South Georgia Technical College hosts Fall 2018 commencement ceremony

South Georgia Technical College hosted its Fall 2018 commencement ceremony Thursday, December 13th at 6 p.m. in the James S. Peters Gymnasium on the Americus campus in front of a capacity crowd.
Approximately 200 students, 50 of which were either Presidential Honor or regular Honor Graduates, received awards of either an associate degree or a diploma during the 2018 fall commencement ceremony. Students must have an overall grade point average of 3.9 or higher to qualify as a Presidential honor graduate and a grade point average of 3.70 to 3.89 to qualify as an honor graduate. National Technical Honor Society members were also recognized.
SGTC President Dr. John Watford and Vice President for Academic Affairs David Kuipers presided over the graduation ceremony and introduced Rev. Bill Dupree who gave the invocation.
President Watford welcomed graduates and their families and recognized special guests. Mr. Jake Everett, Chair of the SGTC local Board of Directors, introduced the keynote speaker for the evening, Criminal Justice instructor Teresa McCook, who is the SGTC 2018 Instructor of the Year.
In her brief talk to graduates and their family members, McCook gave the graduates sincere advice designed to help them in their pursuit of excellence in their chosen careers or continued education. She shared with them a saying from the book, ‘The Little Engine that Could.’ “First congratulations to each of you,” said McCook. “This has been a difficult journey but you have made it through. You now have the knowledge and education to succeed and in just a few minutes you will have the diploma to prove that you earned that knowledge and education. Feel proud of your accomplishment and this milestone. When times get tough, remember the saying from ‘The Little Engine that Could’ – ‘I think I can, I think I can, I know I can, I know I can.’ Positive attitudes are very important. As you begin the next phrase of your life, remember those phrases and be positive. You have earned this. You did it, and you can succeed,” concluded McCook.
After McCook’s address, President Watford, David Kuipers, and the SGTC Deans for Academic Affairs, presented the diplomas to the graduates. Seventy-three students received an Associate of Applied Science degree and 194 diplomas were awarded.
SGTC students who earned the distinction of graduating as Presidential Honor graduates and their respective fields of study included: Accounting (Diploma), Desiray Chantay Kenney of Cordele; Air Conditioning Technology (Diploma), Joshua Tyler Yochum of Preston; Business Technology (AAS), Yanelia Hernandez Gonzalez of DeSoto; Business Technology (Diploma) Katherine Lindsey Murphy of Ashburn and Rhonda Gentry of Warwick; Computer Support Specialist (AAS), Karen Lewis of Americus; Computer Support Specialist and Networking Specialist (AAS), Dakota Hall of Cordele; Computer Support Specialist and Networking Specialist (Diploma), David Russell Ethridge of Cordele; Criminal Justice Technology (AAS), Kaylyhn Jennings of Ellaville; Diesel Equipment Technology (Diploma), Danny Eugene Smith, III of Fort Valley; Electrical Construction and Maintenance and Electrical Systems Technology (Diploma), Brian Fennell of Arabi and Troy Allen Gilliam of Leslie; Electronics Technology (Diploma), Lacey Brooke Chandler of Oglethorpe; Marketing Management (Diploma),Brakisa L. Shepherd of Tifton; Motorsports Vehicle Technology (Diploma), Nadarius Joiner of Monezuma; Practical Nursing (Diploma), Lisa McLendon of Cordele; and Welding and Joining Technology (Diploma), John Jenming Lin of Americus and Noah McCleskey of Pinehurst.
SGTC students who earned the distinction of graduating as Honor graduates (3.70 – 3.89 GPA) and their respective fields of study included: Accounting (Diploma), Erika Lea Bailey of Americus; Air Conditioning Technology (AAS & Diploma), Marcus Gill, II of Parrott; Air Conditioning Technology (Diploma), Shawn M. Tyson, II; Aircraft Structural Technology (Diploma), Frederick L. Allen of Montezuma; Auto Collision Repair Technology (Diploma), Adrian Woods of Plains; Automotive Technology (Diploma), Frederick Lee Gear, Jr. of Americus and Jade Payton Smith of Buena Vista; Business Technology (AAS), Melinda Allen of Albany; Business Technology (Diploma), Antonio C. Brinson of Cordele, Laurence S. Dungca of Montezuma and Adrian Mo’nique Queenie of Americus; Computer Support Specialist (AAS & Diploma) and Networking Specialist (AAS & Diploma),Logan Thomas Dodson of Ellaville and Michael Karns of Americus; Computer Support Specialist (AAS), Nicholas Shannon Storey of Preston; Criminal Justice Technology (AAS), Devontat’e Darv’ay Monts of Americus; Culinary Arts (AAS), Miya Ford of Decatur; Culinary Arts (Diploma), Caleb Abell of Leslie and Jasmine La’Shawn Majors of Americus; Diesel Technology (Diploma), Frederick Lee Gear, Jr. of Americus and Willie Pittman of Butler; Drafting (AAS) Adrian Marcel Oliver, Sr. of Columbus; Drafting (Diploma), Chance Westra; Early Childhood Care and Education (AAS), Mackenzie Cripe of Cobb and Carolyn Luther of Abbeville; Early Childhood Care and Education (AAS & Diploma); Janice E. Wallace of Americus; Early Childhood Care and Education (Diploma), Cherisse Fletcher of Americus; Electrical Construction and Maintenance (Diploma) and Electrical Systems Technology (Diploma), Michael Doye Weaver of Sycamore; Electronics Technology (AAS), Joseph Nolan Moorhouse of Abbeville and Adrian Marcel Oliver, Sr.; Marketing Management (Diploma), Tiyama Maria Holt of Cordele; Networking Specialist (AAS), Virgil Howell, III of Ellaville; Networking Specialist (Diploma), John R. Beech of Butler; and Welding and Joining Technology (Diploma), Caleb Radle of Vienna.
Twenty-one graduates are also members of the National Technical Honor Society. Those individuals are: Melinda Allen, Erika Lea Bailey, Demia Nicole Bryant, Antonio C. Brinson, David Russell Ethridge, Brian Fennell, Rhonda Gentry, Troy Allen Gilliam, Hope Griggs, Dakota Hall, Tiyama Maria Holt, Michael Karns, Desiray Chantay Kenney, Carolyn Luther, Mark Todd Manders, Jr., Noah McCleskey, Christopher Michael Mathews, Katherine Lindsey Murphy, Caleb Radle, Justin Smith, and Jamile Markel Curry.

Seventy-three students earned Associate of Applied Science degrees and those students and their programs of study included: Accounting, Kiara Sade’ Daniel of Butler, Della Gay Griffin of Montezuma, Hope Lyn Griggs of Americus, Rocio Abrigail Gutierrez of Oglethorpe, Belinda Jane Hernandez of Cordele, and Kalandra Samone’ King of Plains; Air Conditioning Technology, Richard Marcus Gill, III of Pattott; Business Technology, Melinda Allen of Albany, Yaneli Hernandez Gonzalez of DeSoto, Joseph Jerome Hawkins of Americus, Sheria S. Mann of Unadilla, Natasha Smith of Vienna, Kenya Shawan Wallace of Plains, and Alexis Waters of Montezuma; Computer Support Specialist, Levi Adam Cowan of Americus, Logan Thomas Dodson of Ellaville, Hannah Finley of Americus, Dakota Hall of Cordele, Michael Karnes of Americus, Karen S. Lewis of Americus, Christopher Michael Mathews of Vienna, Pie Jordan Smith of Americus, Nicholas Shannon Storey of Preston, Latoya Watts of Americus and Olivia Williams of Americus; Criminal Justice Technology, Cora K. Baker of Newton, Tia Marie Clark of Cordele, Tatyana Corteria Cunningham of Ocilla, Aisha T. Davis of Fort Gainey, Dedra Davis of Unadilla, La’keista Deundey Davis of Americus, Avienne Keyerica Griffin of Americus, Chasatee Geddis-Jackson of Americus, Kaylyhn Jennings of Ellaville, Lashawnda Mitchell of Americus, Devontat’e Darv’ay Monts of Americus, Christopher Ruric Slocumb of Americus, Felecia Terrell of Leesburg, Matthew Williams of Ellaville, and Dalton Lee Windham of Ellaville; Culinary Arts, Miya Ford of Decatur; Drafting, Adrian Marcel Oliver, Sr. of Columbus; Early Childhood Care & Education, Mackenzie Cripe of Cobb, Anna Maria Griffin of Americus, Crystal Lynn Griffin of Rochelle, Bethani J. Griggs of Americus, Shaquala Renae Hall of Leslie, Pamela D. Ingram of Americus, Carolyn Jean Luther of Abbeville, Felicia McKellar of Oglethorpe, Jessica Marie McSwain of Pitts, Jessica Renee Segovia of Americus, Sekeithia Sims of Americus, Janice E. Wallace of Americus and Vincent Wiley of Cordele; Electronics Technology, Justin Barrera of Leesburg, Maxim Milby of Pitts, Joseph Nolan Moorhouse of Abbeville, Adrian Marcel Oliver, Sr., of Columbus, and Justin Smith of Vienna; Marketing Management, Kacey Dixon of Reynolds and Shenika Stevens of Buena Vista; Networking Specialist, Levi Adam Cowan of Americus, Logan Thomas Dodson of Ellaville, Hannah Finley of Americus, Dakota Hall of Cordele, Virgil Howell, III, of Ellaville, Michael Karns of Americus, Christopher Michael Matthews of Vienna, Pie Jordan Smith of Americus, and Olivia Williams of Americus; and Sports and Fitness Management, Gamaun Boykin of Lithonia, and Jarod Lewis of Americus.
After each graduate had received their award, Vice President of Academic Affairs David Kuipers declared to President Watford that each graduate had completed the requirements for graduation as set forth by the Technical College System of Georgia (TCSG).
Afterwards, Rev. Bill Dupree gave the benediction and the graduates recessed to the music of Pomp and Circumstance.