Georgia Highlands College student Haydn Turner has a perfect 4.0 GPA, and recently, she was chosen to represent GHC at the Board of Regents Academic Day in Atlanta.

The Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia (USG) honored 26 students total who best represent the system’s highest scholastic ideals during Academic Recognition Day this month.

Each of the system’s institutions selected a student with a 4.0 GPA who also reflects the system’s best qualities: “They aim to strive for excellence and have the ability to share knowledge in various areas of expertise.”

Academic Recognition Day began 32 years ago as a celebration of Georgia students’ academic achievement. The honorees receive a resolution from the Georgia House of Representatives along with a letter of commendation from USG Chancellor Steve Wrigley.

In his letter of commendation, Chancellor Wrigley congratulated the honorees but also focused on the magnitude of the students’ efforts: “Education has an intrinsic worth, but your accomplishment is about more than just that,” he said. “You have seized the opportunity to build upon an incredibly valuable time in your life and lay a foundation for success far beyond your chosen field of study.”

Haydn attends GHC’s Cartersville site and lives in Aragon.

Georgia Highlands College will be screening a hour-long civil rights movement documentary at the Cartersville site for Black History Month this Sunday (Feb. 23) from 3:30PM to 5:30PM in the Student Center Ballroom.

The event is free and open to the public.

The documentary is called “Summer Hill: A Story of Community.”

Georgia Public Broadcasting (GPB) notes the documentary “is a compelling look at the influence of one small, tightly knit community–its school, churches and civic leaders–on its residents.”

GPB went on to say the town of Summer Hill, which inspires the documentary, “produced many professionals, including Georgia’s first black Supreme Court justice, a famous Motown songwriter, teachers, ministers, doctors and lawyers… [and in] compelling interviews, the people of Summer Hill tell the empowering story of their community and reveal its lasting legacy of hope.”

The GHC Black History Month event, called “An Afternoon on Summer Hill: A Conversation about Community, Education, and Excellence,” will also include an interview with Summer Hill High School alumni Calvin Cooley and Bibby Morgan.

For more information about attending the event, you may send questions to GHC Assistant Professor Sean Callahan at scallaha@highlands.edu

Georgia Highlands College will be hosting the third annual Highlands Writers Conference on Saturday (Feb 29) at the Cartersville site starting at 9AM.

The one-day program provides numerous opportunities for aspiring writers to learn about craft in a variety of genres as well as best practices for publication, including workshop sessions, writing consultations and a book fair.

Full day registration is $45, which includes workshops, panels and a catered lunch presentation. High school and college students in the area may register for $10.

GHC’s Humanities Division and event organizers stated the program is open for all and “We welcome writers who have been practicing for years as well as those who have not yet set pen to paper.”

Attendees will have the opportunity to spend the day with several acclaimed writers, including award-winning novelist Soniah Kamal; screenwriter and indie film producer Hudson Phillips; poet and poetry editor of the “New South Journal” Caroline Crew; and award-winning essayist Clinton Crockett Peters.

The lunch speaker will be Kay Powell.

Obituaries editor for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution from 1996-2009, Powell has been called the “doyenne of the death beat.” She has created memorable public legacies for moonshiners, a CEO turned K-Mart greeter, a model aircraft designer, the planet Pluto, and Flannery O’Connor’s peacock, among many others.

To learn more about the conference or to register, please visit: hwc.highlands.edu

The Floyd health care system stretches across northwest Georgia and northeast Alabama as one of the region’s largest employers, with over 3,000 employees, over 300 physician specialists and a volunteer force of over 350.

GHC alumnus Bill Fortenberry manages internal and corporate communications for this vast and extensive health care network. When he was younger, he had no idea that following his passion for writing could have taken him so far.

“My daughter once asked me if my life had worked out like I had envisioned it when I was a teenager. It was one of those moments that hits you hard in the heart, unexpectedly. The answer is yes,” he said. “Maybe the particulars aren’t exactly what I dreamed up, but the fact is, I set a goal to be a professional writer when I was in high school. Now, this is my 34th year of writing for a living, and it remains my absolute favorite part of the work that I do.”

Bill explained no two days in his line of work are the same. He oversees a communication platform used by every Floyd employee that keeps everyone on the same page each and every day. He’s also involved in writing social media posts, physician letters, blog posts, “Outstanding Stories of Care” feature stories and a whole lot more.

Central to the Floyd health care system is the not-for-profit Floyd Medical Center, a 304-bed acute care hospital and regional referral center covering over 40 medical specialties, including three Destination Centers and five Joint Commission-certified disease-specific programs.

Each year, Bill takes charge of leading the effort to develop content for annual reports, Community Health Needs Assessments, Community Benefit Reports and other mandatory reporting needed in Floyd’s ongoing operation.

But long before Bill started working as the corporate communications and government relations manager at Floyd, he took a dream to write for a living to Georgia Highlands College (then Floyd Junior College).

Bill is the first to admit he was brought up in a poor family, but he wouldn’t let that stand between him and a college degree.

“Because I had no money, I took a small scholarship that I won in high school and applied it to technical school,” he said. “Rather than enter college in the fall, I started technical college, learning to cut hair. I chose a program that would get me trained in six months. My goal was never to work as a barber or hairstylist. The goal was always to use haircutting to pay my way through college.”

After becoming certified, Bill started at GHC and began to work his way through college.

“[GHC] was close to home and affordable, even if I had to pay for it myself,” he said. “Luckily, once I got in the door, the financial aid and student life folks helped me discover that I qualified for assistance, lightening my financial burden and helping me to get a great start on an education.”

While at GHC, Bill spent a lot of time working with the student newspaper, the Six Mile Post, where he found a way to take his skills as a writer and apply himself toward a professional writing career. He went on to work 16 years at a daily newspaper.

Now at Floyd, Bill looks back on his time at GHC as great formative years building a strong foundation in writing and developing his story telling skills before entering the workforce.

His daughter, Autumn, also attended GHC.

“I think I am most proud that my daughter, Autumn, saw the path that I took and decided to take the same path. She made a conscious decision to attend GHC to avoid student debt and enjoyed her time there,” he said. “She completed two years and transferred to the University of West Georgia to continue her goal of getting a degree in veterinary medicine.”

Outside of work, Bill is very active with his church, serving as a deacon, elder, choir member, small-group leader and a mentor to others. He also occasionally still writes for publications.

His career has given him the means to carry out his passion for writing, and he’s the first to tell you GHC helped him get there.

“I don’t know how many thousands of students over these years have passed through the doors of [GHC], but it’s a real honor to represent them,” he said. “My job every day is to communicate important information to people who need it. The audience for that information can vary greatly, which means I have to be able to synthesize sometimes complex topics to make it easy to understand and act on. I am still in awe that God has allowed me to work 34 years supporting my family through writing. I cannot imagine a career or life that does not include writing or storytelling.”

Georgia Highlands College has announced students named to the fall 2019 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 state and county):

GA-BALDWIN

Betsy Chamblee, Milledgeville

GA-BARROW

Tiffany Carter, Winder

GA-BARTOW

Justin Anderson, Adairsville

Kathryn Anderson, Cartersville

Shakhinakhon Azimova, Cartersville

Madison Bailey, Adairsville

Elisha Baker, Cartersville

Jacob Barnette, Cartersville

Christy Belcher, Cartersville

Julia Belew, Adairsville

Tracy Boggs, Rydal

Hannah Boling, Cartersville

Kristen Bratcher, Adairsville

Seth Brookshire, Adairsville

Johnny Brown, Cartersville

Gloria Brownlow, Adairsville

Lauren Bruce, Taylorsville

Jacob Bruner, Adairsville

Krista Burt, Kingston

Trinity Chapman, Cartersville

Stephen Clark, Taylorsville

Jack Condra, White

Hayden Dancause, Kingston

Lauryn Davis, Cartersville

Shannon Dean, Cartersville

Jeremy Deas, White

Morgan Deboard, Rydal

Annette Diaz, Cartersville

Natalie Eckert, Adairsville

Alexander Edwards, Cartersville

Katrena Ellington, Cartersville

Alysha Elrod, Cartersville

Daniel Fabry, Cartersville

Nathaniel Flahardy, Kingston

Dillan Frazier, Kingston

Catherine Furtado, Taylorsville

Rachael Gatien, Acworth

Adia Golden, Cartersville

Hailey Gomisch, Cartersville

Areli Gonzalez, Cartersville

Danny Gonzalez Vicente, Adairsville

Kimberly Gottschling, Adairsville

Bridget Greenley, Taylorsville

Muhammad Hanzala, Cartersville

Parker Hardin, Cartersville

Kenneth Harrell, Cartersville

Savannah Harris, Cartersville

Chloe Hendrix, Taylorsville

Carly Hill, Cartersville

Kyrah Holley, Cartersville

Erin Horgan, Cartersville

Kaitlyn Ingram, Cartersville

Megan Janisch, Cartersville

Natalie Jimenez, Emerson

Kerry Jordan, Cartersville

Brooke Kirby, White

Charlotte Kittle, Euharlee

William Lange, Cartersville

Anna Lanier, Adairsville

Moises Ledesma, Euharlee

Courtney Lee, Cartersville

Laurie Logan, Cartersville

Omkumar Maisuria, Cartersville

Madelyn Makorow, Cartersville

James Martin, Rome

Hunter Mccreary, Cartersville

Makenzi Mcintyre, Cartersville

Angela Mejia Alzate, Cartersville

Audrey Mixon, Rydal

Isela Moraga, Cartersville

Chandler Morris, Cartersville

Laurie Morris, Cartersville

Paula Mullinax, Rydal

Riley Nelson, Cartersville

Jordan Osteen, Kingston

Caleb Parker, Cartersville

Allison Parks, Cartersville

Meera Patel, Cartersville

Naiya Patel, Cartersville

Guadalupe Pineda-Camacho, Cartersville

Brendan Quillin, Cartersville

Victoria Roach, Cartersville

Elizabeth Roberson, Cartersville

Kelli Rollins, Cartersville

Evan Rose, Euharlee

Lisa Rose, Cartersville

Caylee Silvers, Cartersville

Hannah Simeon, Cartersville

Ella Smith, Cartersville

Samantha Sperry, White

Alexandria Stodghill, Cartersville

Jade Suit, Cartersville

Dalton Swanson, Cartersville

Ellise Taylor, Cartersville

Hanna Tzimenatos, Cartersville

Olivia Venuti, Cartersville

Samantha Walker, Cartersville

Jessica Wallace, Cartersville

Jesse Warren, Kingston

Brandi Woodall, Kingston

Addison Wright, Adairsville

Austin Yarborough, Cartersville

GA-CARROLL

Haley Adams, Temple

Joshua Davison, Villa Rica

Ryanne Thomas, Carrollton

Faith Thompson, Whitesburg

GA-CHATTOOGA

Rhonda Brown, Trion

Garren Clark, Summerville

Ashley Duran, Summerville

Bailey Evans, Summerville

Sophia Harward, Trion

Melissa Johnson, Trion

Joel Mosqueda-Arreola, Trion

Christopher Shields, Trion

Misty Shinall, Summerville

Levi Thomas, Trion

GA-CHEROKEE

Daisy Ball, Woodstock

Brianna Benefield, Canton

Amanda Bishop, Ball Ground

Austin Brown, Canton

Shannon Brown, Canton

Audrey Capinegro, Woodstock

Jackie Croft, Canton

Brandon Dobbs, Canton

Emily Dominiak, Acworth

Alexandria Eden, Woodstock

Stephani Flores Delgado, Ball Ground

Michael Gambrell, Canton

Shelly Hester, Canton

Brooke Johnson, Canton

Joseph Kitts, Canton

Xiner Liang, Acworth

Leyda Lozano-hernandez, Woodstock

Briana Nerio, Canton

Nicholas O’Brien, Wookstock

Maegan Payne, Woodstock

Matthew Pilchard, Canton

Emily Renegar, Canton

Ariel Rhue, Acworth

Kathryn Shortell, Canton

Megan Springfield, Ball Ground

Elizabeth Strong, Waleska

Michelle Suzal-George, Canton

Ethan Underwood, Woodstock

John Vaughan, Acworth

Eden Walker, Canton

Harper Wall, Woodstock

Vanessa West, Holly Springs

Madison Wheatley, White

GA-COBB

Oluwatomisin Adeogun, Mableton

Michelle Alberto, Acworth

Daniel Alvizo, Kennesaw

Mark Arthen, Kennesaw

Renee Barron, Smyrna

Emily Bates, Marietga

Lauren Black, Acworth

Bailey Britten, Marietta

Michael Busby, Powder Springs

Alyssa Butler, Kennesaw

Zed Carroll, Marietta

Brianna Clark, Powder Springs

Alexis Coffil, Mableton

Amber Conti, Acworth

Ashlynn Copen, Kennesaw

Amy Coulter, Kennesaw

Jena Crate, Marietta

Dariela Delgado Castro, Marietta

Delaney Denton, Marietta

Dajah Dixon, Acworth

Lauren Eckman, Marietta

Victoria Frater, Mableton

Amber Geiger, Marietta

Cindy Giles, Smyrna

Lauren Glenn, Marietta

Clare Gomez, Acworth

Sydney Guerin, Marietta

Jack Heffernan, Acworth

Jasmine Hernandez, Acworth

Lindsey Jordan, Marietta

Olivia Kidd, Marietta

Jose Lara, Atlanta

Euijin Lee, Marietta

Ana McTier, Atlanta

Jennifer Mendoza, Kennesaw

Katherine Mittleider, Marietta

Marina Nemtsanov, Kennesaw

Chinelo Nwokike, Smyrna

Morgan Papageorge, Acworth

Beth Pereira, Powder Springs

Noah Pittman, Acworth

Clarke Potts, Marietta

Nallely Rendon, Kennesaw

Vanessa Resendiz, Marietta

Ramon Rivera, Marietta

David Ryan, Acworth

Noah Rymut, Kennesaw

Taylor Saldivar, Kennesaw

Robert Satcher, Powder Springs

Kellie Shirie, Marietta

Caroline Southern, Powder Springs

Alexis Tomas, Atlanta

Courtney Ulmer, Smyrna

Michelle Vaccaro, Marietta

Andreanna Walker, Marietta

Caroline Williams-ramirez, Acworth

Stephanie Woodard, Mableton

Elise Wymer, Acworth

Anna Zomprelli, Austell

GA-COWETA

Thomas Davila, Newnan

Martina Laso, Newnan

Brooke Spratlin, Senoia

GA-DOUGLAS

Allison Allen, Villa Rica

Temitope Anthony, Douglasville

Angela Benedict, Douglasville

Bailey Bolton, Douglasville

Summer Bridges, Douglasville

Molli Brunsvold, Douglasville

Jordan Carlisle, Douglasville

Marco Castellanos, Douglasville

Madelyn Edger, Douglasville

Andrew Hawkinson, Douglasville

Caleb Hornback, Douglasville

Zachary Jamison, Douglasville

Brooklynn Jenkins, Douglasville

Carly Johnson, Douglasville

Aubrey Jordan, Douglasville

Kaitlyn Morgan, Douglasville

Kristy Muse, Douglasville

Bailey Oliver, Douglasville

Olivia Reidenbach, Douglasville

Lane Reinhardt, Douglasville

Oluwawemimo Suberu, Douglasville

Macy Washington, Douglasville

Carmen Wilson, Douglasville

GA-FAYETTE

Joshua Conant, Fayetteville

GA-FLOYD

Andani Angeles, Rome

Lacey Baker, Silver Creek

Courtney Baron, Rome

Hannah Boyd, Rome

Jessica Caldwell, Cave Spring

Randon Carter, Calhoun

Yadira Chavez-Alvarez, Rome

Abel Cordero, Silver Creek

Kansas Coronado, Rome

Wendy Delgado, Rome

Mason Edwards, Rome

Haley Epstein, Lindale

Elvia Escutia-Cruz, Rome

Selvin Funez-Vela, Rome

Keagan Gallagher, Kingston

Zachary Garrett, Rome

Simeon Greenberg, Rome

Grayson Grimes, Rome

Julissa Guzman-martinez, Rome

Cheyenne Hall, Rome

Justin Hardin, Armuchee

Mckenzie Hardy, Rome

Anna Harper, Rome

Kylie Itson, Silver Creek

Chrystal Jenkins, Rome

Lindsey Johnson, Rome

Kuljit Kaur, Rome

Heather Keeney, Cave Spring

Nancy Keeney, Cave Spring

Rachael Keeney, Cave Spring

Ryan Keeney, Cave Spring

Lamya Khateeb Jabara, Rome

Hakeem Khatib, Rome

Maha Khatib, Rome

Ashley Kilcrease, Lindale

Abigail Lambert, Rome

Cindy Landing, Armuchee

Harlie Lewis, Rome

Nancy Lopez-Nava, Rome

Britney Maner, Rome

Callee Anne Manna, Rome

Giselle Martinez, Rome

Jenna Mccollum, Aragon

Chloe Mccord, Rome

Kaitlin Michals, Rome

Kara Middleton, Rome

Lauren Mitchell, Rome

Tawnee Moore, Rome

Lindsay Mullen, Rome

Amber Munday, Rome

Helen Murphy, Cave Spring

Tammy Parson, Rome

Heema Patel, Rome

Nidhi Patel, Rome

Ravena Patel, Rome

Cynthia Paz-calderon, Rome

Annelyse Pearson, Rome

Trisha Phillips, Armuchee

Emily Phipps, Lindale

Avery Powers, Rome

Kinsey Pyles, Rome

Andrew Rainey, Rome

Tommy Ray, Aragon

Rachel Rentz, Rome

Vanity Romano, Rome

Kelly Samson, Rome

Brinley Smith, Rome

Reannah Smith, Lindale

Kayla Steele, Rome

Brittany Sublett, Rome

Ashlynn Sutton, Rome

Shayna Thompson, Rome

Jason Threadgill, Rome

Haydn Turner, Aragon

Emily Van Kleef, Rome

Julissa Vazquez, Rome

Samantha Warner, Rome

Abby White, Lindale

Judson Wilson, Cave Spring

Gabriella Woods, Rome

Dalynn Wooten, Rome

Jennifer Wright, Rome

Nicholas Yarbrough, Rome

GA-FORSYTH

Hilary Baldwin, Cumming

Allison Daffron, Cumming

Stormy Ortiz, Cumming

Anna Overstreet, Cumming

GA-FULTON

Abigail Brooks, Alpharetta

Lauren Chapman, Atlanta

Emily Cook, Atlanta

Maria Serrano Marquez, Roswell

GA-GILMER

Devin Aaron, Ellijay

Ashley Barr, Ellijay

GA-GORDON

Hannah Arthur, Calhoun

Rhett Burgess, Calhoun

Tanya Farmer, Calhoun

Kirsten Gordon, Calhoun

Jaylen Jarrett, Calhoun

Addison Mealer, Fairmount

Nicole Sikes, Calhoun

GA-GWINNETT

Kelsey Cuozzo, Buford

Denisa Dafinescu, Suwanee

Natalia Herrera, Buford

GA-HALL

Kayla Buckley, Flowery Branch

Barbie Casey, Flowery Branch

GA-HARALSON

Ashlan Garey, Bremen

Peyton Posey, Rockmart

Matthew Sims, Bremen

Brooke Walker, Buchanan

GA-HARRIS

Roger Carroll, Pine Mountain

GA-JONES

Mori Bryant, Dallas

GA-LUMPKIN

Taylor Clark, Murrayville

GA-MUSCOGEE

Dalton Bradford, Columbus

GA-PAULDING

Tinuke Akinrolabu, Dallas

Marissa Alban, Dallas

April Anderson, Hiram

Jonathan Andrews, Hiram

Seth Atcheson, Dallas

Jeremiah Auguste, Dallas

Trevor Ball, Dallas

Madison Baxter, Hiram

Anna Boughton, Dallas

Nathaniel Carr, Dallas

David Carter, Dallas

Stephanie Cervantes, Powder Springs

Gregory Chenoweth, Dallas

April Cole, Dallas

Hannah Coleman, Dallas

Jacob Cook, Dallas

Anna Craton, Dallas

Anders Deneergaard, Dallas

Sarah Dew, Dallas

William Dodd, Dallas

Keri Ferriss, Dallas

Madison Foster, Dallas

Michael Gierschner, Dallas

Thomas Hawley, Dallas

Jessica Hicks, Hiram

Sarah Hiers, Acworth

Taryn Hitchcock, Hiram

Ashley-savannah Hunter, Dallas

Amylee Jeffries, Dallas

Makiah Jordan, Hiram

Sarah Kramer, Dallas

Brandon Leckie, Douglasville

Lauren Mcrae, Acworth

Lauren Moore, Dallas

Chelsea Ogala, Marietta

Madison Parham, Hiram

Nathalie Penar, Dallas

Haley Peterson, Dallas

Joshua Pitts, Dallas

William Pitts, Dallas

Jacob Ray, Dallas

Elizabeth Shropshire, Dallas

Brooke Smith, Temple

Aiden Soriano, Dallas

Sierrah Strange, Rockmart

Donna Tempelman, Dallas

Samuel Vahanian, Dallas

Sarah Vanek, Dallas

Megan White, Dallas

Jeromy Zigan, Dallas

Griffin Zito, Dallas

Justin Zito, Dallas

GA-PICKENS

Haley Aiken, Jasper

Lisa Donohue, Jasper

GA-POLK

Guillermo Aguilar, Cedartown

Erica Barnes, Rockmart

Ariel Bishop, Aragon

Amanda Bray, Cedartown

Madelyn Carter, Taylorsville

Ariana Escutia, Cedartown

Haley Fairel, Rockmart

Laura Flores, Cedartown

Shirley Greenway, Cedartown

Bonnie Ingram, Cedartown

Cameron Johnson, Rockmart

Yvonne Myrick, Cedartown

Wendy Pineda, Cedartown

Nathanael Seymour, Rockmart

Emma Sheffield, Cedartown

Shanika Skonieczny, Rockmart

Mary Vaughn, Cedartown

Izzetter Walther, Aragon

Dakota Wheeler, Rockmart

Erin Wilder, Aragon

GA-TIFT

Megan Tawzer, Tifton

GA-WALKER

April Rhudy, La Fayette

GA-WILCOX

Mary-Margaret Graham, Pitts

GERMANY & AUSTRALIA

Philipp Gaida, Schechen, Germany

Roland Skepton, Manly Queensland, Australia

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

GA-BARTOW

Megan Adams, Cartersville

McCoy Ainsworth, Cartersville

Maxwell Arnold, Cartersville

Naima Atalla, Cartersville

Levi Ayers, Cartersville

Elijah Bagley, Aragon

Olivia Bailey, Cartersville

Tius Baillio, Cartersville

Charlie Baker, Cartersville

Bret Barrett, Cartersville

Daniel Belisle, Cartersville

Maria Belman, Cartersville

Rosalinda Beltran, Cartersville

David Bigger, Euharlee

Brooke Bishop, Rydal

Colin Bonner, Cartersville

Joria Brooks, Adairsville

Cody Brown, Euharlee

Dustin Brown, Rydal

Sarah Brown, Cartersville

Sara Browning, Adairsville

Jett Bunyard, Euharlee

Graham Cargle, Kingston

Jamerica Carter, Euharlee

Tabitha Chamlee, Cartersville

BreeAnna Chance, White

Shelby Chapman, Rydal

Linet Chege, Cartersville

Justin Clark, Cartersville

Caleb Covington, Cartersville

Victoria Covington, Cartersville

Anna Cox, Cartersville

Jennifer Crawford, Cartersville

Maria Crespo, Cartersville

Kaylynn Crump, Adairsville

Sara Daniels, Cartersville

A’Mya Davis, Cartersville

Dev Desai, Cartersville

Brandon Eberhart, White

Brenlee Edwards, Cartersville

Ashley Eidson, Cartersville

Trecia Fannin, Euharlee

Christopher Farrell, Cartersville

Brianna Fickes, Cartersville

Hunter Fields, Taylorsville

Rodrigo Flores, Cartersville

Penelope Gallegos, Cartersville

Sarah Garber, Cartersville

Carrie Garza, Cartersville

Steven Gentry, Cartersville

Courtney Godfrey, Rome

Cesar Grande, Cartersville

Madeline Griffin, Cartersville

Tyler Gustat, White

Thomas Hall Jr, Cartersville

Caitlin Hampton, Euharlee

Stephen Harmon, Cartersville

Loren Harris, Cassville

Anastasia Haynes, Cartersville

Kyle Heineman, Cartersville

Sylvia Henson, Cartersville

Hannah Hood, White

Haley Howard, Cartersville

Madison Howard, Cartersville

Rocio Huerta, Cartersville

Melissa Hunt, Adairsville

Dalton Jackson, Cartersville

Jordan Kale, Cartersville

Heather Kready, Cartersville

Brylee Law, Cartersville

Brittany Layton, Cartersville

Cassidy Lee, Cartersville

Haley Lee, Cartersville

Tzelda Longhurst, Cartersville

Raul Madrid, Cartersville

Nathan Malec, Cartersville

Kyle Martin, Rydal

Michele Maserjian, Taylorsville

Julie Mazariegos, Cartersville

Lisa Mcafee, Cartersville

Austin Mccamy, Cartersville

Leila Mcclellan-karp, White

Brighton Mccollum, Cassville

Tabitha Mclendon, White

Blanca Melendez, Cartersville

Lyrica Miron, Cartersville

Thomas Moseley, Cartersville

Elizabeth Mullinax, Cartersville

Vincent Myrick, Cartersville

Victoria Najarro, Cartersville

Sydney Nelson, Cartersville

Elizabeth Nichols, Rydal

Keely Norrell, Cartersville

Roy Ozmore, Adairsville

Addison Pack, Acworth

Amanda Passmore, Cartersville

Alexandria Payne, White

Jacinda Pender, Cartersville

Yathziri Pineda, Cartersville

Courtney Poteat, Cartersville

Isabelle Prater, Cartersville

Matia Probus, Cartersville

Briseyda Pulido, Cartersville

Katie Ray, Adairsville

Brandi Rhodes, Cartersville

Liliana Rodriguez, Adairsville

Abigail Rogers, Cartersville

Andre Sanders, Cartersville

Cassy Simmons, White

Disney Smith, Adairsville

Taylor Smith, Emerson

Samuel Spencer, Adairsville

Victoria Stafford, Cartersville

Blair Stuart, Cartersville

Lynsey Sutton, Cartersville

Autumn Talbott, Cartersville

Katherine Tolbert, Taylorsville

Jason Ughrin, Euharlee

Kevin Valencia Rendon, Cartersville

Zackary Vandenburg, Euharlee

Julia Varner, Cartersville

Lauren Varner, Cartersville

Lydia Vavases, Cartersville

William Wacker, Adairsville

Larissa Ware, Cartersville

Nicole Webber, Euharlee

Collin Weese, Cartersville

Andrea Wesley, Adairsville

Blair Wilkey, Adairsville

Scott Williams, Cartersville

Donna Willis, Cartersville

Jeremy Wood, Taylorsville

Kristie Wood, Cartersville

Victoria Worthington, Adairsville

GA-BLECKLEY

Jahnaria Brown, Cochran

GA-CARROLL

Latasha Johnson, Temple

Abigail Michel, Villa Rica

Robert Shipp, Villa Rica

Destiny West, Villa Rica

GA-CHATHAM

Kelly Timms, Tybee Island

GA-CHATTOOGA

Autumn Bandy, Trion

Murphy Browning, Summerville

Steven Cook, Summerville

Lauren Edwards, Summerville

Justin Hammitt, Summerville

Kenya Miller, Summerville

GA-CHEROKEE

Cody Altwies, Ball Ground

Aleksandra Arana, Woodstock

Michael Beltrami, Acworth

Brandt Bettis, Acworth

Katelyn Chandler, Canton

Nancy Chiuri, Woodstock

Chase Clayton, Woodstock

Alfredo Coronado, Canton

Siarra Crane, Acworth

Brittny Depuy, Woodstock

Marianka Dodd, Canton

Nebula Dupree, Woodstock

Kaylee Fernandez, Waleska

Amy Gravitte, Canton

Sarah Greer, Alpharetta

Sarah Hammac, Acworth

Katie Hester, Canton

Casey Horton, Woodstock

Autumn Hughes, Canton

Logan Icard, Woodstock

Alexandra Juarez-Pacheco, Canton

Katelyn Kimberly, Woodstock

Mallory Lawson, Canton

Heather Lovelady, Canton

Maria Miranda, Woodstock

Mackinley Morris, Canton

Sean Moser, Canton

Michael Page, Canton

Haley Prouty, Acworth

Noah Sanchez, Woodstock

Spencer Sasser, Woodstock

Mary Stevenson, Woodstock

Lauren Underwood, Woodstock

Leland Watkins, Canton

Nikki Watts, Canton

Logan White, Canton

Wesley Wyrick, Canton

GA-CLARKE

Sarah Burks, Athens

GA-CLAYTON

Adaeze Osy-odife, Hampton

GA-COBB

James Alexander, Marietta

Jocelyn Alvarado, Acworth

Kimberly Amaya, Marietta

Ana Luiza Amorim, Marietta

Lindsey Anderson, Acworth

Maria Andrade, Marietta

Christopher Aranda, Marietta

Samantha Araya, Smyrna

Kathryn Atkins, Kennesaw

Jordan Attaway, Marietta

Charis Avery, Acworth

Avery Bellman, Marietta

Vladislava Bodnariuc, Kennesaw

Jennifer Bolanos, Powder Springs

Robyn Booher, Marietta

Allie Bowen, Powder Springs

Lindsey Boyd, Powder Springs

Alexandra Boyland, Powder Springs

Meggan Brant, Acworth

Jadyn Brooks, Acworth

Erin Bryant, Acworth

Ambria Burton, Marietta

Samai Calderon, Marietta

Victoria Calvert, Acworth

Karla Camacho, Marietta

Lorenzo Caseiro, Kennesaw

Jose Cervantes-oporta, Kennesaw

Kelli Chapman, Acworth

Joshua Cherenfant, Powder Springs

Curshuna Clark, Powder Springs

Stephanie Cole, Mableton

Mayra Cordova, Marietta

Emily Cox, Smyrna

Timothy Crawford, Marietta

Dacia Croomes, Kennesaw

Alice Darko, Austell

Gerrit Day, Powder Springs

John Dow, Roswell

Akira Dunn, Marietta

Mackenzie Duvall, Kennesaw

Azra Dzonlic, Kennesaw

Krystal Ellis, Acworth

Katie Ferguson, Kennesaw

Latrell Floyd, Kennesaw

Danielle Fraser, Austell

Victoria Gatewood, Acworth

Jessica Geiger, Acworth

Brandon Gilbert, Marietta

Yanira Gonzales, Marietta

Isabella Groover, Austell

Giselle Guzman, Smyrna

Megan Harris, Acworth

Victoria Harris, Kennesaw

Gracen Hill, Acworth

Rylan Kelly, Kennesaw

Madisyn Kendall, Kennesaw

Samuel Kithuka, Austell

Alyssa Kmitta, Acworth

Ashton Lansdell, Marietta

Colin Lewis, Marietta

Samuel Lewis, Acworth

Matilde Lopez, Acworth

Michael Lyons, Kennesaw

Jaqueline Macias, Powder Springs

Joshua Maddox, Acworth

Nickolas Maguire, Acworth

Tamera Maphenduka, Acworth

Trayson Martin, Powder Springs

Guadalupe Martinez, Marietta

Karla Melo, Marietta

Mayra Mendez, Acworth

Megan Milner, Acworth

Jackson Morris, Kennesaw

Nadiya Musabhay, Marietta

Mason Neal, Kennesaw

Malaun Nelson, Kennesaw

Angela Nguyen, Acworth

Cassander Okonofua, Smyrna

Elizabeth Orrell, Marietta

Michelle Perez, Marietta

Susana Perez Garcia, Marietta

Bobby Pham, Kennesaw

Alexis Price, Kennesaw

David Pulliam, Kennesaw

Maria Paula Ramirez, Marietta

Juan Ramos, Smyrna

Robert Reeves, Marietta

Jonathan Reynolds, Kennesaw

Megan Reynolds, Woodstock

Angela Rivera, Acworth

Jacqueline Rodriguez Orozco, Marietta

Kiera Rollins, Kennesaw

Jeffrey Romero, Kennesaw

Jose Romero, Kennesaw

Patricia Rubacha, Kennesaw

River Russell, Powder Springs

Daisy Santana, Mableton

Autumn Scarborough, Powder Springs

Bradley Singh, Kennesaw

Kelsey Skaggs, Marietta

Cindy Smith, Kennesaw

Donald Spencer, Acworth

Michelle Strozier, Smyrna

Oleg Tkachenko, Powder Springs

Matthew Vaccaro, Marietta

Lucille Van Valkenburg, Austell

Elia Vandervorst, Marietta

Fabiola Vega, Smyrna

Genesis Veliz, Powder Springs

Andrea Vera Mendoza, Marietta

Taitt Vosatka, Acworth

Zachariah Watson, Acworth

Tessa Webb, Marietta

Marissa Williamson, Marietta

Blake Wilson, Marietta

Breana Wisniewski, Kennesaw

Ansley Young, Kennesaw

Victoria Zamarron, Mableton

GA-DADE

Kayden Moore, Trenton

GA-DAWSON

Maggie Schandera, Gainesville

GA-DEKALB

Joshua Smith, Lithonia

GA-DOUGLAS

Dana Bonner, Lithia Springs

Jasmine Brown, Douglasville

Joseph Bruce, Douglasville

Jorge Carbajal, Douglasville

Alexander Chukwuelue, Douglasville

Sadie Cosby, Douglasville

Chase Craton, Douglasville

Bryan David, Douglasville

Nathalie Doumit, Douglasville

Samantha Fennell, Douglasville

Xamora Harrison- Jerom, Douglasville

Stephanie Mcgee, Douglasville

Leslie Norato, Douglasville

Haley Overton, Lithia Springs

David Perry, Douglasville

Tyler Poole, Douglasville

Emily Powell, Douglasville

Alexcia Salvant, Douglasville

Evan Shadix, Douglasville

Diandra Sims, Douglasville

Payton Swann, Douglasville

Jessica Ventura, Douglasville

Nicklaus Willis, Douglasville

Takiaya Wilson, Lithia Springs

Claire Wright, Douglasville

GA-FANNIN

Jennifer Goodridge, Suches

GA-FAYETTE

Madhavi Scharko, Tyrone

GA-FLOYD

Sammy Acosta-palada, Rome

Ryan Acree, Rome

Kayley Agan, Rome

Yajaira Aguilar, Rome

Jose Arias, Rome

Michael Aszman, Rome

Austin Baker, Rome

Courtney Barton, Silver Creek

Jackson Bennett, Silver Creek

Kevin Boatfield, Rome

Hayden Brookshire, Rome

Kaylen Brown, Rome

Esmeralda Buitrago Ariza, Rome

Morgan Bullock, Rome

Samantha Casey, Rome

James Castro, Rome

Joseph Cheriyampurathu, Rome

Tony Choat, Rome

Sarah Corbitt, Rome

Wyatt Crider, Rome

Amy Cruz, Rome

Stefani Davis, Rome

Brayden Dean, Rome

Halee Dempsey, Cave Spring

Chance Dixon, Cave Springs

Kelly Domingo Juan, Rome

Johnna Edwards, Rome

Stephanie Ford, Rome

Olivia Fortner, Rome

Preston Frazier, Silver Creek

Benjamin Gilbert, Lindale

Carson Graham, Silver Creek

Kenzie Green, Silver Creek

Jackson Greer, Rome

Peyton Hancock, Rome

Harley Hannah, Cave Spring

Julissa Hernandez, Rome

Ethan Hester, Rome

Anna Hicks, Rome

Cailee Hix, Rome

Shannon Holtzclaw, Rome

Heidi Hubbard, Rome

Joshua Jefferson, Rome

Khristen Johnson, Cave Spring

Brianna Jones, Rome

Sarah Jones, Rome

Noora Khateeb Jabara, Rome

Mazen Khatib, Rome

Rylee King, Rome

Harrison Kirby, Rome

Sidney Lacey, Cave Spring

Christian Laguna, Rome

Hannah Laury, Rome

Justin Leonard, Rome

Chera Leroy, Rome

Elizabeth Livingston, Rome

Reeha Malik, Rome

Angelina Mendez, Rome

Carmen Mijangos-melendez, Rome

Elian Morales, Rome

Kevin Morang, Rome

Trent Mull, Rome

Abby Murphy, Rome

Sarah Ozment, Rome

Timothy Painter, Rome

Deisy Perez-Sontay, Rome

Michael Peters, Rome

Alyssa Presley, Rome

Alexis Pullen, Rome

Jordan Purser, Silver Creek

Luke Rhinehart, Rome

Isaiah Riddle, Rome

Shelby Roberts, Rome

Ansley Roden, Rome

Geshlee Ruiz, Silver Creek

Siomara Santacruz, Rome

Emily Sarge, Silver Creek

Brittany Sheetz, Rome

Aaron Sorrow, Silver Creek

Dylan Stacy, Rome

Ethan Stoicoff, Lindale

Tristen Tolbert, Rome

Stephanie Valencia, Rome

Santos Vicente-Ramos, Rome

Remington Wade, Rome

Macy Wallace, Silver Creek

Hunter Wilkerson, Rome

Dylan Williams, Rome

Mackenzie Wilson, Lindale

GA-FORSYTH

Anna Carpenter, Cumming

Brittany Gunter, Cumming

Jacob Ryan, Cumming

GA-FULTON

Griffin Brown, Atlanta

Brittany Buffington, Atlanta

Jade Ellis, Atlanta

Philip Howard, Atlanta

Mason List, Alpharetta

GA-GORDON

Harleigh Chastain, Fairmount

Alyssa Duncan, Plainville

Kaylee Goodwin, Fairmount

Fatima Gurrusquieta, Calhoun

Joannie Gutierrez, Calhoun

Kimberly Hernandez, Calhoun

Brianna Hurtado, Calhoun

Cory Lewis, Calhoun

Miriam Lister, Calhoun

Cody Long, Calhoun

Kayleigh Milton, Calhoun

Maria Palmerin Palmerin, Calhoun

Rebeca Parada, Calhoun

Michala Petty, Calhoun

Jordan Romine, Calhoun

Katlyn Sexton, Calhoun

Alexis Smith, Calhoun

Tanner Wasson, Calhoun

Riley Werner, Calhoun

GA-GWINNETT

Samuel Adams, Duluth

Hailey Cronic, Lawrenceville

Crysta Swift, Peachtree Corners

GA-HALL

Marlee Reece, Gainesville

GA-HARALSON

Georgia Steele, Felton

GA-HENRY

Mallory Alford, Mcdonough

GA-JASPER

Lacey Rutledge, Monticello

GA-MADISON

Tadamien Curry, Colbert

GA-MURRAY

Kortaney Johns, Chatsworth

Taylor Shuman, Chatsworth

GA-MUSCOGEE

Jannet Christopher, Columbus

GA-PAULDING

Logan Adams, Dallas

Alejandro Alcaraz, Hiram

Kelsi Appling, Dallas

Lauren Benjamin, Dallas

Abriana Betts, Dallas

Madison Bishop, Dallas

Montgomery Blake, Hiram

Lindsey Brady, Dallas

Koryna Briggs, Dallas

Maxxi Bryant, Dallas

Joshua Carter, Hiram

Blair Casto, Dallas

Amanda Chafee, Dallas

Bryan Chappell, Dallas

Robert Chumley, Dallas

Shatoria Clark, Dallas

Ansley Clower, Rockmart

Ashtyn Cochran, Dallas

Andrew Colbert, Dallas

Grant Copeland, Hiram

Genna Corley, Dallas

Nicole Corrao, Acworth

Ashley Cronon, Dallas

Hunter Crosswhite, Hiram

Jonathan Daniel, Acworth

Edward Dascanio, Dallas

Lauren Dello Joio, Dallas

Emily Dennis, Dallas

Patrick Dolph, Dallas

Emily Dowse, Acworth

Stevi Dycus, Dallas

Zachary George, Dallas

Chelsey Ginther, Dallas

Abigail Godfrey, Dallas

Wesley Hales, Dallas

Jurgen Hauer, Dallas

Elijah Heath, Dallas

Ashley Hewitt, Dallas

Charlotte Hoskins, Hiram

Kinsley Hutcheson, Hiram

Madison Jett, Dallas

Kyndall King, Dallas

Jessica Knight, Douglasville

Bryce Lawrence, Dallas

Kara Ledbetter, Dallas

Mikayla Lewis, Hiram

Madison Loftin, Dallas

Alizae Luby, Dallas

Sherell Mahadeo, Rockmart

Jacqueline Mancia, Douglasville

Desyne Martinez, Dallas

Kayla Mcdonald, Dallas

Emorie Mcginty, Dallas

Jaylen Miller, Powder Springs

Breanna Moore, Dallas

Jackson Morris, Dallas

Juliann Nguyen, Dallas

Brooklyn Owensby, Dallas

Megan Penar, Dallas

Lakeshia Pendleton, Dallas

Elizabeth Pope, Dallas

Kymberly Postell, Acworth

Luke Andrew Queen, Dallas

Rileigh Rawson, Dallas

Amber Romano, Dallas

Allison Runyon, Dallas

Hannah Sermersheim, Dallas

Joan Sheldt, Dallas

Meghan Shelton, Rockmart

Starlee Simmons, Dallas

Hailey Sisk, Powder Springs

Kailyn Slay, Dallas

Carolina Sneed, Dallas

Kari Soeder, Hiram

Elizabeth Stout, Dallas

Taylor Strupp, Dallas

Lindsey Taylor, Dallas

Colby Tibbetts, Dallas

Landon Tucker, Dallas

Andrew Vahanian, Dallas

Justyna Voigt, Dallas

Hayden Waddell, Hiram

Loren Walker, Dallas

Alonzo Wallace, Dallas

Hope Weiss, Dallas

Nathanael White, Dallas

Emily Williams, Dallas

Megan Willis, Dallas

Nathan Wiltz, Dallas

Madison Winters, Dallas

Jessica Yacinthe, Dallas

Joshua Zacharewicz, Dallas

GA-PICKENS

Sarah Aiken, Jasper

Jacob Klein, Jasper

Haleigh Mckenzie, Jasper

GA-PIKE

Breanna Normandy, Williamson

GA-POLK

Ariadna Avila-Ortuno, Cedartown

Ansley Baker, Cedartown

Collin Coleman, Cedartown

Brittney Cromer, Cedartown

Angel Cyrus, Rockmart

Allie Dunaway, Rockmart

Logan Dunn, Aragon

Amy Dutton, Rockmart

Jo Anne Francis, Cedartown

Charles Griffith, Cedartown

Kathy Guittar, Cedartown

William Haney, Cedartown

Steven Howard, Cedartown

Hannah Hulsey, Aragon

Madison Hulsey, Rockmart

Jordan Lee, Taylorsville

Kayla Legg, Rockmart

Frederick Liggons, Aragon

Chris Lindsey, Rockmart

Jessica McElwee, Cedartown

Johnna Mcclendon, Aragon

Kristi Medley, Rockmart

Amaria Owens, Cedartown

Kristen Phillips, Cedartown

Samuel Pollard, Cedartown

Madison Rampley, Cedartown

Seth Redmond, Rockmart

Kimberly Sanchez, Cedartown

Kemi Scoggins, Aragon

Nekoda Self, Cedartown

Austin Smith, Cedartown

Makyah Varner, Rockmart

Ivari Walker, Cedartown

Courtney Wood, Cedartown

GA-ROCKDALE

Kassidy Slayton, Conyers

GA-WALKER

Jessica Skinner, Rock Spring

GA-WHITFIELD

Adrian Fraire, Tunnel Hill

Billie Jones, Dalton

IL-PEORIA

Montana Ledbetter, Hanna City, IL

MI-OTTAWA

Alyssandra Hernandez, Holland, MI

SC-SPARTANBURG

Jamal Burke, Spartanburg, SC

VA-JAMES CITY

Madalyn Morton, Williamsburg, VA

NETHERLANDS & RUSSIA

Max Franciscus Antonius Kops, Oosterhout / Noord-Brabant, Netherlands

Alexandra Shishkina, Moscow, Russia

The Rome Police Department is tasked with serving and protecting over 35,000 people in Floyd County’s largest city of Rome. Nearly 100 police officers work each day to accomplish this goal, and two Georgia Highlands College alumni help lead the department which houses everything from a detective division to a D.U.I. task force to a SWAT team and K-9 teams. Those two alumni are Debbie Burnett and Rodney Bailey.

Debbie serves as the assistant chief of police.

In addition to her administrative duties, she finds one of the best parts of her job is having the ability to provide Rome police officers with all the tools and equipment needed to increase success and efficiency.

Together, Debbie and Chief of Police Denise Downer-McKinney oversee the Support Services Bureau and the Field Operations Bureau which altogether provides specialized divisions in over 20 areas to the operation of the police department.

“[It’s] challenging, ever-changing, demanding, stressful and the most rewarding job anyone can have if it’s done the right way,” she said. “It’s the opportunity to make a positive difference in someone’s life every day, even if you don’t realize you had an impact. It’s the honor of taking an oath and living up to that standard of keeping a promise to the people who entrust you with the authority.”

Debbie said she always sort of knew what she wanted to do. Being both interested in the field of criminal justice and the military, she knew she wanted a career serving and helping anyway she could.

“When I was younger, I had a desire to help people,” she said. “I still have that opportunity on a daily basis, even after 28 years.”

When Debbie was first hired as a patrol officer, she knew she wanted to grow and climb to a leadership role in her career, so she while she was working as an officer, she also took classes at GHC.

“I knew in order to lead, I had to learn both the workings of being a police officer and the law. I knew I would need higher education to help me grow in these ways,” she said. “I enrolled at [Georgia Highlands College (then Floyd College)] and began my education.”

Debbie said her time at GHC prepared her for her role today. She learned a great deal about criminal justice, her potential, and was encouraged every step of the way.

“GHC set me on the path to complete my higher education journey, which, in turn, set me on a path to advancement in my career,” she said. “I was also able to set an example for my daughter and the officers who work with me that if you set your mind to it, you can have both a career and an education, even if you’re doing them at the same time.”

Rodney Bailey, who is major and oversees the Field Operations Bureau for the department, echoes this sentiment.

Rodney started out in the United States Air Force, serving in Operation Desert Storm. He said he felt called to the field of criminal justice shortly after his tenure with the military.

“I have had a heart to serve since I was young,” he said. “I would describe policing as the best job in the world.”

Rodney now leads over 60 officers within his branch at the Rome Police Department. He started working toward his position in 1995 when he decided to apply for the Criminal Justice Foundation Scholarship and take classes at GHC. He was awarded the scholarship and didn’t waste any time.

He said the professors at GHC had an impact on his career and helped motivate him to graduate.

“GHC was the start to a long and prosperous career,” he said. “Connecting with students within the community always makes a positive impact on the overall quality of life as we grow into leadership roles in our careers. GHC is local and you make connections that last a lifetime. GHC is a great option. It was the springboard to my success.”

Georgia Highlands College (GHC) kicked the new year off with a partnership with Georgia College & State University (GC) giving students the option to complete their associate degree with GHC before moving on to a four-year degree with GC. Additionally, GHC graduates transferring to GC will have special scholarship options available to them. The new GHC to GC pathways program begins spring 2020.

For more information on how to get started at GHC, please visit highlands.edu

(Left to right) Dr. Costas Spirou, Provost and Vice President of Academic Affairs at Georgia College & State University; Dr. Donald Green, President of Georgia Highlands College; Dr. Steve M. Dorman, President of Georgia College & State University; Dr. Dana Nichols, Vice President of Academic Affairs at Georgia Highlands College.

A great concrete structure stretches across the Chattahoochee River in Roswell just north of Atlanta like a wall dividing the water. This concrete dam allows operators to control how much water filters through and when. At times, as the water is released over the dam, a thunderous hush dominates the area, and the still waters below are pounded by artificial waterfalls… and ultimately electricity is generated.

That’s where Georgia Highlands College alumnus Victor Harwood steps in.

Victor works as one of the Morgan Falls Hydro Project dam operators. The project is run by Georgia Power, the largest subsidiary of the Southern Company, one of the nation’s largest generators of electricity. The dam project began commercially operating in 1904.

Today, Victor helps operate the dam in a modified run-of-river mode primarily to generate power and to re-regulate peaking flows from the upstream Buford Dam. Right now, Morgan Falls produces up to 16.8 megawatts of electricity and supplies enough energy to power over 10,000 homes a year.

“I work on a rotating 12-hour schedule, and on a typical day at Morgan Falls, it’s my job to maintain and operate equipment,” Victor said. “My most important task at work is to maintain minimum flow of the Chattahoochee River going into Atlanta.”

Victor said his job keeps him on his toes, constantly learning and staying aware while monitoring all the systems related to the dam. If any of the areas go down, it’s his job to get it back online as quickly and safely as possible.

“There is a large spectrum of areas that may cause a plant or unit to trip,” he said. “It can be a stressful time working to get everything back online and requires me to put forth any and all training I have to fix. But I enjoy it.”

Victor is happy to be working for Georgia Power at Morgan Falls, and he’ll be the first to tell you that making his start at GHC helped him get there.

Although Victor didn’t start college right out of high school, he was glad he was able to bring a maturity and hard work ethic to his studies a little later in life.

He spent some time in the military before deciding to earn a college degree. He settled on Georgia Highlands College and found it to be a nice fit.

“I knew that I could get my start at GHC and then pursue finishing a four-year degree from there,” Victor said. “There were many teachers [at GHC] that had an impact on my college experience. The school is a great school and offers students of all ages a good price at a quality learning environment.”

With the closest ocean over 300 miles away off the coast of Tybee Island, marine science might seem like an odd passion for a Georgia Highlands College student. But Isaiah Calhoun, a geology major at GHC, isn’t letting the miles of dry land come between him and his dream of becoming a marine geologist.

Instead, Isaiah is taking charge of his future with a hands-on, research-focused internship in Bermuda.

“I try to stay up to date with the latest news in science,” Isaiah said. One day, that search for knowledge led him to the website for the Bermuda Institute of Ocean Sciences (BIOS), where he discovered their Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF).

REU hosts eight undergraduate student researchers at BIOS each fall semester, where the students work with faculty and researchers on independent scientific research projects. After a nail-biting application process, Isaiah was accepted for fall 2019.

Once in Bermuda, a British island territory in the north Atlantic Ocean, Isaiah was paired with BIOS research specialist Rachel Parsons.

“The BIOS Education Director and the REU Coordinator actually chose Isaiah as my intern since NSF is keen for students from smaller colleges to get research experience,” said Parsons.

Isaiah is incredibly appreciative of his time with Parsons.

“I am blessed with an amazing mentor Rachel Parsons. She definitely has taken the time to show me the ropes,” he said. “I have never worked in a lab and I’m not even a biology major and she still shows and tells me everything!”

Isaiah has been helping Parsons and the BIOS Microbial Ecology Laboratory investigate microbial succession when oxygen becomes limiting. Through this research, he has learned general lab techniques, software and computer skills and how to count and identify bacteria with an epifluorescent microscope.

The program also makes sure student researchers leave Bermuda with soft skills necessary to continue their scientific careers.

“All REU students attend workshops on writing their resumes, applying to graduate school, experimental design, statistics, professional media, scientific writing and alternate science careers,” said Parsons. “They also gain experience of presenting their work both in a series of talks and as a virtual poster.”

For Isaiah, the entire experience has been a dream come true.

“Honestly, just learning more has been my favorite part,” he said. “I’m a bit of geek when it comes to marine science.”

Georgia Highlands College hosted a student research poster session showcasing undergraduate research in the field of environmental science recently in the student center on GHC’s Floyd campus.

The session stemmed from GHC Professor Billy Morris’ ENVS 1123 course, where students spent part of their semester “doing science, rather than reading about it,” he said. Students split into teams to study GHC’s Paris Lake and wetlands in Rome.

Ansley Roden, a sophomore psychology major, partnered with fellow student Garrett Johnson.

“I enjoyed it so much,” she said. “It was fun to get outdoors and focus my attention on something I had never knew about before. We even got to use the kayak one day to take samples in the lake.”

Roden was excited to have the GHC community stop by the poster session to view their research first-hand.

“My partner and I are very proud of what we have done, and the results that we found,” she said. “Our poster looked awesome and we could not wait to answer everyone’s questions and make more people aware about what we have learned.”

Julius Fleschner, dean of Libraries and College Testing at GHC, hopes the poster session is the first toward a full-fledged student research symposium in the future.

“We hope that we will learn significantly from our first couple of medium-scale projects like this poster session,” Fleschner said. “GHC is deeply committed to enhancing high-quality teaching. One way to do that is to have faculty work directly with students on undergraduate research.”