Friday, April 25, 2025–4:00 p.m.
-News Release-
Approximately 200 Georgia Northwestern Technical College (GNTC) students crossed the stage of the Forum River Center in Rome on Thursday, April 24, to the cheers of their families, friends and instructors.
After students, administrators and faculty marched into place during Processional, Invocation was led by Donny Holmes, program director and instructor of Construction Management at GNTC. Dr. Heidi Popham, president of GNTC, began the evening’s proceedings by welcoming everyone and congratulating the graduates.
“Some of you had an easy journey; some of you met struggles every semester,” Dr. Popham said. “No matter the route you took or the challenges you faced, each of you sits here tonight having surpassed each of those obstacles that threatened to get in the way of your success. You have reached this milestone, and your future is extremely bright.”
Stuart Phillips, vice president of Student Affairs and Student Success at GNTC, introduced commencement address speaker Robert Branum, GNTC’s 2025 Georgia Occupational Award of Leadership (GOAL) winner.
Branum attends GNTC’s Catoosa County Campus in Ringgold. He previously attended GNTC in the 1990s and then pursued a career in Culinary Arts for nearly 20 years.
“At 40 years old, I found myself at a crossroads in life, not by choice but by necessity,” Branum said. He had started out as a line cook, eventually owned his own catering company and became an executive chef; that successful career ended abruptly after an accident left him disabled.
“I dealt with depression,” Branum said. “I dealt with isolation, and I felt I was failing as a father, a husband and a man. At the age of 46, I found myself in a very dark moment. I had to decide if was I going to let my disability define me, or was I going to redefine myself.”
Remembering his interest in computers as a young man, Branum picked up a GNTC course catalog and made an appointment with Dr. Dwight Watt, instructor of Computer Information Systems Technology at GNTC, to discuss a potential career in Cybersecurity. He said he realized that it wasn’t too late to pursue a new passion, and the decision to enroll at GNTC for the fall 2023 semester was life-changing.
“Georgia Northwestern Technical College has given me a second chance,” he said. “I am now focused on my success and my progress, instead of what I had lost.”
“Change is never easy,” he said. “It can be challenging and sometimes overwhelming, but your age, circumstances in life or setbacks do not have to be roadblocks in your life. They can become stepping stones to something more beautiful than you had ever thought possible.”
Legare Price, associate vice president of Student Success at GNTC, recognized High Honor and Honor graduates, as well as veterans, FBLA Collegiate members, SkillsUSA members and Student Government Association members.
Dr. Elizabeth Anderson, vice president of Academic Affairs and Institutional Effectiveness at GNTC, presented the graduates, and Dr. Popham conferred the graduates with associate degrees, diplomas and certificates.
Price administered the GNTC Alumni Association Oath prior to Dr. Anderson’s closing remarks.
Listed are graduates who participated in the 2025 Spring Commencement Ceremony showing (from left) the graduate’s name and program of study. This list does not include students who have graduated, but did not participate in the ceremony, or students who registered for the ceremony after the commencement program was printed:
Associate of Applied Science degree
Matthew Spencer Albritton, Business Management
Yesenia Alvarez, Business Management
Hermetta Askew, Early Childhood Care and Education
Dylan Baleon-Ruiz, Instrumentation and Controls Technician
Tennie Bandy, Early Childhood Care and Education
Kevin Barrientos-Torres, Applied Technical Management
Dalton L. Bearden, Business Management
Sara Boyer, Respiratory Care
Paige L. Brackett, Business Technology
Zackary Broome, Respiratory Care
Odalis V. Cardoza, Early Childhood Care and Education
Megan Dianne Victoria Carroll, Health Care Management
Easton Childs, Construction Management
Elijah Clark, Criminal Justice Technology
Nathaniel Conlon, Aviation Maintenance Technology
Michael Alvin Cruz, Respiratory Care
Eva Elizabeth Cruz, Figueroa Construction Management
Abbey Elizabeth Davenport, Drafting Technology
Mayvelline De La Rosa, Respiratory Care
Jodi Nicole Dominick, Accounting
James Brandon Ellerbee II, Aviation Maintenance Technology
Carmen Yesenia Espino, Business Management
Yetziel Xavier Figueroa, Criminal Justice Technology
Stephanie Follins, Culinary Arts
Brezsea Fugate, Early Childhood Care and Education
Fabiola Trinidad Garcia, Early Childhood Care and Education
Linda Gomez, Criminal Justice Technology
Mary Graham, Business Management
Roman Guzman, Construction Management
Brandon O. Guzman Cornejo, Construction Management
Gabriela Ariana Hernandez, Construction Management
Javier Hernandez Jr., Logistics and Supply Chain Management
Allison Hicks, Business Management
Crystal Hudspeth, Business Management
Daniel Nahshon Illangovan, Drafting Technology
Joseph Q. Kinnebrew, Construction Management
Rebecca Renee Krummert, Business Management
Destiny Nicole Langley, Accounting
Jakeem Lawrence, Business Management
Heather Lebel-Kittle, Business Healthcare Technology
Dakota T. LeCroy, Respiratory Care
Monica J. Lee, Early Childhood Care and Education
Isaac Lopez, Criminal Justice Technology
Josue Lopez, Construction Management
Josue Daniel Lopez, Construction Management
Gavin Lowery, Computer Support Specialist
Randall Clark Lynn, Business Management
Ivana M. Martinez Franco, Construction Management
Robert V. Moore Jr., Construction Management
Atzi A. Moreno, Business Management
Cheyenne Skye Overby, Respiratory Care
Sierra Overby, Business Management
Bridgette Marie Pedraza, Respiratory Care
Katie Perez, Business Management
Herman A. Perez-Bartolo, Accounting
Hannah Elizabeth Peterson, Industrial Systems Technology
Melissa Pineda, Early Childhood Care and Education
Raul Real, Automotive Technology
Anthony Jayro Reyes, Industrial Systems Technology
Denisa Reyes, Respiratory Care
Rolando Reyes Cornejo, Construction Management
Dorothy Janelle Richardson, Drafting Technology
Armando L. Rodriguez, Automotive Technology
Joshua Cole Sexton, Marketing Management
Rance Edward Smith, Construction Management
Ryder Mitchell Smith, Construction Management
Tyler A. Smith, Drafting Technology
Haign C. Stephens, Construction Management
Ashley Stuart, Business Management
Jackson Taylor, Construction Management
Autumn G. Thomas, Business Management
Francisco J. Triana, Construction Management
Lisa Ann VanDuser, Business Management
Alexander Joseph Watson, Culinary Arts
Robert Dean White, Business Management
Marissa Danielle Wood, Respiratory Care
Katie Worley, Marketing Management
Brooklyn Danielle Wyatt, Business Management
Tevin A. Zachery, Respiratory Care
Associate of Science in Nursing
Morgan J. Bradford
Tiffany Alexis Dobson
Charity P. Howington
Melissa Hughes
Hope D. Jones
Chasity Evans Kiser
Victoria H. McCallie
Savanna Halie Perkins
Kimberly Rivera
Stacie Lalissa Sheram
Patrick O. Simmons Jr.
Megan H. Wells
Alexia Paige Young
Diploma
Dorothy Adams, Early Childhood Care and Education
Charles D. Allen, Precision Machining and Manufacturing
Erick Alvarez, Welding and Joining Technology
Patricia Barrett, Accounting
Xavier Campos, Business Management
Elias H. Carranza Camacho, CNC Technology
Casandra R. Chapman, Business Healthcare Technology
Alexander I. Cortes, Welding and Joining Technology
Gladys Debora, Accounting
Taylor Abigail Everett, Business Healthcare Technology
Blake Taylor Floyd, Electrical Systems Technology
Giovanni Garza, Auto Collision Repair
Austin M. Hightower, Auto Collision Repair
Marvin Ixmay Vicente, Culinary Arts
Carrie L. Lacey, Early Childhood Care and Education
Yahir Martinez-Morillon, Air Conditioning Technology
Logan L. Newberry, Electrical Control Systems
Hannah K. Pace, Business Management
Ezau Resendiz Munoz Jr., Auto Collision Repair
Griselda Reyes, Auto Collision Repair
Jack E. Showalter, Electrical Systems Technology
Alfredo Sosa, Industrial Systems Technology
Alfredo Torres Saldivar, Welding and Joining Technology
Jesse Lee Turner, Welding and Joining Technology
Jonathan Valdez, Auto Collision Repair
Jason Ward Jr., CNC Technology
Technical Certificate of Credit
Cassidy Andrews, Healthcare Billing and Coding Specialist
Guadalupe Arias, Clinical Office Assistant
Vernon C. Ash, Vertical Shielded Metal Arc Welder Fabricator
Tonya L. Baker, Clinical Office Assistant
Devon Barnes, Marketing Specialist
Irma Sophia Bautista, Healthcare Billing and Coding Specialist
Colton Blake Burk, Advanced Shielded Metal Arc Welder
Emely Calderon, Microsoft Word Application Professional
Jhoselin Calderon-Barrios, Marketing Specialist
Eunice T. Cervantes Abonse, Central Sterile Supply Processing Technician-Adv
Skylar Chamness, Healthcare Billing and Coding Specialist
Adriana Natalie Churchill, Marketing Specialist
Elisama Sarai Cifuentes De Leon, Marketing Specialist
Brittany E. Davis, Clinical Office Assistant
Christian Delira, Construction Manager
Janiyia Dennis, CNA (Nurse Aide Accelerated)
Isila Diaz-Ambrocio, Salon and Spa Support Specialist
Leslie D. Dowdy, Clinical Office Assistant
Harrison James East, Basic Mechatronics Specialist
Samantha Gray Gonzalez, Clinical Office Assistant
Nayeli Granados, Administrative Support Assistant
Taylor Guice, Clinical Office Assistant
Kylee M. Hendrix, Medical Front Office Specialist
James W. Holland, Vertical Shielded Metal Arc Welder Fabricator
Megan Humphrey, Clinical Office Assistant
Brenda J. Joaquin, Accelerated Phlebotomy Technician
Jonazia Coriana Johnson, Phlebotomy Technician
Nuluu Johnson, Marketing Specialist
Adeline H. Jones, Medical Front Office Assistant
Tyler Kidd, Gas Tungsten Arc Welder
Charity Langston, CNA (Nurse Aide Accelerated)
Amanda Lankford, Medical Coding
Natoshia Lynn Leight, Healthcare Billing and Coding Specialist
Caden Long, Basic Shielded Metal Arc Welder
Byron Elisman Lopez, Electrical Technician
Laranda Mabry, CNA (Nurse Aide Accelerated)
Yasmin Martinez, Administrative Support Assistant
Nairobi Sunev Martinez Vazquez, Early Childhood Care and Education Basics
Danielle Ferranti McCollum, Clinical Office Assistant
Kaelin McNell, Early Childhood Care and Education Basics
Yanira Mejia, Phlebotomy Technician
Brayden P. Miller, Vertical Shielded Metal Arc Welder Fabricator
Evan Mitchell, Vertical Shielded Metal Arc Welder Fabricator
Ryley Aliceson Mobley, Salon and Spa Support Specialist
Amanda I. Moore, Clinical Office Assistant
Caroline Samantha Mulkey, Early Childhood Care and Education Basics
Arlyn Dixie Mull, Accelerated Phlebotomy Technician
Jackson Logan Mull, Administrative Support Assistant
Brayden John-Anthony Myles, Gas Tungsten Arc Welder
Payton M. O’Donnell, Logistics and Supply Chain Technician
Winiferd Dijanni Palma, Criminal Justice Specialist
Tania Pastor, Clinical Office Assistant
Callie Marie Payne, Healthcare Billing and Coding Specialist
Destiny Pellom, Criminal Justice Specialist
Tiffany Peters, Child Development Specialist
Omar Pina Jr., Commercial Wiring
Amandla C. Ransom, Salon and Spa Support Specialist
Rhonda Starr Redwine, CNA (Nurse Aide Accelerated)
Lalita Reed, Clinical Office Assistant
Jeremiah L. Reese Jr., Marketing Specialist
Taylor Revette, Medical Front Office Assistant
Jennifer Reyes, Cosmetology for Licensure
Yoshelyn Rodriguez, Early Childhood Care and Education Basics
Charles Scott Jr., Administrative Support Assistant
Courtney Taylor, Self Clinical Office Assistant
Love Preet Singh, Administrative Support Assistant
Ashton K. St. John, Advanced PLC and HMI Technician II
Angela Stanley, Medical Front Office Assistant
Elijah Thomason, Diesel Engine Service Technician
Gavin H. Turpin, Aviation Maintenance Technician-Airframe
David I. Uribe, PC Repair and Network Technician
Eduardo Valdez, Aviation Maintenance Technician
Rosalinda Vicente-Esteban, Administrative Support Assistant
Odalis Maria Vicente-Vicente, Marketing Specialist
Autumn Elizabeth Wells, Salon and Spa Support Specialist
Megan Gunn Western, Early Childhood Care and Education Basics
Jarocquez K. Williams, Marketing Specialist
Carlean Jenae Wilson, Medical Coding
Sheldyn M. Yancey, Automotive Engine Performance Technician
Cassandra Young, Accelerated Phlebotomy Technician
