LAWRENCEVILLE – On Friday, May 10, there was a joyous celebration as Dr. D. Glen Cannon, President of Gwinnett Technical College, conferred hundreds of degrees, diplomas and certificates to students from all walks of life. More than 600 students chose to walk across the stage to receive their new academic credentials and mark the successful completion of their studies at Gwinnett Tech.
The class of 2019 experienced many first at Gwinnett Tech. They set new heights for retention, graduation, job placement and a thirty percent enrollment growth in under three years, creating a student body of almost 12,000 strong. The class of 2019 also experienced the first graduating class of the Mercedes-Benz Automotive program, the first program in the United States.
Dr. Cannon explains, “Our mission is to make sure our students have the knowledge and tools to have a great career. Graduation validates our mission to provide opportunities and our community to succeed. While today we will award associate degrees, diplomas and certificates, that isn’t our main business. We are in the W-2 business, the 1099 business, the Schedule C and LLC business. We are proud of the tremendous accomplishments of each and every one of our students and we stand behind them as they move forward with their lives and thrive.”
While many students will launch into their careers immediately following graduation, others will continue their education at other colleges and universities thanks to Gwinnett Tech’s transfer agreements with other institutions of higher learning across Georgia.
Damar Lewis, Gwinnett Tech’s Academic Excellence Award recipient earned his Associates Degree in Nursing and will begin his career as a registered nurse in the intensive care unit at Gwinnett Medical Center. Addressing his fellow graduates, Lewis shared, “you stuck to your goals, followed your plan and now you are a graduate. Because of the top-tier education I received at Gwinnett Technical College, I am ready for the workforce. We are all ready for the workforce.” Lewis will continue his academic career in the fall at Mercer University to earn his Bachelors of Science in Nursing.
Gwinnett Tech is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges to award the associate degree. Twentyone programs hold other specific industry accreditations and nine of the College’s programs achieved 100% licensing exam pass rates this past academic year and many are ranked in the top ten academic programs in the nation.