GNTC Foundation awards fall scholarships

August 11, 2023

The Foundation at Georgia Northwestern Technical College (GNTC) awarded $30,150 in grants and scholarships for fall semester 2023 to 38 students.

Each scholarship included an award between $350 and $1,500 to assist in paying for fall semester at GNTC.

“We applaud these outstanding students for their academic excellence,” said Dr. Heidi Popham, GNTC president. “We are grateful for the generous support of our donors for providing the funds necessary to make this recognition possible.”

The GNTC Foundation Scholarship is for outstanding students with financial need who are enrolled in any program of study leading to a degree, diploma or certificate. The 2023 GNTC Foundation Fall Scholarships were awarded to:

Carolina Arellano, Early Childhood Care and Education, Whitfield Murray Campus; Mattie Blalock, Radiologic Technology, Floyd County Campus; Kristi Cottrell, Practical Nursing, Floyd County Campus; Andrew Henson, Business Management, Walker County Campus; Alma Mitchell, Automation Engineering Technology, Whitfield Murray Campus; Audrey Powell, Health Care Management, Walker County Campus; Bradley Putnam, Culinary Arts, Floyd County Campus; Haley Simerly, Respiratory Care, Floyd County Campus; and Raymond Temples, Aviation Maintenance Technician, Floyd County Campus.

The recipients of the Governor Nathan Deal Technical Education Scholarship are Angel Cruz, Precision Machining and Manufacturing, Whitfield Murray Campus; Johnny Parker, Industrial Systems Technology, Whitfield Murray Campus; and Cristian Ramirez, Industrial Systems Technology, Whitfield Murray Campus. The scholarship was established by the Carpet and Rug Institute and made possible in part by a grant from the Community Foundation of Northwest Georgia to reward academic excellence and provide financial support for GNTC students at the Whitfield Murray Campus completing a degree, diploma or certificate in an industrial program.

Jeshua Freeman, Precision Machining and Manufacturing, Floyd County Campus; and Jason Ward, Precision Machining and Manufacturing, Whitfield Murray Campus, have received the Gene Haas Scholarship, which rewards academic excellence and provides financial support for students working toward a degree, diploma or certificate in the Precision Machining and Manufacturing program and related fields on the Floyd County Campus and the Whitfield Murray Campus.

The recipient of the Diesel Equipment Technology Scholarship is Cristian Tirador, Diesel Equipment Technology, Whitfield Murray Campus. This scholarship rewards academic excellence and provides financial support for students pursuing a diploma or certificate in the Diesel Equipment Technology program on the Whitfield Murray Campus.

The Kerry Scholarship recipient is Patrick Riordan, Instrumentation and Controls Technician, Floyd County Campus. Kerry Food Coatings established the scholarship to support students in the Industrial Systems Technology or Instrumentation and Controls Technician degree or diploma programs.

Gabriel Pineda, Air Conditioning Technology, Floyd County Campus, received the NGE Scholarship. Funded by North Georgia Equipment Heating and Air Conditioning (NGE), this scholarship provides financial support to students enrolled in any Air Conditioning certificate or diploma program.

Ethron “Carl” Crawford, Electrical Systems Technology, Floyd County Campus, received three scholarships. He received the Wayne Ledford Craftsman Scholarship. The scholarship honors Wayne Ledford, a woodworker and craftsman who resides in Murray County, and provides financial support to students enrolled in construction-related programs. Crawford also received the Electrical Systems Scholarship, which rewards academic excellence and provides financial support for students enrolled in any Electrical Systems program.

Crawford and Grant Payne, Horticulture, Floyd County Campus, received the Rome Home Builders Association Scholarship. This scholarship rewards academic excellence and provides financial support for students working toward a degree, diploma or certificate in residential construction-related programs, including Air Conditioning Technology, Construction Management, Electrical Systems Technology, Horticulture and Lawn Maintenance on the Floyd, Gordon and Polk County Campuses.

Payne also received the Rabbit Valley Farmers Market Scholarship. Established to provide financial support to incoming high school students and first-year GNTC students working toward a degree, diploma or certificate. Applicants for this scholarship must be planning a career related to farming, gardening, landscape design, environmental issues, floral design or horticulture.

The recipient of the Patrick D. Doyle Law Enforcement Scholarship is Kaitlynne McGhee, Criminal Justice Technology, Walker County Campus. This scholarship rewards academic excellence and provides financial support for students working toward Basic POST certification or a degree in Criminal Justice.

Alexa Burk, Respiratory Care, Floyd County Campus; and Tara Peloquin, Respiratory Care, Floyd County Campus, received the National Board for Respiratory Care Scholarship. The scholarship supports students with a minimum 2.0 GPA enrolled in the Respiratory Care degree program.

Peloquin is also recipient of the B.J. Pharr Scholarship. This scholarship was established to reward academic excellence and provide financial assistance for full-time students working toward a degree in the Respiratory Care program on the Floyd County Campus.

The recipients of the Registered Nurse Scholarship are Brittney Pruitt, Nursing, Floyd County Campus; and Amber Ptak, Nursing, Walker County Campus. This award provides financial support for outstanding students enrolled in the Associate of Science in Nursing program.

Dana Young, Human Lactation, Gordon County Campus, is recipient of the Medical Alliance Group Scholarship. This award supports students of excellence in the Human Lactation and Breastfeeding Counselor programs.

Jerry Morillon-Vanegas, Radiologic Technology, Floyd County Campus, received the Judge Dan Peace Winn Scholarship. Established by the family of the late judge, this scholarship is open to Polk County residents or those with a connection to Polk County, and who are completing a degree, diploma or certificate.

Karli Johnson, Business Technology, Whitfield Murray Campus, has received the Judy Hodge Memorial Scholarship. Established by Beta Sigma Phi in honor of Judy Hodge, a faculty member in GNTC’s Business Technology program for over 45 years, the scholarship is open to Business Technology degree students with financial need, with priority given to those at the Walker County Campus.

Candice Payne, Health Information Management Technology, Walker County Campus, has been named recipient of the Charles and Donna Estes Scholarship, which recognizes Health Information Management Technology (HIMT) degree students in their last semester of the program. This scholarship honors and continues the legacy of the late Charles Estes, a GNTC faculty member who was passionate about ensuring the success of students. GNTC faculty member Donna Estes shares her late husband’s passion and established this scholarship to provide opportunities for students in need.

Gary Harrell, Cybersecurity, Floyd County Campus, received the Vernon and Gaynelle Grizzard Scholarship, which provides educational assistance to the children and grandchildren of Southeastern Mills or Grain Craft employees.

The recipients of the First-Generation Scholarship are Tennie Bandy, Early Childhood Care and Education, Floyd County Campus; Lizbeth Cruz, Radiologic Technology, Floyd County Campus; Yasmin Ramirez, Health Care Management, Whitfield Murray Campus; and Britni Williams, Early Childhood Care and Education, Gordon County Campus. This scholarship is open to first-generation students working toward a degree, diploma or certificate; a first-generation student is defined as a student whose parent(s) and or legal guardian(s) have not completed college.

The following students received a GNTC Foundation Success Grant: Lisa Eidson, Health Care Management, Floyd County Campus; Sofia Moscoso, Dental Assisting, Gordon County Campus; Jeni Perrien, Business Management, Gordon County Campus; and Melanie Powers, Health Care Assistant, Whitfield Murray Campus.

The GNTC Foundation Trustees are Valerie Brown, Whitfield County; Phillip Burkhalter, Floyd County; Linda Case, Dade County; Steven M. Henry, Catoosa County; Luther Ingram, Walker County; Amy L. Jackson, Catoosa County; Jay LeGrande, Polk County; Craig McDaniel, Floyd County; Zab Mendez, Whitfield County; Sherrie Patterson, Murray County; Damon Raines, Walker County; Becky Redd, Gordon County; Wil Stiles, Catoosa County; and Doris White, Walker County.

Georgia Northwestern Technical College provides quality workforce education to the citizens of northwest Georgia. Students have the opportunity to earn an associate degree, diploma or a certificate in aviation, business, health, industrial or public service career paths. This past year, 11,601 people benefited from GNTC’s credit and noncredit programs. GNTC has an annual credit enrollment of 8,071 students and an additional enrollment of 3,530 people through adult education, continuing education, business and industry training and Georgia Quick Start. GNTC is a unit of the Technical College System of Georgia and an Equal Opportunity Institution.

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