Approximately 300 students from across Georgia Northwestern Technical College’s (GNTC) nine-county service area will cross the stage on Thursday, Dec. 4, during the college’s 2025 Fall Commencement Ceremony at the Dalton Convention Center.
The ceremony begins at 6 p.m. as graduates, faculty and administrators enter the hall with the traditional Processional. Following the National Anthem, the Invocation will be delivered by Leyner Argueta, program director and instructor of Business Management at GNTC.
GNTC President Dr. Heidi Popham will welcome guests and graduates, setting the tone for the evening. Dr. Elizabeth Anderson, vice president of Academic Affairs and Institutional Effectiveness, will introduce this year’s commencement speaker, Jennifer Dixon, GNTC’s Rick Perkins Instructor of the Year.
Legare Price, associate vice president of Student Success, will lead the recognition of High Honor and Honor graduates. Price will also deliver a special acknowledgement for graduates who are veterans, as well as those involved in FBLA Collegiate, SkillsUSA and the Student Government Association.
Dr. Anderson will then present the graduates, and Dr. Popham will confer associate degrees, diplomas and technical certificates of credit.
Stuart Phillips, vice president of Student Affairs and Student Success, will serve as the graduation announcer. Before closing remarks, Susan Bowman—program director, assistant dean and instructor of Health Information Management Technology—will administer the GNTC Alumni Association Oath.
The ceremony program includes the names of participating graduates across a wide range of fields, from healthcare and business to engineering, aviation, criminal justice, early childhood education, skilled trades and more. The list includes students earning Associate of Applied Science degrees, Associate of Science in Nursing degrees, diplomas and Technical Certificates of Credit. The printed program reflects only those who registered before printing and does not include non-participating graduates.
With families, friends and GNTC staff filling the convention center, Thursday’s ceremony will honor the hard work and dedication of students preparing to enter Georgia’s workforce with new skills, credentials and career opportunities.
