GNTC recognizes latest EAGLEs

Media release: Six adults have been named as 2011- 2012 Exceptional Adult Georgians in Literacy Education (EAGLE) at Georgia Northwestern Technical College (GNTC), having been nominated by their instructors.  EAGLEs are selected to represent their county's Adult Education program.  The criteria for EAGLE nominees include graduating with a General Educational Development® Diploma and enrolling in a college program at GNTC.  These nominees perform with excellence and achieve success in education.  Locally, EAGLEs work to encourage other adults to take advantage of educational opportunities, speak at graduation and other events, and provide advisement on community outreach to the Adult Education program. 

 

This year's EAGLEs are: Chris Kittle, Catoosa County; Cheryl Carroll, Chattooga County;  Henry Coalson, Floyd County; Rachel Wyatt, Gordon County; Terry Joseph (T.J.) Weeks, Polk County; and Hellen Conally, Walker County.  Nominating instructors include Donna Pierce, Catoosa; Angie Amos, Chattooga; Diane Elrod, Floyd; Spence Ramsey, Gordon; Jerry Palmer, Polk; and Marianne Weddle, Walker.

 

EAGLEs were honored at lunch on December 2, along with their nominating instructors, at the GNTC Gordon County Campus.  Other Adult Education program staff were also present to hear the EAGLEs relate their educational stories and share their successes.  Most acknowledged the large impact that their instructors had or are having on their progress.

 

Chris Kittle is enrolled in the Adult Learning Center in Ringgold to earn her GED® Diploma.  Kittle's goal is to become a registered nurse, and she emphasized the importance of education for her career choice.  During her adult education experience, she pointed out "embracing geometry" as a major success!

 

Cheryl Carroll earned her GED® Diploma in July, 2011 through the Summerville Adult Learning Center, and is currently enrolled at GNTC.  She would like to be involved in front office work in the medical field.  Carroll said she was motivated to enroll in Adult Education because she wanted to accomplish something for herself.  She plans to raise her sons and see them graduate from high school.

 

Henry Coalson also graduated with a GED® Diploma after attending the Adult Learning Center in Rome, and received the Rome News Tribune Award for high achievement in Language Arts/Reading and Literature.  He is currently enrolled in Georgia Northwestern Technical College's Commercial Truck Driving program.  Coalson's ultimate goal is to become a teacher.

 

Rachel Wyatt entered the Construction Management program at GNTC after graduating with a GED® Diploma through the Calhoun Adult Learning Center.  She cites finishing her adult education program as a major success, and qualifying for something other than "dead-end" jobs as a major factor in enrolling. Wyatt says that working in her father's woodshop as a hobby, is leading her to turn a hobby into a career.

 

T.J. Weeks graduated with a GED® Diploma after attending the Cedartown Adult Learning Center.  Weeks is currently employed and will need to earn 15 hours of college credit to achieve his main goal of entering the U.S military.  He points out that a major success he experienced as a result of adult education was qualifying for a job which he would not have gotten without his GED® Diploma.

 

Hellen Conally studied in the Rossville Adult Learning Center to earn her GED® Diploma, and will continue there until her college classes begin in January.  Her passion is early childhood education, and her work with children in her church day care required her to earn a GED®.  Conally's ultimate goal is to earn a bachelor's degree in Elementary Education.  She says her goals became bigger when she earned her GED® Diploma!

 

One from among this group will go as Georgia Northwestern Technical College's representative to the 2012 statewide EAGLE Leadership Institute in Atlanta in February.