once Lex was cleared to get a hawk, the tricky part began.

“You have to trap a wild bird. It must be an immature juvenile bird, so you don’t take from the breeding stock. They’re more impressionable anyway. They hatch in the summer, so if you find one in the fall, it is a good indication they know how to survive.”

Lex uses a simple dome cage for trapping hawks. The way it works is he places a small animal, like a gerbil, within the dome cage. A number of floss-like tethers are arranged on the outside of the cage. Once he finds a hawk he thinks will work, he sets the cage near their hunting site and waits far away.

The hawk will eventually dive onto the cage to take the animal inside, but the tethers wrap around its talons and keep the bird fixed and the animal within the dome safe. Then the training starts.

“It’s a lot of time on the glove. At first, they’ve got their wings out and their mouth open, because they think you’re going to kill them. I spent the first day with Koda on my glove for five hours. Each day you do that, then you take her outside. Then it becomes a food based thing.”

Over a two-week period, Lex feeds the bird, and with each feeding, he gives the bird more distance to return to him. Once the hawk becomes accustomed to its name and knowing that its name being called signals Lex has something for it, the first free fly happens.

“All you can do is hope for the best in your training the first time you let them go. It’s an amazing feeling when you start walking and they are just following along with you from the sky.”

Lex has been hunting with Koda for five years. The pair enjoy hunting in the fall after the leaves have left the trees and there is a better line of sight from ground to sky and vice versa.

But preparing for the hunt is just as important as the hunt itself.

“Just like a prize fighter, you want to have the bird in a good condition, at the right weight. If they are too high and too fat, they get lethargic, and if they’re too low, they don’t have the energy. There is a perfect medium called ‘yarak,’ where they are primed and at the peak of readiness for what they do best.”

Once Koda reaches her ideal weight, Lex and his dog Molly set out with her to assist in the hunt. Lex and Molly try to kick up or scare small game, like squirrel or rabbits, while Koda patrols overhead. Lex says sometimes the prey they hunt become so fixated on Molly and him, they don’t even know Koda is part of the hunting equation, giving her the element of surprise.

“When she locks on to something, the game is over.”

Every bird flies and hunts just a bit different from one another. Koda prefers powerful dives and strong aerial turns, as if to flex her privileged position on the food chain just a little before the attack ensues.

Eventually, Koda will be released back into the wild. Lex says even though the two of them form a slight working bond, Koda’s natural instincts will always dictate her actions. Eventually, she’ll move on to mate and hunt again on her own, and Lex will need to start over with a new bird.

Any attachment a falconer has for a bird is one sided, but the thrill of working together for even a short amount of time makes it worth all the while for Lex.

For him, it’s not just a view of the “circle of life,” it’s a chance to experience it, to “be a part of it.”

MORE PICTURES AND VIDEO:

The classroom is a mountain. The whiteboard is miles of short-grass prairie land. The bookcases are snow-capped. And the textbooks are fossils.

The Georgia Highlands College summer field course trip to Wyoming in many ways is about moments that last forever in memory, in stone.

Associate Professor of Geology Billy Morris has been trekking across Wyoming with students for 20 years. The first trip was in 1997. He went to a conference in Seattle and met a geologist who helped him form the trip and serve as their guide.

“She was our guide for the first two years,” Morris said. “She was instrumental in setting us up. She was local. A lot of the places we go aren’t published anywhere, word of mouth kind of places, and they are these pristine, somewhat secret spots.”

Morris on average has taken 12 to 24 students each year since the program started. The trip starts at GHC two weeks before they head out, so students can learn what to expect, how to take notes in the field, and the basics of geology.

Then the real trip begins.

The group flies into Denver and then drives directly to the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains to visit Red Rocks Amphitheatre and the nearby Dinosaur Trail in the famous Morrison Formation. Then, they head north to Casper, followed by a day’s drive through Wind River Canyon and Thermopolis to Cody. After a night in Cody, they drive into Yellowstone and stay in cabins in a place called Canyon Village within walking distance of the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone. They then work their way to Colter Bay Village before heading back to Denver.

“It’s a geologist’s wonderland,” Morris said.

He explained that Wyoming has good examples of all rock types, fossils, important surface processes and landforms, as well as every time period being represented.

“The whole textbook is out there in the field where you can feel it and touch it... where you can experience it.”

And Morris said no two trips are the same.

“We’ve had three marriages that I know of that have come out of this trip,” he said. “Once, before we left, a young man asked me, ‘Are we going to go to any place that’s really pretty while we’re out there?’ and I said, ‘Well, as a matter of fact, a few.’”

The student went on to tell Morris that the reason he was asking was because he wanted to propose to his girlfriend, another student on the trip that year. So Morris helped the young man pick the best spot he could think of.

The group took a 7-mile hike to the top of Mount Washburn, which flanks an extinct volcano and is one of the higher elevations in Yellowstone.

“There is nothing higher than you as far as you can see. You have a 360-panaromic view,” Morris said. “He carried the ring in his hat band and when we got to the summit he proposed. She said yes.”

“Yellowstone is always fantastic. You never know what you’ll see there.” Morris added, recalling another trip when the group came across a standoff between wolves and a bear over a carcass. “The bear ended up back on his hind feet. We always see some incredible wildlife.”

But the moments captured in Wyoming aren’t always from this century...

“There is an outcrop that always gives me chill bumps every time I see it. It’s a piece of sandstone from the Jurassic period. It was formed on a beach. The sandstone that was deposited on that beach has ripple marks left behind, like a washboard. Clearly, it’s a wave zone, 30 feet high, 40 feet wide, but across the ripple marks are three-toed footprints, like a turkey footprint, but they’re from a pterodactyl. No doubt he was scavenging along the beach looking for squid or horseshoe crabs who had washed up in that spot...”

Morris stops there each year to show his students.

“To have a
moment like that, an
instant in time preserved, and to be able to show that and look at it and let your mind wander back that far and think about the changes that have gone on in that place, it’s one of those moments you lay awake at night and think about...”

Morris says he plans on continuing the trip for as long as he can. He credits the students as the ones who motivate him to go year after year.

“What really makes the trip for me is to watch the students and see how they react to what they are seeing and doing. It’s very satisfying to watch them learn and grow,” he said. “I love lectures and I love teaching in the laboratory, but where real earth science happens is outside. We can look at books. We can pull rocks off the shelf for an entire semester. But in a fraction of that time, you can do so much more when you’re in the right place. Bringing students to the right place and helping them understand how to read the rocks like a book is very satisfying.”

Sign up now for the 2018 GHC Summer Geology Field Class in Wyoming. Complete details can be found at: highlands.edu/wyoming