Chattahoochee Technical College celebrated more than 500 graduates this spring, with nearly 300 of them participating in commencement. Two commencement ceremonies were held Thursday, May 11, at the Clarence Brown Conference Center in Cartersville.
The commencement ceremonies featured students crossing the stage to receive an Associate of Applied Science degree, diploma, or Technical Certificate of Credit in programs of study corresponding to the nation’s fastest-growing, high-demand career fields. Delivering the commencement address for both ceremonies was Chattahoochee Tech Mathematics Instructor Adrienne Baldwin, who recently was named the state’s top technical college instructor of the year.
“On my journey, what I have learned is that life’s challenges are just simply the preparation for you to reach your full potential,” said Baldwin. “When you continue on your journey, I want you to remember three things. Always be confident, be willing to take risks, and continuously thrive to be the best version of yourself that you can be.”
Included among the Chattahoochee Tech graduates were 85 high school students who were enrolled at the college as Dual Enrollment students. Through the state’s Dual Enrollment program, high school students can enroll in college courses and earn college credit while they are still enrolled in their high school. Also included among the Chattahoochee Tech graduates this spring were the college’s first two Dual Achievement program students, who graduated from the Chatt Tech Academy. The Dual Achievement program is another path toward high school graduation that allows a student to meet the state’s high school graduation requirements while also earning college credentials that prepare them for in-demand careers.
The Chattahoochee Tech programs of study with the largest number of graduates earning Associate of Applied Science degrees this spring included Interdisciplinary Studies; Business Management; Film and Video Production Technology; and Accounting. Popular programs of study for students earning Associate of Applied Science degrees also included Healthcare Management, Paramedicine, and Medical Laboratory Technology. The largest number of graduates earning Technical Certificates of Credit were in programs that included Nurse Aide; Early Childhood Care and Education; and Computer Programming.
A Unit of the Technical College System of Georgia (TCSG), Chattahoochee Tech is the largest technical college in the state with campus locations in Bartow, Cherokee, Cobb, Gilmer, Paulding and Pickens counties. The college serves the TCSG mission to build a well-educated, globally competitive workforce through technical education, adult education, and customized workforce training for local business and industries.
Chattahoochee Tech celebrated Joseph Edwards and Benjamin Naude as the college’s first Dual Achievement program graduates. Shown here, l-r, are Chattahoochee Tech President Dr. Ron Newcomb; Vice President of Institutional Effectiveness Stephanie Meyer; Senator Lindsey Tippins; graduates Joseph Edwards and Benjamin Naude; Chattahoochee Tech Director of Dual Achievement Michelle Martin; TCSG Dual Achievement Program Director Lauren Edgar; and TCSG Executive Director of Secondary Education Initiatives Ben McCumber.
Chattahoochee Tech President Dr. Ron Newcomb is shown here congratulating the graduates.
Chattahoochee Tech graduates gathered at the Clarence Brown Conference Center in Cartersville for the 2023 Spring Commencement ceremonies. In the photo at the top of the page, shown standing l-r, are Chattahoochee Tech Executive Vice President for Instruction Jason Tanner and Mathematics Instructor Adrienne Baldwin, the state’s top technical college instructor of the year.