Chattahoochee Technical College honored graduates during three commencement ceremonies held Wednesday, Dec. 17, and Thursday, Dec. 18, at the Clarence Brown Conference Center in Cartersville.
There were over 1,000 Chattahoochee Tech students who petitioned to graduate this fall, with nearly 500 of them participating in the commencement ceremonies. These students crossed the stage to receive their associate degree, diploma or technical certificate of credit in programs of study representing a wide range of career fields.
Chattahoochee Tech President Heather Pence congratulated the graduates for their hard work in achieving this milestone. “Today is about who you have become,” said Pence. “And the reality is that through your hands and dedication, you will build our future.” Delivering the commencement address at both ceremonies was Amie Ray Davis, the college’s 2025 Rick Perkins Instructor of the Year award recipient. Davis leads the college’s popular Paralegal Studies program and played a key role in establishing this program at Chattahoochee Tech.
The largest groups of graduates this fall included those completing programs of study in Nursing, Physical Therapist Assistant, and Radiography. Popular areas of study for graduates also included Business Management, Cybersecurity, Air Conditioning Technology, Welding & Joining Technology, and Cosmetology. Graduates represented communities across Chattahoochee Tech’s six-county service area and the greater Metro Atlanta region, with the largest number coming from Cobb County with 424 students, followed by Cherokee County with 166 and Paulding County with 114. Additional graduates represented Bartow, Pickens and Gilmer counties, as well as other parts of the metro area.
Included among those participating in the commencement ceremonies were 11 military veterans along with 8 Dual Achievement program students and 16 Dual Enrollment students. A total of 19 students in the Dual Achievement program earned their high school diploma from the Chatt Tech Academy this semester while also earning college credentials in a specific career pathway. The Dual Achievement Program offers qualified students between the ages of 16 and 21 an alternate path to high school graduation. The Dual Enrollment students remained enrolled in their high schools while simultaneously enrolling as college students at Chattahoochee Tech.
A Unit of the Technical College System of Georgia (TCSG), Chattahoochee Tech awards certificates, diplomas and associate degrees in programs of study linked to the state’s fastest-growing, high-demand career fields. Chattahoochee Tech has nine campuses, which are located in Cobb, Bartow, Cherokee, Paulding and Pickens counties. Students can graduate in two years or less at Chattahoochee Tech with a meaningful degree that is immediately usable and builds a lasting career. The college offers real-world training in a wide range of programs for students at all stages of life to quickly start, change, or accelerate their careers. The college also offers customized workforce training, continuing education classes, and Adult Education programs that include free GED preparation classes.