The Highlander - 50th Anniversary Commemorative Issue

HIGHLANDER The official magazine of Georgia Highlands College

Fall/Winter 2020

COMMEMORATIVE ISSUE

Table of Contents

...in this issue

The Highlander is published twice a year by the Office of Advancement at Georgia Highlands College 3175 Cedartown Highway Rome, GA 30161 • 706.802.5473 highlands.edu Editor and Designer Sheila Jones

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Message from the President

4

Celebrating 50 Years

Photographer Jeff Brown

14

College Timeline

Writers Nick Godfrey Mark Andrews

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Campus News

37

Student Spotlight

41

Retiree Spotlight

44

Chargers Taking Charge

46

Foundation Spotlight

49

Charger News

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Chargers = Champions

Donald J. Green, Ed.D., President

KEEP UP WITH GEORGIA HIGHLANDS ON SOCIAL MEDIA /GeorgiaHighlandsCollege /GHCAthletics /GHCAlumni /gahighlands

@GaHighlands @GHC_Athletics @ChargerInCharge

ALSO FIND US ON...

Georgia Highlands College is a multi-campus, state college of the University System of Georgia. Founded in 1970 as Floyd Junior College, it now serves thousands of students in Northwest Georgia across five locations in Rome, Cartersville, Marietta, Dallas, and Douglasville. GHC currently offers an associate degree in over 30 areas of study, as well as six bachelor’s degrees. Ten areas of study are offered fully online.

ABOUT THE COVER: 50th logo design by Ken Davis Disclaimer: Photos displayed in this issue may have been taken prior to March 2020.

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The Advancement Division encompasses the GHC Foundation, development, communications, marketing, digital media, print services, and alumni relations.

Senior Vice President of Advancement and Enrollment Management Executive Director of the GHC Foundation Mary Transue Senior Assistant of Advancement and Enrollment Management Tammy Nicholson Director of Foundation and Annual Fund Liz Jones Senior Director of Marketing and Communications Sheila Jones Director of Digital Media Services Jeff Brown Director of Communications Nick Godfrey Print and Design Services Manager Ken Davis Development Communications Coordinator Mark Andrews

I want to thank everyone in the Georgia Highlands College community for joining our 50th anniversary celebration this year!

When I became the fourth president of GHC in 2014, I truly could not have fathomed what a blessing it would be. This college means so much to me and so much to the people who learn here, work here, and take charge here. I am happy to be part of this unique collegiate family that has been growing every year since 1970. We continue to change so many family trees in wonderful and transformative ways. We pride ourselves on providing access to a brighter future for so many. And for 50 years, GHC has continued to do just that.

When David B. McCorkle was appointed as the first college president in 1970, the college had 19 faculty members who taught 545 students on a single 233-acre campus in Rome on U.S. Highway 27.

1n 1987, the word “junior” was dropped from all colleges that used it within the University System of Georgia. Then, in 2005, Floyd College changed its name to Georgia Highlands College to better reflect its regional reach. Now the college holds the second highest enrollment among state colleges in Georgia with hundreds of faculty teaching thousands of students at our five locations across Northwest Georgia.

GHC has championship athletic teams in basketball, baseball, and softball. GHC continues to provide a quality of excellence in all its programs and pathways. And each year, the college expands its GHC President Don Green course offerings and degree offerings to ensure students in our community have access to rapidly growing fields and careers in our area at a low-cost rate that allows them to graduate with little to no debt after completion.

Georgia Highlands College is an exceptional institution with a bright future and a continuous dedication to our students, the value of their study, and the elimination of any cost barrier to higher education.

If I’ve learned anything in my time at GHC, it’s a community of people who take charge and who help others take charge, too.

Please take time to review our 50th site at 50years.highlands.edu for details on GHC’s history and news surrounding this milestone year.

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From the President

A milestone year

Celebrating 50 years...

Georgia Highlands College (GHC) is celebrating its 50th anniversary year this 2020-21 academic year after opening in fall of 1970 as Floyd Junior College.

In fall 1970, Floyd Junior College opened in temporary offices in downtown Rome with the first college president David B. McCorkle leading 19 faculty members who taught 545 students.

Soon after, in 1971, students were welcomed back from winter break to a new 233-acre campus in Rome on U.S. Highway 27.

Decades later, GHC holds the second highest enrollment among state colleges in Georgia with hundreds of faculty members teaching thousands of students across Northwest Georgia at sites in Rome, Cartersville, Dallas, Douglasville, and Marietta.

CELEBRATION STATIONS – During the week of September 21-24 each GHC location hosted a “Celebration Station” and handed out “grab-andgo” party bags to students and employees to celebrate and commemorate the college’s 50th anniversary while following COVID-19 safety guidelines.

NOTABLE EVENTS FROM 1970 uVOTING AGE is lowered to 18.

uThe North Tower of the World Trade Center in New York is completed. At 1,368 feet, it became the TALLEST BUILDING IN THE WORLD.

uThe first Women’s Strike for PEACE AND EQUALITY was held in New York. istockphoto.com

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GHC is celebrating its long history and golden anniversary in several ways.

A dedicated website details the complete history of the college, campus events and more at 50years.highlands.edu As a part of the ongoing anniversary celebration, GHC held “50th Anniversary Celebration Stations” at each location for students, faculty, and staff the week of September 21 through September 24. Each station was organized to be “grab and go” and included a “celebration in a bag” so students, faculty, and staff could commemorate the 50th virtually, remotely, and while continuing to follow campus guidelines.

Through a special section of the 50years.highlands.edu website, GHC is also inviting members of the community to join everyone at GHC in submitting memorabilia to the virtual GHC Archives. Currently, the college has several items on virtual display that span the history of the college from Floyd Junior College to Floyd College to Georgia Highlands College.

Students, faculty, staff, alumni, retirees, and members of the community are also invited to submit a personal video to be included in the “GHC 50th Celebration Video Memory Book.”

More details about that project

and an example video can be found by visiting 50years. highlands.edu and clicking the link at the very top of the page for “Share a memory.”

Visit highlands.edu for information on GHC or stop by 50years.highlands.edu to read more about all the great things happening around the 50th anniversary year.

CAPTURING THE PAST–

(Pictured above) Harold Boyd, retiree, talks on camera about his memories of the early years of the college.

(Pictured left) Boyd worked for the college from its beginning until 1997. During that time, he served as the Vice President of Student Affairs, Assistant to the President for Special Projects, and Adjunct Assistant Professor of Psychology. Oral history interviews with Boyd and others can be found at 50years.highlands.edu

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u President Nixon orders 1,000 new FBI agents for an armed presence at college campuses in the wake of many anti-Vietnam WAR PROTESTS.

uPresident Nixon named Time Magazine PERSON OF THE YEAR. uThe first EARTH DAY is celebrated in the U.S. Image by Pexels from Pixabay

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Celebrating with our Communities

In celebrating the 50th anniversary of Georgia Highlands College, communities across northwest Georgia rallied behind the college to help commemorate this special golden year. Proclamations from cities and counties across each of GHC’s service areas in Rome, Cartersville, Dallas, Douglasville, and Marietta touted GHC for its contributions to the community, its legacy as an exceptional institution, and most importantly, the college’s continuous dedication to students, the value of their study, and the elimination of any cost barrier to higher education. Proclamations can be viewed at 50years.highlands.edu

Floyd County Board of Commissioners

City of Douglasville

NOTABLE EVENTS FROM 1970 u AVERAGE PRICE for gallon of gas is 0.36 cents.

u Elvis Presley and Nixon meet in the White House. The photo becomes the MOST REQUESTED image from the National Archives.

Image by WikiImages from Pixabay

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uThe wreck of the first submarine in history to sink a ship in warfare, THE HUNLEY, is found in South Carolina.

Bartow County Office of the Commissioner & City of Cartersville

City of Rome

Douglas County Board of Commissioners

Cobb County Board of Commissioners

Paulding County Board of Commissioners

City of Marietta

City of Dallas

u“I’ll Be There”

by The Jackson 5 named the Billboard SONG OF THE YEAR.

uThe AVERAGE PRICE of a house was $23,600. uJIMI HENDRIX is found dead in Kensington, London, after an overdose. istockphoto.com

istockphoto.com

uMINIMUM WAGE is $2.10 per hour.

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First Grad

First graduate recalls first commencement and career as GHC prepares to celebrate 50 years

In 1971, Claudia Williams Taxel is the COMMENCEMENT – In 1971, Claudia Williams Taxel is the lone graduate of lone graduate of a small college in Rome, Floyd Junior College. She stands with the college president, David McCorkle, Georgia, in its infancy. She stands with the and the dean, Wesley Walraven, as a photo is snapped for the local newspaper. college president, David McCorkle, and the dean, Wesley Walraven, in a newly constructed building, as a photo is snapped for Jimmy Carter, then Georgia’s govthe local newspaper. Her two-year diploma in education ernor. She said it was a “wonderful is conferred, and she and her father, Floyd County Comopportunity” to take what she had mission Chairman Charles Williams, pose together for learned in college and apply it to another photo that Claudia still has to this day. a new kindergarten curriculum in This completes the college’s first full year. And ClauAthens, Georgia, where she first dia is the first graduate. For her and the college, this started teaching. would be the beginning of many firsts.

But being a pioneer in what In Fall 1970, Floyd Junior College (now Georgia Georgia kindergarten programs Highlands College) opened as a community college in across the state would eventually Rome. Several members of the community and those become wasn’t enough for Claudia who would eventually run the college worked alongside – she was determined to innovate, Taxel one another with help from local and state government as well. officials – like Claudia’s father, Charles – to create the Claudia says she found a storage room full of comcollege. puters no one was using where she was teaching in After graduating in 1971, Claudia, a Rome native Athens. who also attended West Rome High School, earned a She dusted them off and carted them down to her master’s and a specialist degree in education from the kindergarten class to use them in her curriculum. And the University of Georgia. kids loved it.

She then turned her attention to the newly adopted Her use of technology in the classroom, of course, led statewide kindergarten program fostered by President to a whole lot more…

NOTABLE EVENTS FROM 1970 uThe Baltimore Orioles won the WORLD SERIES.

u MIDNIGHT COWBOY starring Dustin Hoffman and Jon Voight won three Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Director.

uKansas City Chiefs were the SUPER BOWL CHAMPS. istockphoto.com

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50th Commencement Virtual Ceremony held in July

Mace Bearer Dr. Jon Hershey

Walraven Recipient Billy Morris

Student Gov. President Tristen Tolbert

Meanwhile, back in Rome, Claudia’s alma mater received official accreditation from the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools; topped 1,000 students in enrollment; expanded its campus with additional academic buildings, a library, and gymnasium; and graduated nearly 150 more students.

Years later, Claudia was eventually recruited by John Henry Martin, who developed the Principles of the Alphabet Literacy System (PALS), a computer-based program used to promote adult literacy. She noted how her particular skills working with younger first-time learners in kindergarten allowed her to draw parallels to learning techniques needed to achieve the best results for older first-time learners using PALS. As Claudia continued to pioneer new ways of learning and teaching, the college where her first college commencement took place was thriving and growing. By 1985, the college held a ceremonial bond burning to celebrate paying off the mortgage for its 233-acre campus six miles from Rome on Highway 27.

And in the years the college would celebrate its 20th anniversary, a second location would open in Cartersville while Claudia would find herself working for IBM in

istockphoto.com

uPOPULAR TOYS include Barbie Dolls, Hot Wheels, Chatty Cathy, Frosty Snow Cone Maker, Gigantor Robot, GI Joe Astronaut, and Suzy Homemaker’s Super Oven.

Georgia Highlands College held a virtual commencement and virtual nursing pinning ceremony at the end of July to celebrate the class of 2020. GHC’s faculty chose Dean of Humanities Jon Hershey as the 2020 Mace Bearer and Professor of Geology Billy Morris as the recipient of the Wesley C. Walraven Faculty Award. Student Government Association President Tristen Tolbert spoke on behalf of the student body. Both virtual ceremonies can be viewed at youtube.com/ghconlinetv

Atlanta developing computer-based educational programs used in K-12 classes across the country.

Claudia, now retired, went on to spend the last decade of her working years as an institutional coach for teachers in the Clarke County School System.

In that same time, the college would grow to over 6,000 students in five locations across Northwest Georgia with several two-year and four-year pathways.

To many, it will always be remembered as Floyd Junior College or Floyd College. In 1987 the word “junior” was dropped from all colleges that used it within the University System of Georgia. Then, in 2005, Floyd College changed its name to Georgia Highlands College with the addition of new sites in surrounding areas, like Cartersville, Dallas, Marietta, and Douglasville.

Claudia, who now lives in Athens with her husband, says that though she was only at the college for a short time, she has fond memories of “friendly and warm” instructors and a “cozy atmosphere.”

For her, it was a great start for all she went on to do as a pioneer of technology in education in the state of Georgia.

uScientists perform the first ARTIFICIAL SYNTHESIS of a live cell.

istockphoto.com

uELTON JOHN performs in the U.S. for the first time.

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GHC student publications, TV station big part of the history and traditions of the college Since 1970, students, faculty, and staff at GHC (formerly Floyd Junior College and then Floyd College) have worked to expand the college in a number of ways, including some long-standing areas in student publications and the Rome-based television station.

From 1972 onward, two student publications have published consistently throughout GHC’s history: the student literary magazine, Old Red Kimono (ORK), and the student-run newspaper, Six Mile Post (SMP).

Additionally, since the early 90s, GHC has operated a television station called Georgia Highlands Television (GHTV).

As GHC celebrates its 50th anniversary, pioneers and leaders of these areas reflect upon their impact and success.

SIX MILE POST

In a typical year, the SMP student newspaper publishes seven print editions and regularly publishes online stories. The newspaper has received awards from organizations such as the Georgia Press Association since 1975.

Since 1972, the SMP has provided a historical account of the college’s milestones, documented student life and athletics and has addressed current issues important to students.

Now-retired English Professor Kristie Kemper began serving as the SMP’s faculty adviser in 1980.

“The Six Mile Post is an interesting reflection on changing cultural styles and issues, but it also reveals the things that stay the same — the students striving to get ahead and having fun at the same time,” Kemper said.

Kemper said moving 1974 – Floyd Junior College Six Mile Post Staff from manual page layouts to Photo (GHC archives) computer layouts was one of To help expand their skills, the biggest changes she saw while staffers have attended journalism serving as faculty adviser. workshops across the U.S. and have “Originally, staffers had to cut interned at area media outlets and out each story, put hot wax on the institutions. Some have even spent a back and paste it on a layout page,” summer at the Institute for Political Kemper said. “They used a machine Journalism in Washington, D.C. or for making the headlines, typing covered women’s softball during the sight unseen and printing out strips 1996 Olympics. of headlines developed through a “While the main goal of the SMP chemical bath.” has always been service to the colYears later, SMP became one of lege community, taking part in comGeorgia’s first college student newspetitions and workshops and press papers to go online. institutes has given the students on Over the decades, the SMP has the SMP staff additional motivation to received numerous awards from strive for excellence,” Kemper said. the Georgia Press Association, the Former SMP staff members have Georgia College Press Association, gone on to distinguish themselves as the Southern Regional Press Instijournalists, public relations specialtute, and the Associated Collegiate ists, teachers, hospital administrators, Press. Individual students have been wildlife biologists, lawyers, and more. recognized for writing, photography, “I have seen, and students have advertising, art, and graphic design.

NOTABLE EVENTS FROM 1970 uThe first episode of “ALL MY CHILDREN” airs on TV.

uCost of a FIRST CLASS stamp is .06 cents. uThe CHEVY VEGA and FORD PINTO are introduced.

uThe most POPULAR TV SHOW in 1970 was “Marcus Welby, M.D.” istockphoto.com

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told me, that the skills and confidence they gained working on the SMP staff have been important in their careers and their lives,” Kemper said.

After 40 years of service as the SMP faculty adviser, Kemper retired and passed the role to Assistant Professor of Journalism and Communication Allison Hattaway in the fall of 2019.

In addition to the SMP earning 11 awards during Hattaway’s first year as adviser, Hattaway guided the staff through rebranding, a new logo design, and updated look at the start of 2020, as well as helped launch “The Student Spin” podcast.

OLD RED KIMONO

Old Red Kimono is GHC’s student-edited literary magazine that has annually published the work of GHC’s writers and artists since 1972.

Professor of English Nancy Applegate began serving as faculty adviser for ORK in the late 1990s.

“I had worked on the literary journal at my previous school and wanted to continue that work when I came to GHC,” Applegate said. “I’ve stayed with it because it’s one of the truly fun things I get to do, and the students we attract are a motley and interesting bunch.”

As the creative writing offerings have grown at GHC, so has the ORK.

said.

“In the early days, the magazine As a long-time institution of was mostly a vehicle for the creative GHC, the ORK’s success had dewriting class, with only one creative pended upon the hard work of many writing class being offered each contributors inside and outside of the year,” Applegate said. “But now the magazine’s pages. college offers multiple sections of “One of the more bittersweet creative writing, and we get a good number of submissions from students memories is the time my husband, at large.”

Joe, spent helping with ORK. He In addition to growing interest used to bring food to the meetings and content, the ORK has seen its sometimes, and he always helped annual receptions expand as well. with parties and receptions,” AppleApplegate said prior to COVID-19, gate said. “His death in December of 2018 was a tremendous loss for the ORK held annual receptions on every GHC site, with the event on the ORK. More than a dozen former ORK editors came to his memorial. We Rome campus event drawing up to also lost former ORK Faculty Adviser 150 people.

LaNelle Daniel in 2018. The 2019 “Our themed receptions have issues featured portraits of Joe and been some of my most memorable LaNelle, painted by Art Editor Anna experiences with ORK,” Applegate Holley.” said. “In 2012, we released our apocalypse issue, and the table TRADITION– continued on page 13 decorations were zombiethemed. In 2019 we had a superhero issue, and the table decorations included action figures and comic books.”

The ORK is also known for bringing the arts to the local community through public poetry readings and for helping its writers prosper.

“A couple of years ago, three of our poets were fea1980s – Student publication covers from the 1980s. tured in Northwest Georgia Living Magazine,” Applegate (GHC archives)

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istockphoto.com

uNixon signed legislation that officially banned CIGARETTE ADS on television and radio.

uTOP SONG is “Bridge Over Troubled Water” by Simon & Garfunkle.

uAverage price of a MOVIE TICKET is $1.55.

uCost of a SUPER BOWL ad is $78,000. istockphoto.com

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GHC library launches virtual memorabilia exhibit for 50th anniversary As Georgia Highlands College celebrates its 50th anniversary, the college’s library has made it possible for anyone to view historic college memorabilia from a computer or smart device through the creation of a digital archive.

The digital archive is available at 50years. highlands.edu “We have items that highlight student organizations, marketing campaigns, and events Griesemer throughout the college’s history, such as a visor from our 30th anniversary and a bookmark commemorating the addition of the academic building on the Cartersville site,” Librarian Melanie Vincent said.

Memorabilia also includes apparel, school spirit décor, as well as collectibles like drinkware.

“These items really showcase what type of memorabilia was expected to come from a college back then to now,” Archives Assistant Danielle Griesemer said. “Many of our items actually come from former students either through donation or on loan.”

By accessing the college’s digital memorabilia archives, visitors will be able to view unique items that would otherwise be lost if not for donations. However, building required the library to construct a small-scale photography studio and determine the best backgrounds and lighting for the items.

“Figuring out how to best arrange and photograph the items was the most challenging aspect of the project, but it was also rewarding because I enjoyed going through the items in our collection and the ones lent to us by the com-

munity,” Vincent said.

Once all the photos were complete, the library began creating the exhibit.

“Our archives’ webpage is still new, and the memorabilia collection is the first exhibit we built for the site,” Vincent said. “I’m excited to share the final product, and I look forward to adding on to it.”

Vincent said one of the most unique items in the collection is a Floyd Junior College windbreaker as it is only one of two items associated with the college’s first name.

The college started in 1970 as Floyd Junior College before the name was changed to Floyd College and then, after multiple new sites were opened throughout Northwest Georgia, to Georgia Highlands College.

For Griesemer, one of the more notable items holds a personal connection.

“I was able to offer a 2018 Student Government Association T-shirt from my time as a student,” Griesemer said.

“It is a good representation of what the college has beEXHIBIT– continued on page 13

NOTABLE EVENTS FROM 1970 uELVIS PRESLEY begins his first concert tour since 1958.

uThe world’s first jumbo jet, the BOEING 747, carried out the first commercial flight.

u American Motor Corp. introduces the GREMLIN. istockphoto.com

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uThe U.S. stopped commercial WHALE HUNTING.

TRADITION– continued from page 11

GHTV

Originally launched on Sept. 6, 1994 as FCTV after Floyd College, GHTV helped begin the process of providing remote learning options at GHC as well as a wide range of programming.

Retired Professor of English Carla Patterson helped start GHTV and worked with the station until 2001.

At the time, Patterson worked in GHC’s Extended Learning department, which produced and delivered video lectures from professors.

“I worked in TV, radio, and print news prior to starting my career in education,” Patterson said. “The plans for a 24/7 TV station, and academic television, seemed to be an exciting blend.”

Dwight Cassity, a now-retired Political Science professor, taught American Government at FCTV from the fall of 1993 to the spring of 2005. His class was shown four times a day.

“To spice up my classes at the studio, some semesters I would either

have a weekly news quiz or a onehour program in which I would cover the news on a weekly basis,” Cassity said.

Cassity served as reporter, producer, director, and host, collecting and sharing news stories and providing commentary.

Patterson said one of her most memorable times at the station relates to the 1996 Olympics.

“We were able to help deliver live news from Latvia, EU, to its weight lifters who were training on our Floyd site, produce ‘Welcome to Rome’ promos in eight languages, follow the torch relay through Rome and ensure our students could still access their lectures during the schedule shifts mandated by the games,” Patterson said.

In addition to pioneering remote learning through course lectures, GHTV programs have included campus tours, orientations, professor introductions, and videos on faculty, staff, students, and athletes, as well as coverage of college events.

Today the GHTV studios, which are located at Heritage Hall, offer full-service videography and photog-

EXHIBIT– continued from page 12 come since the first Floyd Junior College windbreaker.”

Griesemer received an Associate of Arts degree in History from GHC in May 2019. She initially began her role as Archives Assistant as an intern, but eventually was hired part time.

“Working in the archives ties in with my education because I get to see first-hand how GHC became the institution it is today,” Griesemer said. “On the other side of that, studying history teaches the importance of eye-witness accounts and the stories behind items. Archives is a fairly

istockphoto.com

1990s – GHTV studio (GHC archives) raphy to support marketing, academics, and community-based programming. The tv station combined efforts with the local library channel in 2019 to provide more options for viewing local programming. Comcast subscribers in the Greater Rome area can view GHTV programming on channel four and AT&T subscribers can tune into channel 99 for instructions on where to find programming from Floyd County. GHTV content produced by the Digital Media Services department can also be viewed on the college’s YouTube channel which can easily be found at GHConlineTV.

specialized field in history, so being handed this opportunity provides me with skills and experiences I will be able to use as I continue pursuing this field.”

To access the digital archives, visit the 50th anniversary website, 50years.highlands.edu, click on the Memories tab, then select the Memorabilia image. An existing photo archive is available to view as well under the Memories tab.

Donations to the archive can be made by emailing Librarian Melanie Vincent at mvincent@highlands.edu

uRONALD REAGAN is re-elected as Governor of California.

uThe first NEW YORK MARATHON begins. Only 55 people finished the race.

uJIMMY CARTER is elected as Governor of Georgia.

uUS Environmental Protection Agency begins operations.

AJCN089-019a, Atlanta Journal-Constitution Photographic Archives Special Collections and Archives, Georgia State University Library

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Key moments in GH C history

NOTABLE EVENTS FROM 1970 uFour protestors at KENT STATE are killed by National Guard troops.

uThe U.S. gets FIRST FEMALE GENERALS Anna Mae Hays and Elizabeth P. Hoisington.

uThe BEATLES break up.

uAMERICAN TOP 40 radio program premieres with host Casey Kasem. istockphoto.com

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istockphoto.com

uPBS becomes a U.S. TV NETWORK. uAPOLLO 13 mission was cut short when a tank containing liquid oxygen burst. The astronauts managed to return to earth safely.

uTom Dempsey sets an NFL RECORD by kicking a 63-yard field goal.

nasa.gov/ scan by Kipp Teague

uThe comic strip DOONESBURY debuts in 28 newspapers.

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Campus News

GHC ranks high in national reviews Although Georgia Highlands College has long been known for its value, the college was recently ranked by several national outlets for its affordability, accessibility, and the quality of its programs.

GHC was featured on three different college ranking sites, including UniversityHQ, College Total, and EduMed. GHC was ranked in the UniversityHQ’s Top 50 Colleges and Universities with Low Tuition Costs; landed in College Total’s top three “Most Affordable Online Colleges” list; and ranked on EduMed’s list for the best online dental hygiene programs.

According to UniversityHQ, “While the primary criterion was the lowest tuition cost, we looked at

other aspects that made the schools special, unique, and beneficial to students.”

College Total echoed this detail when reviewing colleges for its list.

“Our team analyzed various components when ranking the best online colleges in Georgia,” College Total said on its website. “Some of the components we looked at included retention rates, graduation rates, and percentage of students that are taking online classes. While those were all important components to finding the best online colleges in Georgia, our team looked at numerous other components throughout the ranking process.”

Douglasville site expands at new location In August, GHC moved from its former location on Stewart Parkway in Douglasville to a new location at the Murray Educational Center on Bill Arp Road (Highway 5) to further expand degree offerings to students in Douglas County. The move also opened up more ways to take classes this fall in Douglasville with options for remote instruction.

With the new remote instruction option, Douglasville students are able to take classes from home while pursuing a wider array of pathways than ever before. The ability to attend traditional face-to-face classes in a virtual format will now give students in Douglas County the advantage of completing pathways or courses offered at nearly any GHC location each semester.

“The move to this new location and our new class offerings allows us the chance to truly grow and tell our Douglasville community in a big way that ‘we are here,’” Douglasville Site Director Julia Areh said. “We want to bring even more opportunity to our Douglasville students and to our future students who are looking for that access to a college degree that will put them on track to a degree and career they want with little to no debt after graduating with us.

Our mission is to help our community continue to take charge of the future together.”

The Douglasville location was opened in 2010 becoming GHC’s fifth location. GHC is a state col-

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lege in the University System of Georgia and currently serves more than 6,000 students across five locations in Rome, Cartersville, Dallas, Douglasville, and Marietta.

In 2018, GHC was reaffirmed by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC), and in 2012, the college was also given Level II status by SACSCOC, allowing the institution to begin offering four-year degrees.

SACSCOC said GHC was a “dynamic, vibrant community” that is open, enthusiastic, displays mutual respect between faculty and staff, encourages open dialogue between students and employees, and overall has a “commitment to students and to the mission of the college.”

GHC currently offers over 30 areas of study both in the classroom and online with associate degree and bachelor’s degree options at one of the most affordable rates in the state and country at less than $8,000 and less than $16,000 respectively.

In addition to a growing number of two-year and four-year programs, students can pursue a Bachelor of Science in both nursing and dental hygiene, a Bachelor of Science in Health Science, and a Bachelor of Business Administration in both healthcare management and logistics and supply chain management.

Georgia Highlands College announced it would transition from housing Divisions to housing Schools beginning fall semester 2020, allowing for more rapid and innovative curriculum design that meets workforce needs and prepares students for continuing their studies even into graduate school.

This announcement arrived on the heels of several new programs that started this fall at GHC, including pathways in sports management, film production, graphic design, and a new bachelor’s in health science.

As of fall semester, GHC will oversee five schools: School of Business and Professional Studies; School of Health Sciences; School of Humanities; School of Social Sciences and Education; and School of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics).

“The realignment of academic disciplines that came with the move from Divisions to Schools provides for greater opportunities to spread ideas and increase undergraduate research possibilities,” Provost and Chief Academic Officer Dana Nichols said.

Nichols said an academic School represents a grouping of related academic disciplines with deanlevel leadership dedicated to constantly advancing instruction and high-impact practices. This transition, Nichols said, will better impact a student’s experience at GHC by allowing deans to have a more targeted focus.

For instance, bringing multiple Divisions together into the School of STEM under one dean allows for multidisciplinary studies and research that previously wouldn’t have been as easy to organize.

“When I arrived at GHC in 2018, Academic Affairs was organized into five large teaching Divisions with deans but no Division Chairs,” Nichols said, adding that in this situation the deans had to

focus on scheduling and other operations rather than specifically targeting curriculum innovation and practices.

Division Chairs were put into place on Aug. 1, 2019 and have been highly effective in their roles, Nichols said, and getting the Division Chairs in place and trained was the first step toward the establishing of Schools.

“Now, the Division Chairs can assume some of the critical operational functions such as scheduling, and free the deans up to focus on the big picture and long-term goals for their areas,” Nichols said.

“Regardless of what labels we use, GHC has always provided – and will continue to provide – top-notch education at an affordable price.”

CARES Act funds distributed to students affected by semester changes This fall, Georgia Highlands College began distributing $2,110,118 in CARES Act funds to students affected by changes due to COVID-19.

The $2.2 trillion Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act, or CARES Act, was passed by Congress and signed by President Donald Trump in March. Of that money, approximately $14 billion was given to the Office of Postsecondary Education as the Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund, or HEERF.

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Campus News

GHC reorganizes academic areas with clear focus on innovative curriculum and local workforce needs

Campus News

Market demand sparks new bachelor’s degree in health science Georgia Highlands College is helping students meet the need for the quickly expanding healthcare sector in Georgia by offering a new bachelor’s in health science. Students interested in working toward a career in the field of healthcare were given a new opportunity at GHC beginning fall 2020.

The U.S. Department of Labor’s (DOL) Bureau of Labor Statistics projects that healthcare occupations will grow 18 percent through 2026 – much faster than the average for all occupations – adding about 2.4 million new jobs.

“Currently, more than 25 percent of the students at the college are enrolled in a healthcare-related pathway,” Dean of Health Sciences Michelle Boyce said. “By offering this new program, students now have the opportunity to continue their education at GHC to obtain a bachelor’s degree and help fill employment needs in our local area. Students can gain employment immediately upon graduation or they can apply to professional graduate programs such as public health, physical therapy, dietetics, or medical school.”

GHC’s health science degree can be completed full-time in four years. Students with an associate degree in a health profession can complete the program in one to two years, depending on previous coursework.

“Students who have previously completed an associate degree in healthcare career programs such as Radiologic Technology, Surgical Technology, or

Pharmacy Technology can also transfer to GHC and complete a bachelor’s degree,” Boyce said.

The DOL estimated there were 57,570 health educators in 2016 and employment is projected to grow 21 percent. The Georgia Department of Labor (GDOL) projects annual growth of 2.3 percent per year for healthcare occupations, and 15 of the 20 fastest growing occupations are in healthcare or are healthcare related.

Graduates of GHC’s program will be able to perform, develop, evaluate, correlate, and assure the accuracy and validity of health programs and health information.

“GHC graduates will be able to direct and supervise health education programs and operations and collaborate with clinicians and the general population,” Boyce said. “Furthermore, they will be equipped to provide information crucial to improve the health of all individuals.”

New graphic design program now offered Students with an interest or natural talent in design now have an opportunity to further their skills and establish a rewarding career in the field of graphic design with a new associate degree at Georgia Highlands College.

“Students will be able to design and layout commercial artwork in conjunction with advertising and marketing organizations,” Humanities Division Chair Allen Dutch said of the program, which began in the fall. “Our students will receive a foundation in these skills that they will take with them into the workplace or on to a four-year program.”

The 60-hour pathway should take about four semesters to complete if students attend GHC full time.

According to the U.S Bureau of Labor Statistics

18 | Fall/Winter 2020

Occupational Outlook for 2019, there are currently almost 300,000 Americans working in this industry with a median income of $52,000 per year.

“This pathway was created for students that would like to be involved in a career in artistic design both by hand and by utilizing computer software and techniques,” Dutch said. “The pathway is designed for students that would like to continue on to attain a bachelor’s degree from a four-year program.”

Current instructors Brian Barr and Russell Cook are experienced in fine art, design, and illustration.

The program will be adding additional instructors with computer graphic and digital design skills, as well.

Students now have the opportunity to learn the skills necessary to work in one of the fastest growing film industries right here in Georgia with a new pathway offered at Georgia Highlands College. Starting fall 2020, GHC students in the new film pathway will choose between a Film Studies or a Film Production track putting them on the path to join any one of the hundreds of productions currently being filmed in Georgia for movies like Marvel’s “Avengers” series or Netflix shows like “Stranger Things.”

“The ability to tell a story is a fundamental skill that proves useful in many modern career paths,” Humanities Chair Seth Ingram said. “Visual media is now more than ever a common tool of human communication. The skills acquired in our film studies program not only focus on the art aspects of film but also on film as a vocation.”

Since the State of Georgia’s creation of the Georgia Entertainment Industry Investment Act, Georgia has established itself as a leading production hub for both feature films and television productions.

“This act has created a workforce need on film sets across Georgia,” Ingram said. “The Georgia Film Academy (GFA) was established to serve this demand by training students to be ‘set ready’ upon

completing the program. The GHC and GFA partnership will provide students choosing a path in production to be workforce ready while allowing the student the option to continue their education towards a higher degree. The GFA Production Track capstones by offering students the opportunity to apply for an onset internship on a major production. The internships are focused within specific departments of the film production.”

The Georgia Film Academy is a collaboration of the University System of Georgia and the Technical College System of Georgia created by state leadership to meet education and workforce needs for high demand careers in Georgia’s film and creative industries.

The GFA higher education program offers rigorous professional training, and may lead to union-covered film and television production craft internships and placement in creative industries apprenticeships and jobs.

The Film Studies Pathway will prepare students to enter a baccalaureate program for film or media studies. Completion of the second pathway, Film Production, will earn graduates an associate degree, preparing students to jump immediately into an onset film career.

FILM– continued on page 20

Learn more at film.highlands.edu

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Campus News

Students at GHC can now join the rapidly growing film industry in Georgia

Campus News

New pathway in sports management opens up career possibilities for GHC students Georgia Highlands College began providing students an opportunity to enter the growing world of sports management by introducing the Sports Management Pathway this fall.

“This program was developed to meet a growing need of professionals that are interested in a career in business and sports/fitness,” Department Chair of Kinesiology and Wellness Lisa Jellum said. “This pathway allows for graduates to pursue a career in sports taking on a multitude of roles, including a coach, booking agent, event coordinator, fitness professional, facilities manager, sport marketing professional, sales coordinator, or serving in guest relations.”

Sports management is more than professional athletes and ball games. It’s a big business full of huge budget decisions and complex negotiations in which managers will need to draw on their knowledge of health, fitness, business, and law. Graduates of the Sports Management Pathway may go on to organize the Super Bowl, work for the New York Yankees, or build a facility plan for a major college

or university. Other graduates, for example, may seek to oversee and manage their local city’s youth basketball league or recreation department.

“Getting a degree in Sports Management is a great move for people wanting to be involved with both the business side of the field, including marketing, management and ownership, as well as sports and recreation,” Jellum said.

“There are lucrative job opportunities for people in this field of study.”

Sports management calls for the combination of skills related to planning, organizing, directing, controlling, budgeting, leading, and evaluating within the context of an organization or department whose primary product or service is related to sport or physical activity.

Students who complete the pathway will be prepared to continue their education and expand their career opportunities by transferring into bachelor programs in areas such as Sports Management, Recreation Administration, Fitness Leadership, Outdoor Recreation Management, or Leisure Studies.

The pathway may be completed in two years.

FILM– continued from page 19

The courses will be taught by Ingram as well as Assistant Professor of Humanities Amy Gandolfi.

Ingram, a film scholar, has been with GHC for years working in technology while also working independently as a writer, director, and producer for the film and television industry. He is well known in the Rome community as the director of the Rome International Film Festival (RIFF), which celebratesits 17th year in November 2020.

Gandolfi, also a film scholar, taught the courses Film History, Film Aesthetics and Analysis, and Media, Ethics and Society at Georgia State University. Among other courses within the GHC’s Communication Department, she has been teaching Introduction to Mass Communication at GHC since 2014.

In addition to instructors with a history in film, Georgia Highlands College has a track record of

20 | Fall/Winter 2020

graduating students with undeniable talent in the field. For example, alumnus Keitravis Squire coowns the independent production company Imprint Studios and has received numerous accolades and awards for his work. His short film, “Midnight Blue,” won numerous awards, including Best Film Noir Short, Gold Award in the April 2018 Independent Shorts Awards, Special Mention in the 2018 Global Shorts competition, and recognition as a Semi-Finalist in the 2018 Los Angeles CineFest.

“The Film Studies Pathways at GHC have already been met with an overwhelming response and the classes filled up quickly for the fall 2020,” Ingram said. “As the program continues to grow, GHC hopes to expand the offerings and the program in the not-so-distant future.”

Georgia Highlands College (GHC) and the University of West Georgia (UWG) have signed articulation agreements to help students in GHC’s Recreation Administration or Sports Management pathways continue their education.

“This articulation agreement allows GHC graduates a seamless transfer to a bachelor’s degree in Sports Management at UWG,” Dean of Health Sciences Michelle Boyce said.

While students at GHC have a variety of courses they can take in the two pathways, the agreement has allowed GHC to identify the courses required to enter the bachelor’s degree at UWG. Boyce said this will help with advising students and prevent them from taking courses not needed.

“Students who graduate from GHC with a pathway in Recreation Administration or Sports Management now can have all courses taken in the degree program transfer to UWG, saving our students time

and money,” Boyce said.

Students can pursue a variety of Sports Management and Recreation Administration careers. While enrolled in courses at GHC, students will design, develop and manage a chosen event or program.

Faculty also incorporate guest speakers in the sports industry as well as tours, and GHC students have opportunities to access paid and unpaid externships in collaboration with UWG faculty.

Those who complete the Sports Management pathway may go on to work in sport finance and fitness administration, communications and media, facilities and event management, as well as sport finance, law, marketing, and research. Recreation Administration graduates may go on to work for recreation centers, parks, cruise ships, gyms, and other facilities that provide recreation and leisure services to the general public.

First virtual signing highlights transfer partnership into a GHC four-year degree Georgia Highlands College (GHC) made history this May after holding a virtual signing for an articulation agreement with Georgia Piedmont Technical College (GPTC).

Students who earn an associate degree in applied sciences from GPTC now have the option to transfer seamlessly into a bachelor’s in health science at GHC. In order to make this new transfer agreement possible for students without delay, GHC and GPTC participated in their first ever virtual articulation agreement signing.

“We are so excited to be completing this articulation agreement,” GHC President Don Green said in the virtual signing. “It provides great instruction at a low cost and a tremendous opportunity for students to get a pre-professional bachelor’s degree that allows them to move on to graduate school as well as the workforce.”

Joining President Green on screen to express their eagerness to provide this new opportunity to students at both institutions were GHC Provost and Chief Academic Officer Dana Nichols; GPTC President Tavarez Holston; and GPTC Vice President of Academic Affairs Cheree Williams.

“It’s a great way for our students – for when they complete their chosen pathway – to make a very

VIRTUAL SIGNING– (pictured top to bottom, left to right) GHC Provost and Chief Academic Officer Dana Nichols, GPTC Vice President of Academic Affairs Cheree Williams, GHC President Don Green, and GPTC President Tavarez Holston

seamless transition to another one of our great Georgia institutions,” President Holston said in the virtual signing. “I’m so excited about this opportunity for our students.”

Both institutions will work together to identify, recruit, and select students who clearly demonstrate TRANSFER– continued on page 22

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Campus News

Transfer agreements ease transition from fitness pathways to bachelor’s degrees

Campus News

New application keeps students safe online Georgia Highlands College (GHC) began to utilize Duo Security for student accounts this August, requiring the use of Duo Security for student accounts.

Duo is a multi-factor authentication service that protects accounts from malicious activities like hacking and identity theft.

“This service will enhance the security of student email, D2L, and Zoom accounts by requiring a second form of authentication in addition to a password when those systems are accessed,” GHC Information Security Officer Ian Fleming said. “GHC will be rolling out Single Sign-On services with Duo to more of our systems, such as SCORE, in the near future.”

GHC’s Information Security Program worked in consultation with the University System of Georgia’s Department of Cybersecurity and has determined that systems relying solely on a username and password (known as single sign-on) for authentication are increasingly at risk of compromise from social engineering attacks and weak password selections by their users.

“Securing information and information systems is an important responsibility for all USG institutions,” Fleming said. “GHC faculty and staff were already using Duo to protect their accounts. Based on their feedback, we’ve developed a comprehensive knowledge base about Duo, how to use it, and how it works to protect you.”

Fleming stated more information about Duo can be found at sites.highlands.edu/information-technology/duo/ Duo utilizes several ways to authenticate signing into a GHC account, including a text message or phone call, a push notification using the Duo Mobile app on a compatible smartphone, a six-digit passcode that appears in the Duo Mobile app on a compatible smartphone, or a physical U2F Security Key, such as a Yubico Security Key, connected to a computer.

Students can enroll in Duo today by visiting duoportal.highlands.edu

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Virtual summit helps participants better understand learning process Georgia Highlands College hosted its first Motivation and Mindset Summit on October 1. Funded through a University System of Georgia (USG) STEM Grant, the online summit coincided with USG’s Momentum Approach to cultivate a productive academic mindset including growth mindset, purpose, and social belonging.

GHC’s School of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) Division Chair Jayme Wheeler said the event helped participants better understand learning as a process.

“By attending the Motivation and Mindset Summit, faculty, staff, and students learned how to able to learn to implement strategies that they can use immediately in their classes, advising sessions, and studies to improve learning,” Wheeler said.

The summit featured workshops by Saundra McGuire, director emerita of the Center for Academic Success and retired assistant vice-chancellor and professor of chemistry at Louisiana State University.

McGuire has authored the books, “Teach Students How to Learn” for instructors and “Teach Yourself How to Learn” for students. Wheeler said both give strategies that aim to increase student success through metacognition and growth mindset and that McGuire’s strategies appeal to all disciplines taught at GHC. TRANSFER– continued from page 21

academic and personal competencies required to function as successful students and future health professionals as well as facilitate the transfer of all viable college courses as required in the University System of Georgia core curriculum.

Students will take at least 61 semester hours of general education core curriculum and occupational courses in health track that are provided at GPTC that includes receiving an Associate of Applied Science in Interdisciplinary Studies (Health Track) degree upon completion.

Students will then complete an additional 61 hours of BSHS curriculum at GHC for a total of 122 hours that is required to receive a Bachelor’s of Science with a major in Health Sciences degree.

In addition, GHC and West Georgia Technical College held a virtual signing this fall to highlight a new transfer partnership from West Georgia Technical College into Georgia Highlands College.

This year, over 100 high school students have enrolled in GHC’s Dual Enrollment program in Polk County and graduated while gaining college credit thanks to a partnership between GHC and the Polk County School District.

“Over the past five years, the partnership between the Polk School District and Georgia Highlands College has proven to be a tremendous asset for the students we serve and the Polk County community as a whole,” said Katherine Thomas who serves as Assistant Superintendent of Innovation and Learning for Polk School District and the Chief Executive Officer of Polk Career Academy. “Throughout our partnership, 110 students have taken Dual Enrollment courses with Georgia Highlands College. Of these students, 39 students completed an Associate Degree in General Studies two weeks before they graduated from their respective high school.”

More students are on track to graduate for the 2020-2021 school year.

“The value of this program is derived from the exposure, the opportunity, and the experience that our students are afforded through participating in the Dual Enrollment program,” Thomas said. “One of the main areas our program focuses on is the transition from secondary to post-secondary. So often students struggle with the transition to the post-secondary expectation.”

Dual Enrollment is a cost-effective way for students to earn college credit and allows students to get a jump start on their college degree.

“Tuition costs are covered by the state, which is a very cost-effective way for students to earn college credits, especially since the cost of education keeps increasing,” GHC Director of Admissions Maggie Schuyler said. “Dual Enrollment allows students to experience college and develop good study habits before they start college full time. Earning dualenrollment credits often times also helps students’ confidence and aids in the transition from high school to a full-time college student. It is very helpful for firstgeneration college students.”

Thomas continued, “We have also seen that students earning college credit through the Dual Enroll-

ment program can help ensure that the students will graduate from college on time — if not early.”

Thomas said the partnership allows Polk schools to provide an extra layer of support for students during this time in their educational career. She said students not only gain exposure to high rigor college coursework, they also walk away with invaluable experience in the form of understanding collegiate terminology, increased student responsibility and accountability, proficiently navigating online resources and more.

“Many of these factors often play a large role in student success when transitioning to the postsecondary environment,” Thomas said. “In this sense, our students are not simply ‘getting ahead,’ they are coming away from their secondary experience fully equipped with the resources and knowledge they need to be successful at the post-secondary level.”

She said throughout the life of the partnership, Polk schools have been witness to numerous positive outcomes with regard to students who participate in the Dual Enrollment program.

“In today’s educational environment, it has become clear that there does not exist a singular approach that fits every student’s needs and aspirations,” Thomas said. “Dual Enrollment provides opportunities for our students that cannot be provided at the secondary level alone. Many of our students go into their senior year with only one or two courses needed to complete their high school graduation requirements. Dual Enrollment courses allow students to take advantage of this time.”

She continued, “By exposing these students to the higher-level expectation at the collegiate level they are not simply earning college credit, saving money and time, or getting ahead in their educational career.

These students are able to begin their first year of college in an environment that is strictly focused on aiding them in the transition from high school to college.”

Georgia Highlands College offers Dual Enrollment courses on-campus and online. The college also partners with some area school districts to offer GHC courses at local high schools. For more information on Dual Enrollment, please visit highlands.edu

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Campus News

More than 100 high school students from Polk County School District have graduated with college credit from GHC

Campus News

Entrepreneur speaker series featured leading entrepreneurs with Chick-fil-A, the ‘Black Panther’ film, and global marketing roles This fall, GHC’s School of Business and Professional Studies presented a guest speaker series featuring entrepreneurs who have served in a variety of roles, including the design team for the 2018 Marvel Studios film “Black Panther,” the owner of the first Chick-fil-A in Brooklyn, N.Y., and a former Air Force Officer with global corporate marketing experience turned business founder.

This virtual event series was free and open to the public.

“This monthly series provided GHC students, alumni, and the surrounding business community an opportunity to learn from successful entrepreneurs and prominent business and nonprofit leaders,” event moderator and Assistant Professor of Business Administration Shanika Wright-Turner said.

The Entrepreneur Speaker Series sought to connect successful entrepreneurs with students and the community to share stories and advice in a virtual format.

Speakers featured during the series included Carl Ulysses, a master tailor to the stars, who has worked on over 30 films and was part of the Oscar award-

winning “Black Panther” design team and whose showroom is located in Buckhead; and Brandon Hurst, owner of the first Chick-fil-A in Brooklyn, N.Y. In addition, GHC’s School of Social Sciences and Education Curriculum Coordinator Pat Manna, an entrepreneur who has been involved in three startup companies with one culminating in an initial public offering, spoke during the series.

“Being an entrepreneur isn’t just about coming up with an idea, but being able to sell your idea to investors,” Manna said. “Unfortunately, because of technology we are losing the art of business communication.”

Manna spoke from his own experience as an entrepreneur while helping participants learn that entrepreneurship is a method for clearly creating and communicating one’s ideas throughout daily life.

“Entrepreneurship is a mindset not only for starting a business, but for improving an existing business and taking it to the next level,” Manna said.

“You have to be an entrepreneur in everything you do.”

Speaker series focused on unique careers and college pathways Georgia Highlands College presented its “Momentous Tuesday @ GHC Speaker Series” this fall. The series, which was free and open to the public, featured local business owners discussing their businesses and the path to their chosen career.

“This speaker series was a collaboration drawing from GHC’s annual Pathway Exploration event along with an opportunity to speak to local professionals about unique careers,” Librarian Jessica Osborne said.

Due to COVID-19, the inperson “Pathway Exploration” informational fairs were not held this semester. Instead, GHC faculty were available to address questions and discuss education pathways and career options dur-

24 | Fall/Winter 2020

ing the “Momentous Tuesday” events.

The speakers for the series work in a variety of different fields, ranging from photography and live-event painting to environmental preservation and a plant-based food service.

“These speakers are local professionals who came from backgrounds just like our students and were able to find satisfying careers in our area,” Osborne said.

Speakers included representatives from businesses such as Rooted in the Loop, Cindy Harter Photography, IAmNotMaggie, Big Door Vineyards, Kris Lavender Wedding & Event Planning, Pettit Environmental Preserve, and Pumpkinvine Gardens.

Campus News GHC’s ‘virtual hub’ offers better access With the start of fall classes, Georgia Highlands College launched a new “Virtual Hub” for student services at virtualservices.highlands.edu The new online hub allows students to video chat and connect with specialists in Enrollment Management, Financial Aid, Admissions, Advising, Business Office, and Student Support Services such as counseling, disability services, and WIOA. GHC’s Cartersville Campus Dean Leslie Johnson stated the new hub will better accommodate students by expanding online resources and helping students get answers quickly to the questions they may have.

“Since all of these services can be accessed at the same link, it is like a one-stop shop for student service questions,” Johnson added. “It actually functions like the physical HUBs located at each of our institution sites.”

The college’s Advising department used a similar virtual platform during the last several months to help students register for classes, and the success of that platform quickly led to several departments joining together to provide nearly all GHC’s student services

in the new “Virtual Hub.” “GHC is always open to serving our students in new ways. For example, our library offers online library assistance, our Information Technology office has a virtual help desk and our tutors can connect with students utilizing online tutorial services,” Johnson said. “Some individual departments also have some unique online options to help students and many of our faculty regularly meet with students in a virtual format.”

Students can click the “Virtual Hub” logo on various pages at highlands.edu to connect, or they can scan the QR Code from any poster on campus advertising the hub with their smart phone or tablet to get started.

Additionally, the new “Virtual Hub” can be accessed by logging in directly via Zoom at ghcvirtualhub.highlands.edu Users will connect to a virtual waiting room where they will be greeted by a host ready to assist with any questions.

TO LEARN ABOUT ADDITIONAL VIRTUAL SERVICES OFFERED AT GHC, GO TO THE VIRTUAL SERVICES WEBSITE AT VIRTUALSERVICES.HIGHLANDS.EDU highlands.edu | 25

Fall In-Service goes virtual at GHC Fall In-Service (FIS) is a tradition at Georgia Highlands College, serving as the kick-off to a new academic year with a range of topics that traditionally include the president’s state of the college address, the provost’s academic affairs update, a keynote speaker, and employee recognition.

Due to unprecedented changes, the planning and design of FIS 2020 had to take a different direction. However, it took no less time planning for the four to five-hour in-person events of years past. The outcome was a virtual event that consisted of a general assembly program with audience participation, 60 minutes in length, followed by a plethora of concurrent sessions.

One of the highlights of the 2020 virtual in-service event was the keynote address given by Jan Tidwell, a native of Bartow County and former GHC student, who earned her bachelor’s degree in nursing from the University of West Georgia and completed a master’s degree in nursing in 2014.

Tidwell has over 26 years of clinical experience and is the chief nursing officer at Cartersville Medical Center. She spoke about her appreciation of the solid nursing foundation and other benefits she received while at GHC, as well as how it has been the underpinning of her education and career.

“Historically, FIS has been a time filled with warm hellos, collegial hugs, catching up on summer activities, and lots of information sharing,” Vice President of Human Resources Ginni Siler said. “Sprinkled throughout the event is time for colleagues to reunite, share plans for the coming academic year, and visit with various sponsors and vendors.

When asked what is liked best about FIS, often the response is catching up with everyone.”

NOTE: Each year at FIS, a group photo of GHC employees is taken to commemorate the event. Due to COVID-19 restrictions and no in-person event, departments submitted photos from their zoom meetings to document and capture this moment in time.

26 | Fall/Winter 2020

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Campus News

GHC creates flexible class options, extra health and safety measures for fall semester

Students at Georgia Highlands College (GHC) System of Georgia in relying on expertise and guidhad a number of options to choose from when taking ance from the Governor’s COVID-19 Task Force, the Georgia Department of Public Health, and the classes during fall semester, including both online CDC,” GHC President Don Green said. “Our full and in-person as well as hybrid formats, depending on the student’s preference. Additionally, GHC post- return to campus required patience, adaptation to ed new guidelines and took extra health and safety change, and deliberate implementation as we moved measures to ensure students and employees could forward.” proceed with the fall semester while continuing to “The highest priority in our plan to return help stem the spread of the coronavirus in Georgia. is always the health and safety of our students, GHC and each of the University System of employees, and community,” Green added, “as well Georgia (USG) institutions proceeded with a return as our mission to graduate our students.” to campus for the fall semester which kicked off in GHC continues to take extra health and safety August. measures at each of its locations, including proviGHC faculty adapted fall classes to fit a number access to over 7,000 cloth masks for students and employees and nearly 300 clear masks and face of variations from which students chould choose.

“We understand the COVID-19 situation is fluid shields for classroom instructors; an additional and we will continue to work with the University RETURN– continued on page 29

FALL 2020 CLASS OPTIONS AT-A-GLANCE IN-PERSON

Classes meet on the days and times listed in “Course Offerings” at the location detailed.

Social distancing measures are in place, with smaller class sizes so students can spread out.

WEB-BASED

Classes do not meet at a designated location or time. Students log-in to D2L to complete coursework. Students should be motivated and great at time-management.

Much of the work is self-paced, but assignments and assessments must be completed by due dates outlined in the course syllabus.

28 | Fall/Winter 2020

HYBRID

Classes meet in person on the day, time, and location listed in “Course Offerings,” and there is also a required online component, typically delivered via D2L (an online student learning platform).

eCLASSROOM

Classes meet live online on the day and time listed in “Course Offerings.” Students must use GHC’s Zoom web meeting system, which is a free application that can be accessed via a computer, tablet, or phone.

eCORE/eMAJOR

Online classes that are offered through a partnership with the USG and are taught by faculty from various institutions in the USG.

As students work through the difficulties and stress of attending college during the COVID-19 pandemic, GHC’s team of advisors has worked tirelessly to ensure students have the information and guidance they need in order to charge forward with their academic goals.

Online Advising Coordinator and eCampus Liaison Lesli Terrell-Payne said the most common concern students have addressed with advisors during the pandemic has been class delivery.

“Many of our students prefer face-to-face instruction, and taking classes online is just not their ideal learning environment,” Terrell-Payne said. “I think that GHC has done a good job of providing options to students, and since many students work 30-plus hours, juggling an online schedule along with work and family responsibilities is always a challenge.”

To help accommodate students in a changing world outside of the classroom, GHC has established flexible class options in the form of online, in-person, and hybrid formats, and has created a “Virtual Hub” for students to video chat and connect with specialists in Advising as well as Enrollment Management, Financial Aid, Admissions, Business Office and Student Support Services such as counseling, disability services, and WIOA. “Video conferencing has made it easy to still have meaningful advising sessions with our students which I know they have appreciated, and from my perspective, I have, too,” Terrell-Payne said. “I have personally heard from many of my students that have struggled through these times whether financially, having access to technology, transitioning to online, or just feeling overwhelmed.”

Terrell-Payne said although the platform that advisors use to communicate with students has changed,

they are still able to reach students on a more personal level, helping them to keep an eye on the future as they work through an unpredictable present.

“Advising is so much more than helping students choose classes or change their major. We have a front row seat in helping Terrell-Payne students reach their goals, tackle problems, shape their study habits, and look beyond GHC,” Terrell-Payne said. “I never had that kind of experience when I was in college and just felt I was on my own most of the time, so being able to do this type of work – especially in the middle of a pandemic – is really fulfilling.”

While Terrell-Payne has long used virtual communication methods to advise online students, working from home herself has presented its own set of challenges. However, being in a situation similar to what students experience has helped Terrell-Payne to better understand their situations and make a connection.

“Often when one of my cats, Snowbell, walks across my laptop, the students will comment and then we will talk about their pets, so the pets have actually created some bonding moments,” Terrell-Payne said.

“I think it makes advisors seem like ‘real people’ with kids, pets, and distractions just like students have. I do miss being on campus and seeing my students face-toface, and I miss my office and the scenery. But overall, I have felt safe working at home and confident in my abilities to assist our students.”

RETURN– continued from page 28

Face coverings are not required when alone in an enclosed office or study room or in campus outdoor settings where social distancing requirements are met.

Anyone not using a face covering when required will be asked to wear one or must leave the area.

Repeated refusal to comply with the requirement may result in discipline through the applicable conduct code for faculty, staff or students.

Reasonable accommodations may be made for those who are unable to wear a face covering for documented health reasons.

You can learn more about the details regarding face covering at usg.edu/coronavirus

750,000 disinfectant wipes for increased cleaning, including disinfectant spray bottles and wipes for exercise facilities; plexiglass stations in main offices; increased sanitizer stations; extra nightly cleaning measures including the use of disinfectant foggers on restrooms, hallways, and classrooms; and much more.

Additionally, all USG institutions require all faculty, staff, students, and visitors to wear an appropriate face covering while inside campus facilities/buildings where six feet social distancing may not always be possible. Face covering use is in addition to and is not a substitute for social distancing.

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Campus News

Advisors help students overcome pandemic stress

Campus News

How two of GHC’s more popular programs make classes safe and effective for in-person instruction College classes look a lot different than a year ago due to COVID-19, but thanks to attentive, caring faculty members at Georgia Highlands College, students remain on-track toward graduation. Two of GHC’s more popular programs, nursing and dental hygiene, continue to take a multipronged approach.

Faculty and staff in health sciences have expanded elements of instruction virtually while also creating a safer in-person classroom experience.

From the implementation of increased personal protective equipment (PPE) to online clinical simulation programs, GHC is ensuring nursing and dental hygiene students will have the skills and experience necessary to begin successful careers in healthcare upon graduation.

EXTRA PROTECTION

GHC’s overall campus guidelines include wearing a mask, remaining six feet apart, and cleaning work surfaces regularly. More on that can be found at chargeahead.highlands.edu Even so, sometimes classes may require “close contact” scenarios to ensure students are able to practice and learn the skills component or hands-on portion of a particular course, like certain labs taken by dental hygiene students.

“The nature of skills courses requires close contact, so students and faculty are required to wear a level 2 surgical mask at all times,” Director of Dental Hygiene Regina Gupta said.

Additionally, added personal protective equipment is always worn in labs and clinical settings; students are assigned to one workstation for the entire semester in lab activities; and increased sanitizing of the work area occurs at each session.

“Our program has always strictly implemented guidelines for infection control, and added PPE is the biggest change,” Gupta said. “This is the first time we have mandated the use of N95 masks for aerosolproducing activities.”

Both the dental hygiene and nursing programs abide by all CDC guidelines, including the use of personal protective equipment and the sanitization of workstations, working to help prevent the spread of COVID-19.

The dental hygiene program continues to provide patient services and has also purchased additional personal protective equipment, including N95 masks and full-face shields. The program also follows all

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guidelines of the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Occupational Health and Safety Act, and Georgia Board of Dentistry, which includes screening all students, faculty, staff, and patients who enter the Heritage Hall instructional site in Rome.

Gupta added that additional technology and online methods created by faculty have also played a big part in teaching students during the pandemic.

NEW TECHNOLOGY

On top of utilizing remote instruction measures for teaching courses like Nursing Theory through video conferencing programs, new online clinical simulation programs have set the standard for moving forward at GHC and allows students to simulate real-world interactions with patients.

“These simulation programs have been a huge success, and we are going to continue to use them,” Dean of Health Sciences Michelle Boyce said. “Faculty have also created some online methods to evaluate clinical scenarios.”

The nursing program utilizes several different modalities for simulation. For the highest level of simulation, known as High Fidelity Simulation, the program incorporates a computer-aided mannequin to mimic a variety of real-life patient scenarios.

“These mannequins have pulses, lung sounds, and voice responses,” Assistant Director of Nursing Shea Walker said. “They can be adjusted to react to

Campus News

the different responses the students make based on the clinical scenario.”

The program has also incorporated the use of simulated charting and case study software allowing students to answer questions and document in a client chart based on a specific patient scenario. Students then assess the patient, examine and listen to heart and lung sounds, and perform a full assessment in the virtual world.

“The use of virtual simulation provides students the opportunity to use clinical judgment and apply knowledge they have gained in the classroom to a clinical situation,” Walker said. “This virtual simulation allows the opportunity to mimic face-to-face clinical situations, and students can perfect the skill of making appropriate decisions and obtaining pertinent clinical data through the use of these products.”

Walker said students benefit from virtual simulation training in many ways, with high fidelity simulation filling in the gaps of hands-on tasks and allowing the student to complete skills such as IV insertion while utilizing clinical judgment.

“In this new COVID environment, students still have the opportunity to practice their skills and hone the art of making clinical decisions in a safe environment,” Walker said. “Key clinical skills are still practiced and perfected in these virtual worlds, and the students are prepared to care for clients once in the hospital setting.”

CAREER ATMOSPHERE

The strict implementation of guidelines for infection control and the use of new technology is all part of the job when you graduate and begin working in the field, GHC’s health sciences faculty explained. And many of the changes faced by working health sciences careers today may become the new standard of operation.

Gupta explained that just in the dentistry field it appears “many of these PPE changes are here to stay.”

“So, whatever we are doing in our students’ professional training should continue to match what will be needed in the practice of dental hygiene when they are employed as hygienists,” Gupta added.

Gearing students for careers after graduation remains a chief mission among all programs at GHC. Faculty have continued to adapt curriculum to be safer for in-person instruction; to include the use of new technology; and to reflect what students are expected to know when they enter the workforce.

Visit chargeahead.highlands.edu for more information about classes, campus guidelines, and how GHC is continuing to make classes safe and effective for inperson instruction.

highlands.edu | 31

Campus News Libraries expand resources for fall semester GHC’s library system has been working hard to provide additional resources to help enhance the numerous education options being offered this fall semester, including in-person, remote, and hybrid classes.

One area in particular that GHC’s libraries utilized for fall semester is computer technology, which is expected to see an uptick in use as students engage in the wide-ranging class formats.

Fleschner “It has always been deeply engrained in the field of library and information science to provide tools, knowledge, and technology to support student learning in all modalities,” said Dean of Libraries and College Testing Julius Fleschner. “At GHC, the libraries have paid a great deal of attention to our physical layout to make it as conducive to student learning as possible.”

Fleschner explained that in addition to the wellknown resources provided by GHC’s libraries such as books or periodicals, access to computers, and laptop rentals helped students this semester to have the tools they needed for a successful semester at GHC.

32 | Fall/Winter 2020

Beyond expanding resources, the libraries also implemented safety measures for the fall semester including a new “Grab and Go” system.

“Students will use our Grab and Go system to request books. Essentially, they will make a digital request, and we will have it processed for them to pick up in a couple days,” Fleschner said. “Students can also request research help via library chat on our website or in a D2L discussion forum. To help educate our community about these changes, a video tutorial will be emailed out to all students and GHC employees.”

Fleschner said the libraries’ efforts have been very successful and have resulted in more engagement from students and faculty thanks to resources such as Kanopy, an on-demand video streaming service.

“One great thing that happened since the rapid shift to remote instruction is that our online resources have seen an increase in usage,” Fleschner said.

“All of this work could not happen without dedicated individuals in the libraries. Everyone has taken this moment as an opportunity to rethink what we do, how we do it, and why it gets done,” Fleschner said. “This has led us to develop new and innovative tools to reach our patrons.”

Students can learn more about the library services by visiting “My GHC Library” in D2L.

Despite moving to remote operations this spring, Georgia Highlands College continued its annual student art exhibit in a virtual format allowing students to place their work on display while giving others the opportunity to see students’ talent and creative efforts.

“Usually we have a spring exhibition of work that had been produced in the art program’s studio courses, and we exhibit the work in the Lakeview Art Gallery,” Humanities Professor Brian Barr said.

“This year, since we were working remotely, the art faculty set up the online exhibit, so it worked the same way – we had students submit their assignments online, and we selected pieces from that collection. There were no awards this year, but the pieces were chosen by the course instructors.”

Barr said once the college moved to remote teaching, instructors revised the normal assignments to new subjects that could be better completed at home, such as drawing from photographs and interior studies. Instructors then used synchronous, virtual class-meetings to evaluate students’ work.

Most of the show came from the work that students did remotely. About 20 of the 30 submissions received were placed on display.

GHC student Julia Belew, of Adairsville, entered several of her pieces in the exhibit. Belew, who is pursuing an Associate of Arts in Art, is no stranger to having her work on display and has fond memories of a lifetime of sharing her work with others.

VIRTUAL SHOW– GHC student Julia Belew, of Adairsville, entered several of her pieces in the exhibit.

“My artwork is very personal to me as I’m sure it is for most artists, but I progressed so much as an artist last semester working with [GHC] Professor Barr and I wanted to show off that progression via the art exhibit,” Belew said. “Before starting Drawing I, it was rare that I stepped back from a finished piece and felt proud, but last semester, I created several pieces I am proud of.”

She said while the transition to an online learning format has some challenges, she feels her instructors have continued to provide quality instruction outside of the traditional classroom setting.

“All my teachers at [GHC] have been really wonderful with the switch [to remote delivery],” Belew said.

48th annual honor ceremony held online To continue recognizing students for their academic achievements over the past year, Georgia Highlands College brought its 2020 Honors Ceremony to a virtual format.

Although all operations were impacted this year

by COVID-19, it was important for GHC to continue recognizing students for their achievements.

The event was presented through a video compiled of prerecorded messages from faculty and student-submitted photos. Faculty and staff nominated award winners earlier in the spring semester and then created short videos of themselves presenting the awards. Event organizers contacted the students being recognized and gave them the opportunity to submit their own photos to be used in the production. Award certificates were mailed to their home addresses.

The program included several categories of awards and recognition, such as Academic Awards, Athletic Awards, Special Recognition Awards, and Leadership Awards.

While the event highlighted the achievements of many GHC students, the college recognizes that all students go above and beyond in their roles inside and outside the GHC community. Examples are students who are able to overcome academic struggles by passing difficult courses, who manage careers and families while working toward degrees, and who successfully made the transition to remote delivery this semester.

Recognizing success is key in validating the student experience at GHC, and it will continue as an essential practice of the college.

highlands.edu | 33

Campus News

Virtual art exhibition showcases student work

Campus News

Business competition draws creativity and strategy from students Some of Georgia Highlands College’s best and brightest students have worked together to propose products and ideas to help make the world a better place. In the vein of the popular television series “Shark Tank,” GHC launched the Charger Innovation Challenge (CIC) in spring 2020 with a virtual competition being held in late April.

“The Charger Innovation Challenge is very similar to the television series ‘Shark Tank,’” Social Sciences Curriculum Coordinator Patrick Manna said.

“The only difference is that we are not asking students to create a business or marketing plan. One of the primary objectives is for teams to identify a void in the marketplace or a need that could be filled by an innovative product or service. Everyone knows ‘Shark Tank,’ so the general idea is to create a real-world experience pitching to real-world practitioners and to answer questions on their feet as well as encourage critical thinking. We want teams to be innovative and the bring us their ‘Big Idea.’”

Manna said the CIC is based on the Bulldog Business Bowl he created while teaching at the Citadel, the military college of South Carolina. It was then modified by Social Sciences Assistant Professor Lucinda Montgomery specifically for GHC students.

“We have a unique student population at GHC, and my goal was to tweak what worked at the Citadel and format it in a way that would provide our student body the opportunity to present their ideas,” Montgomery said.

Manna said the CIC is a new venture modeling format and that the questions needing to be answered through the presentations are about the potential market need and the big idea to fulfill that market need.

“Only the student’s imagination will limit the ideas we receive,” Montgomery said leading up to the competition. “The ideas presented could be anything from solving a problem they have encountered or even an idea to improve on something that is already in the market. The sky is the limit.”

Some say that in business there are only detours, not roadblocks. This concept rang true as GHC con-

34 | Fall/Winter 2020

verted to remote operations in March.

“I do not think the words ‘cancel’ or ‘postpone’ ever came to our minds when GHC moved to remote delivery,” Montgomery said. “The question that came up in conversations between Pat and I was, ‘How do we pivot and continue the competition for students?

We go digital.’”

The creation of the CIC allowed students to draw from their classroom experience and translate it to a real-world scenario.

“We hope to provide a realworld experience, enhance student’s critical thinking skills, engage local business leaders, and provide an opportunity for students to show everyone what they are made of,” Manna said.

“All of this allows us to expand the GHC brand while engaging businesses and entrepreneurial leaders.”

For a competition of such high caliber, only the best judges were recruited.

“Our judges were business practitioners with decades of experience,” Montgomery said. “We have a vice president of marketing and customer solutions, a retired member of the New York Stock Exchange, the president of a media company, as well as a franchisee who operates high-traffic restaurant locations in the metro-Atlanta area.”

This year’s winner is Team Thayer, composed of students Scott Thayer, Nathaniel Carr, and Brady Smith.

Smith, who attends the Cartersville site and is majoring in GHC’s Bachelor of Business Administration Logistics and Supply Chain Management program, said the team’s proposed product aided safety, convenience, and sustainability.

“We proposed a disposable product that would be inexpensive to produce and easy to recycle that would allow those working in car shops and hangar’s an added benefit of safety and convenience,” Smith said.

“Safety comes from the ability to immediately dispose of the product after coming into contact with oil or grease, as well as being made from a slick-proof material itself. Convenience – in that it allows those working in the shop to get into customers cars – as well as CHALLENGE– continued on page 36

Campus News Remote learning expands student newspaper’s focus to stream news in a podcast The student newspaper at Georgia Highlands College, the Six Mile Post (SMP), has moved into streaming.

From politics to school news and Netflix, the SMP’s recent podcast series ran the gamut on hot topics as people everywhere had to acclimate to a new world of social distancing.

Students Carson Graham and Scout Hodgins, who both attend the Floyd Campus and are majoring in communications, created a new platform for the GHC community to be educated and entertained during this unique time.

Originally designed as an extension of the student newspaper, the podcast quickly grew in popularity as all students, faculty, and staff at GHC moved to remote delivery in March 2020 to help stem the spread of coronavirus.

“We started discussing the possibilities of a podcast in late February, but the first episode didn’t air until March,” Hodgins said. “We have recorded our final episode for the semester and ended with nine episodes overall.”

A podcast is a digital file posted online that often includes both audio and video. Podcasts serve as a medium for information and entertainment in the digital age, similar to radio broadcasts.

While both students say they thoroughly enjoyed the experience of creating and hosting the series, the work they did also translates to their future careers in communication.

“I’ve learned a lot of production work. Carson and I both have planned and edited episodes,” Hodgins said. “I also composed the intro and outro music for the podcast, so learning to record and edit audio has been a big part of the learning process. I learned that I like to research topics heavily before I speak on them, and I hope that I’ve gotten better at research. I also learned that I do like broadcasting and that maybe I should continue to be involved with broadcasting in some sense in the future.”

Graham said she enjoys doing the podcast because they are an extension of the SMP newspaper but can be more personal.

“We have received overwhelmingly positive feedback from students and faculty,” Graham said. “The most important lesson I have learned is that despite circumstances, like the quarantine, it is still very important to keep busy with projects like podcasts to keep our mental health up.”

Graham and Hodgins were encouraged by faculty to create the podcast based on their talent and educational abilities. Both students spoke during the 90th Georgia Communication Association Conference held in February at GHC’s Cartersville site, and were approached by Assistant Professor of Humanities and SMP Faculty Advisor Allison Hattaway about starting the podcast.

Graham said she was intrigued by the idea of having an extracurricular activity.

PODCAST– continued on page 36

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Campus News

Phi Theta Kappa overcomes pandemic setbacks for a successful year Although COVID-19 and the switch to remote delivery at the college caused some setbacks, GHC’s Alpha Psi Omicron chapter of Phi Theta Kappa (PTK) overcame many obstacles to achieve a series of state and national first place awards and accolades.

PTK received the following awards: Top Distinguished College Project, Top 5-Star Chapter Status, Reach Rewards Status, being named a Top Regional Chapter, Regional Office Chapter, Regional Top 5-Star Status, and Regional Award in Excellence for Scholarship. In addition, member Dalton Swanson received the Regional Hall of Honor and GHC President Don Green was recognized as Distinguished Administrator and as PTK’s 2020 Shirley B. Gordon Award of Distinction. Other chapter awards include Distinguished Honors in Action (HIA) Theme 2 Runner-Up and Regional Office Chapter.

CHALLENGE– continued from page 34 walk back inside the shop without risk of tracking oil grease.”

Smith said Thayer presented the idea to the group, and the creative process grew from there.

“As someone that watches ‘Shark Tank’ weekly and loves the idea of investing into companies, this was a great opportunity,” Smith said. “Unlike ‘Shark Tank’ where I am looking at the show from the point of view of the investor only, I was able to look at our pitch from start to finish as the investor as well as the one with the product. So, while we weren’t concerned with selling part of our company, we were concerned with

PTK officers Dalton Swanson, Madhavi Scharko, and Dajah Dixon along with alumni Thomas Boylan, Lexii Daniel, and Karishma Patel attended PTK’s Fall Regional Conference at Atlanta Metro College in October supporting the regional service project which collected education and hygiene supplies for a Mozambique village for Mission Machangulo.

During the conference – in addition to earning numerous chapter awards – the Georgia Regional Alumni Chapter was chartered and faculty lead advisor Karen Huggin was inducted as PTK’s Associate Regional Coordinator.

Huggin said the team has found ways to connect with members and other chapters around the country, and they are working on steps to achieve 5-Star Chapter Status for the new year as well as attending PTK’s first International Catalyst Virtual Conference.

selling our idea, which is the first step to any entrepreneurial beginning.”

He said the Charger Innovation Challenge had a direct correlation with what he learned in the classroom.

“Marketing, procurement, outsourcing as well as our assignments on company strategies has taught me the ways many businesses have been able to begin as an idea, and how to coherently come up with a strategy to get a business off the ground,” Smith said.

The long-term goal of the CIC is to evolve into a full-fledged business plan competition that would take place over a full academic year.

PODCAST– continued from page 35

“I have always just been going to school, work, then home,” Graham said. “I was very excited and am very grateful to have something meaningful to do with my time.”

Graham and Hodgins each had favorite episodes they have produced.

“The first one that comes to mind is Episode 8, where we interviewed GHC President Don Green,” Hodgins said. “He’s a down-to-earth guy and I enjoyed talking to him about what’s going on at Georgia Highlands College.”

Graham said her favorite episode was one of the first.

“My favorite episodes were the ones toward the

36 | Fall/Winter 2020

beginning when the U.S. presidential election was starting to heat up,” Graham said. “I love talking about politics, so it was a great time to research and discuss the current events.”

Graham and Hodgins both said they appreciate the opportunity to work with the podcast. Hodgins said his experience with SMP has helped him to understand more what his future will be like in communications.

“It’s been great for me because now I have a better idea of what I may want to pursue as a career in the future,” Hodgins said. “I think that the community should know how much work goes into Six Mile Post productions. The staff takes pride in its work, and that shows.”

Visit sixmilepost.com to access podcasts.

The Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice program at Georgia Highlands College, which began in 2019, is celebrating its first graduate, Richey Harrell. Harrell’s accomplishment coincided with the college’s 50th graduation commencement celebrated virtually on July 25.

“I had been involved in law enforcement for 25 years when I decided it was time to pursue my goal of obtaining a college degree,” Harrell Said. “After reaching out to my friend and Criminal Justice Professor Randy Green, I decided to begin my journey.

My first goal was to obtain my associate degree in criminal justice with the plan to continue after that to obtain my bachelor’s. My ultimate end goal is to obtain my master’s degree and become a professor of criminal justice at GHC.” Harrell said while obtaining his associate degree, he joined Phi Theta Kappa and was an honorary member of the Criminal Justice Club.

“I chose to attend GHC because of the reputation of the faculty and staff at the college,” Harrell said.

“Dr. Greg Sumner and Professor Randy Green were instrumental in that decision due to their experience in the criminal justice field. I feel it is important for the professors that are leading the student to be experienced in the field and both of these gentlemen are not only well respected in academia but also in their respective law enforcement careers. This was a huge impact on my decision to attend GHC.” For Harrell, enrolling at GHC provided him an opportunity to meet both a personal goal and to become an inspiration to others working to meet their goals.

“My decision to attend college was as a result of regrets that I had in my personal life,” Harrell said.

“I was 50 years old and very happy in my career but regretted not attending college. I wanted to not only do this for myself, but also to set an example for the deputies that I worked with on a daily basis. I wanted them to see that if an older person could take on this challenge that it is also an achievable goal for them as well.”

Criminal Justice Professor Greg Sumner said the program is a great option for those seeking to grow

and advance their career options at the entry level or while working for a law enforcement agency.

“The need for more officers with a Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice degree has continued to grow, meaning more law enforcement agencies are requiring a bachelor’s degree to obtain executive level ranks to include Chief of Police,” Sumner said. “The International and Georgia Associations of Chiefs of Police both recommend any agency hiring a Chief of Police to hire someone with a minimum of a bachelor’s degree, preferably in criminal justice.”

In addition to all courses being eight weeks in length and being offered online, students have full access to GHC facilities as well as instructors for oncampus and online conferencing. The program also offers college credit through the Peace Officer Standards and Training Council (POST) for law enforcement officers and prior military.

“Students enrolled in the program have a dedicated advisor to assist them with course registration and long-range planning,” Online Advising Coordinator and eMajor Liaison Lesli Terrell-Payne said.

“Our Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice degree is well below the average cost for an online degree program compared to many of the top schools providing similar programs. Tuition is just $199 per credit hour, while most online programs charge $300 per credit hour and higher.”

Currently, the program enrolls more than 40 students and is growing due to its popularity and job outlook.

“This program has great support from GHC and the University System of Georgia,” Sumner said.

“It has great faculty who have a passion to help and inspire our students to obtain a bachelor’s degree and make positive changes in the field of criminal jusCRIMINAL JUSTICE– continued on page 41

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Student Spotlight

Criminal justice program sees first baccalaureate graduate during college’s 50th anniversary

Student Spotlight Graduate’s persistence to complete amid challenges of COVID-19 symbolizes the spirit of 50th graduating class As students at Georgia Highlands College (GHC) worked toward graduation during the 2020 spring semester, the novel COVID-19 virus created a unique situation for students across all programs of study. However, through their resilience, more than 1,000 students were highlighted in the virtual commencement.

Taniesha Harrison is one of the combined 119 students who have graduated with either an Associate of Science in Nursing (ASN) or a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN). Following the completion of her ASN, Harrison was accepted into the college’s BSN program.

“I want people to know that it is never too late to follow your dreams,” Harrison said.

Through the hard work of her instructors and academic advisor, Harrison said she was able to easily make the switch from in-person classes to the virtual face-to-face classes during GHC’s change to remote delivery to help stem the spread of the coronavirus during spring and summer 2020.

“The transition to remote learning was smooth and the staff were very helpful,” Harrison said, adding that faculty and staff began providing informa-

38 |

38 | Fall/Winter 2020

tion about how to handle transition early on. She specifically cited recently retired Director of Nursing and Professor Rebecca Maddox, who she said called her personally to make sure she had the proper equipment for remote learning and testing.

“The teachers researched all the online interactive clinical simulation and they ended up picking i-Human, which was great,” Harrison said. “It was easy to navigate through, and if you had any issues they were right there to help. By them finding this program, it helped us to graduate on time because the board of nursing accepted this instead of doing our preceptorship hours.”

Harrison, who lives in Acworth and has attended classes on both the Rome campus and the Cartersville site, faced numerous obstacles working toward her education in the era of COVID-19. Despite these difficulties, she said GHC provided options and assistance to help her reach her goals and continue her education.

Harrison previously served as a Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) for two years and as a Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) for 10 years. She said her next goal is to become a Neonatal Nurse Practitioner.

Georgia Highlands College student Josie Maddux, of Trion, pulled a leaf from her family tree in a creative approach to the final project of her Latino Literature class while wrapping up the semester remotely this spring.

The daughter of country music singer/songwriter Derry Maddux, from the country music duo Buck and Duke, Maddux teamed up with her father to set some of her favorite poems from the course to music and posted the videos to YouTube.

“I knew that I wanted to do something music related for this project because music has always been what has inspired me the most,” Maddux said. “Since my dad has been a country music singer my whole life, I only found it fitting that he helps me with this project by singing the poems for me.”

Maddux selected poems she felt were inspirational and were relatable to her personally.

“My dad and I both are very passionate, loving people, and I think that you can tell this by our selection of poems,” Maddux said. “For instance, ‘The Rose’

by Gabriela Mistral has a very beautiful story, referring to one’s heart as the rose, saying to keep it open and scatter it everywhere.

We loved this poem because that is how we try to live our lives as well.”

Maddux, who is majoring in Psychology and attends classes on GHC’s Floyd Campus, said she chose to take Latino Literature

Student Spotlight

Student’s love for music leads to unique final project

Derry and Josie Maddux

because she is interested in other cultures.

“This whole course has been truly intriguing. I love the fact that we were able to have a projectbased learning experience,” Maddux said. “My classmates have been great the whole semester with giving positive feedback on everyone’s projects along the way.”

Georgia Highlands College moved to remote operations in March. Maddux said this change did not have a negative effect on her experience as a student.

“Professor Lindberg has done a phenomenal job during this transition to [remote delivery],” Maddux said. “She has made the transition for us go very smoothly, and personally I haven’t had a single issue – it honestly hasn’t been that different for me. The transition went very smoothly, and I would like to thank my professors for making that happen. They were very up-to-date and informa-

tive with every assignment so I never had an issue.”

Maddux said the Latino Literature class is an excellent option for students, and she appreciated the opportunity to take a unique approach to close out the semester.

“One of the main things I loved about this class was the fact that we learned a lot about the Latino culture through poems, some short stories, and classroom discussions about the readings,” Maddux said. “It was an overall great course and I am glad that I took it.”

She added, “As for my project, I’ve enjoyed going on that adventure with my dad and being able to learn in a way that interests me. If you’ve been hesitant about doing [classes remotely], don’t be. The GHC staff is amazing, and they do everything in their power to make your experience go as smoothly as possible.”

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Student Spotlight

GHC student’s undergraduate chemistry research receives national attention The chemistry research of Georgia Highlands College (GHC) Pre-Engineering Pathway student Muhammad Hanzala will soon be seen by a larger audience following its acceptance into the National Conference on Undergraduate Research (NCUR).

Hanzala’s road from research to publication began during his Chemistry 1 class with Assistant Professor of Chemistry and Hanzala’s research advisor Erin Shufro.

“Professor Shufro and I were looking for research projects to do and I noticed at my work that

40 | Fall/Winter 2020

the amount of pentane, an expensive chemical, being used in fragrances was excessive,” said Hanzala, who works as a media and marketing analyst for a fragrance company.

Hanzala said after discovering the problem, he and Shufro brought the method to GHC labs, refined it, and made it cost effective, successfully reducing the price of an extraction.

“The experiment involved a lot of chemistry, so it was befitting that the research was done as a part of a chemistry class,” Hanzala said.

Shufro explained that while the research was done outside of the normal lesson plan, it did require advanced chemistry knowledge, so she was proud to support Hanzala’s efforts.

“While our equipment is on-par with what is standard for most colleges and universities, we do have a resource that is invaluable – the human resource,” Shufro said. “Our students here at GHC are individuals, not just one of the crowd, and as such I can offer them my time and energy to help them be successful.”

After extensive research and discussion, Hanzala and Shufro decided the complexity of the experiment and its end result was something that should be submitted to NCUR for presentation.

According to its website, www.cur.org, “The National Conference on Undergraduate Research (NCUR) is dedicated to promoting undergraduate research, scholarship, and creative activity in all fields of study by sponsoring an annual conference for students.”

Hanzala said he was surprised and excited to learn that his research had been accepted by the organization and that GHC gave him the tools he needed to take his research to the next level. This includes not only labs and technology, but faculty as well.

“One of the most important things that GHC has is very easy access to brilliant professors who are always ready to guide and connect with me,” Hanzala said. “Throughout the research, the practice for presentation, and the effort to submitting the research for publication, I always felt like I had the backing of all of GHC’s faculty.”

Hanzala is a member of GHC’s Honors Program, lives in Cartersville, and attends classes at the Cartersville site.

For more information on GHC’s Pre-Engineering Pathway, please visit highlands.edu.

For the past 21 years, GHC’s George White has made a considerable impact on local communities through his efforts as the director of the Continuing Education program.

“My goal was to make Continuing Education a valued part of GHC,” White said. “I really enjoyed becoming the director of the department because it let me become more involved with the communities and help to recruit academic students to GHC from my Continuing Education classes.”

For White, overseeing the college’s Center for Continuing and Professional Education was a career in which he could use his personal experience to help others reach their goals.

“I completed my degrees later in life, so my favorite memories were being able to get some of my older students to also go back to college and complete their degrees,” White said. “I had several students to complete their bachelor’s degrees and go on to complete their master’s degrees.”

In addition to helping establish the Continuing Education program, White was at the forefront of bringing more accessible technology to students.

“In order to do computer classes at the former Cartersville site, I had to set up laptop computers for the Continuing Education students in a regular classroom,” White said. “I believe we got our first computer lab around 2002.”

White saw the college expand as a whole and had a first-hand perspective watching the Cartersville site grow.

“When we moved into our new Cartersville site in 2005 it became

Retiree Spotlight

Continuing education director retires after 21 years of service the largest GHC site,” White said.

“Bartow County is one of the largest counties in Northwest Georgia, and because of that growth, I was able to develop a Continuing Education industrial and business clientele to over 100 companies.”

White’s success at GHC led him to serve a two-year term as the marketing director for the Georgia Adult Education Association, helping to recruit members and planning the organization’s annual conference.

Now in retirement, White says he plans to become more active with the Cartersville Canes Touchdown Club, an organization of volunteers who support the Cartersville High School football team, the Purple Hurricanes.

“I was a three-year letterman and captain of the 1963 Cartersville High School baseball team,” White said, adding he joined the Cartersville Canes Touchdown Club when his daughter was a cheerleader at the school. “I have been a Hurricanes football season ticket holder for over 42 years and my wife, Faye, always makes some type of dessert for the press box at the home football games. Their favorite is banana pudding.”

As for Continuing Education, White encourages anyone seeking to advance their career options to consider enrollment.

“Continuing Education is a great place to start your career with one of our certificate programs,” White said.

“Even if you have a degree, it is an excellent resource to upgrade your skills and build your resume.”

Please visit highlands.edu for more information on Continuing Education and the Center for Continuing and Professional Education.

CRIMINAL JUSTICE– continued from page 37

tice. There is no better time than now to further your education; our communities are relying upon it.”

The program is being offered completely online at Georgia Highlands College, as a part of the University System of Georgia (USG) eMajor initiative.

The USG eMajor program has delivered flexible, online degree programs through multiple USG institutions since 2012. The purpose of eMajor is to provide affordable, quality, innovative, high-demand programs through traditional institutions, such as

GHC. “eMajor degrees are designed specifically for non-traditional students and include several benefits and student success resources in addition to those already available through GHC,” said GHC Provost and Chief Academic Officer Dana Nichols. “eMajor programs are ideal for those who need to balance work and family responsibilities with their pursuit of higher education.”

For more information on the Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice program, please visit highlands.edu

highlands.edu | 41

Retiree Spotlight

Nursing director brings home piece of Georgia Highlands College upon retirement For Director of Nursing and Professor Rebecca (Becca) Maddox, retiring from Georgia Highlands College after two decades of service and during COVID-19 remote operations was a bittersweet experience; but her family’s roots with the college, her time mentoring and helping cultivate the next generation of healthcare workers, and her unwavering pride for GHC culminate, for her, as a long career of success and happiness.

A “VIRTUAL” RETIREMENT CELEBRATION

As the college moved to remote operations during her last year at GHC before retirement, Maddox wasn’t sure exactly what her retirement celebration may look like, or if it could even happen at all. However, her friends and colleagues made sure to provide her with a sendoff she will always remember.

It all started with a proposal for a virtual “going away” party.

“When we started the Zoom session, I was told to go to my front door,” Maddox said. “When I opened the door, there were gifts, chips, salsa, and guacamole waiting there for me. The gifts were awesome! They had put together a scrapbook covering my 20-plus years at [GHC]. They had also had a wall hanging and quilt made. Each faculty member had been given a square to decorate however they wished. They had also tracked down many faculty who taught with me in the past.

Some of the squares were embroidered, some were hand drawn with fabric paint, and some were transfers of photos. They were about my personal life and hobbies, represented good memories from throughout the years, relationships and friendships formed, and the family we have all become.”

TEACHING AND MENTORING OVER THE YEARS

Maddox has seen GHC change names and grow across the region over the past 20 years, transitioning from a junior college to a two-year unit of the University System of Georgia and then to a state college.

“When I first started teaching, we were on the Floyd Campus. When I returned in 1998, the nursing program had moved to Heritage Hall,” Maddox said.

“That has been my primary location, but I taught a few classes when the college was located on Gilmer Street in Cartersville, taught occasionally when we taught nursing on the North Metro campus in Acworth, taught a few classes when we were located on the Southern Poly campus, and finally taught some classes when the nursing program was offered at the WellStar Development Center.”

Running the gamut of instruction formats, Maddox has said she always sought the same result from her students.

“I love teaching, both face-to-face and online. I

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enjoy watching the light bulb come on when students begin to grasp difficult concepts and start putting all the pieces together,” Maddox said. “I enjoyed being in the clinical setting working with students and caring for patients with them. I had high standards in the clinical setting, but the students knew what those standards were and strived to meet and exceed them.”

Maddox said she also appreciates the experiences she has had serving as a mentor for students, helping them to find their path in higher education. She said students would occasionally enter health-based programs that may not fit their personal strengths and skillsets, but she enjoyed helping students find the right program to bring them academic and professional success.

“I enjoy advising students. I strive to be the person for them that my father was for me,” Maddox said.

“Navigating the educational system can be difficult for students. Not everyone understands the ‘ins and outs.’

Many students declare nursing as their pathway because that is what they know, what they have heard about.

Occasionally I ran into students who didn’t really want to be a nurse, but who didn’t know what other healthcare options were available. Some were there because their parents wanted them to be a nurse. Nursing school is hard — too hard if you don’t really want to be there.”

ONE STUDENT’S TOKEN OF THANKS

Another example of Maddox making an impression on a student was when a student took a page from the traditional exchange of military challenge coins.

“Typically, military exchange coins are presented by unit commanders to recognize a special achievement by a member of the unit. The presentation is made by passing the coin during a handshake,” Maddox said.

“Somehow, challenge coins became a topic of conversation with one of my clinical groups one semester.”

During the college’s spring 2012 pinning ceremony, nursing students were awarded the Georgia Highlands College Nursing pin to acknowledge academic work well done, entry into the profession of nursing, and as a reminder of nursing’s historical mission to serve the sick.

“It is a very emotional ceremony. Many students hug me after receiving their pins,” Maddox said. “During this ceremony, one of the students came across the stage to get her pin, but instead of hugging me, she stepped back and shook my hand. At first I was a bit perplexed, then realized that there was something in that handshake. I looked down at our hands and then back up to her face. She was just grinning the biggest grin.

She had tracked down a Nursing challenge coin and had passed it to me in the handshake. It brought me to tears and still does remember it. I still carry that challenge coin with me. It was one of the most meaningful moments of my career.”

Retiree Spotlight

A FAMILY TRADITION

Maddox said she will always be thankful for the lessons she learned and skills she obtained on her path to being successful as a teacher, an assistant director, an interim chair, and a director.

For Maddox, her family’s history echoed through the halls of Georgia Highlands College, often bringing back memories as well as inspiration to continue a tradition of excellence.

GHC’s Heritage Hall location is named for the late Judge James D. Maddox, whose family once owned the property where the building now sits. He is known for being one of the individuals who helped establish Floyd Junior College, now GHC, by spearheading the effort to pass a $3.2 million bond issue to begin construction on the institution in 1970.

“It wasn’t too long after the plaque of dad’s picture was hung in the building. I was sitting at the desk in Centre Stage while students were taking a final,” Maddox said. “I was thinking about everything that had been going on at the college. All of the changes. All of the changes in my life since Dad had passed away. I looked up, and there he was. The plaque is hung so that incidentally his picture lines up with the little window in both the outer and inner doors to Centre Stage and lined straight up with where I was sitting. As I said, Heritage Hall is my home away from home and Dad was looking over us.”

KEEPING THE GHC SPIRIT ALIVE

As many of her colleagues continue on at GHC and as future educators and staff come on board, Maddox

shared some advice to help keep them motivated as they help others achieve their goals.

“Be proud of the college. Be proud of your contributions to the college and to the students,” Maddox said. “It takes each and every one of you to make this college the great place that it is. The home that it is for many of us and our students. Keep looking after each other and keep being family. Those of us who have been here a while will be leaving the college in your hands. From what I have seen over the past few years, the college is in great hands and will continue to grow and excel in providing affordable, quality education to meet the needs of the communities we serve.”

She said this type of attitude and approach to overseeing the execution and growth of an educational institution is what helped GHC grow to what it is recognized as today.

“If it had not been for that citizens’ committee and the strength, foresight, and drive of its members, if it had not been for the bond referendum to provide funds for the establishment of the college, the college would not be here to afford us the opportunity to make a difference. I look forward to seeing how the college grows.”

She continued, “My goal was to be an integral part of the college, to make a difference in the lives of students, to contribute to the nursing program being the best program in the area. I definitely feel that I have made contributions to the program along the way, but more importantly, I feel I have made a difference in the lives of students. I feel I have done my best to live up to my father’s legacy.”

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Chargers Taking Charge GHC HELPS ALUMNUS ENTER THE MEDICAL FIELD You might say working in the medical field runs in the family for Georgia Highlands College alumnus Pedro Rodolfo Zavala. Both his sister and mom work in a hospital. And now, Pedro does, too.

Pedro is a respiratory therapist at Floyd Medical Hospital.

He has a pretty important duty: help people breathe easier and keep it that way.

“It’s kind of difficult to summarize the hecticness of a hospital, but I guess I would say a typical day as a respiratory therapist usually consists of going patient to patient and giving them their inhalers or nebulizer,” Pedro said. “For the more critical patients in ICU or ER, it involves obtaining blood samples to check for oxygen and carbon dioxide levels, managing the ventilators which are breathing for the patients, and being on the same page as the nurses and doctors.”

Pedro explained his time at GHC helped him “expand [his] horizons” and create a lot of local connections. He noted his involvement with the student group Brother 2 Brother also had a big influence on him.

He even got his first job at GHC. “My first job was actually as an editor for the student newspaper, the Six Mile Post, and then as editor-in-chief,” he said. “I loved taking pictures and seeing the entire process, from rough idea to finished published newspaper. I loved it so much I was tempted to change majors to journalism, but I stuck with respiratory therapist.”

Pedro stated he is happy he stuck with his initial goal, joining his mom and sister in the medical field. He said he loves what he gets to do each day and thinks GHC played a major role in getting him there.

“GHC had a tremendous impact on my life. [It’s] one of the best options in Northwest Georgia. It had everything I needed to get started,” he said. “From transferring to Georgia State University to working at Floyd Medical Center, I’ve carried everything I learned from GHC with me.”

KNOW A CHARGER TAKING CHARGE? GHC alumni are Chargers! And Chargers Take Charge. Thousands of GHC alumni embody the #TakingCharge motto throughout the state and country by making a difference in their communities and making the most of their careers.

Do you know other successful GHC alumni? Email us at marcom@highlands.edu and let us know, so they can join other alumni in GHC’s spotlight series “Chargers Taking Charge.”

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CHAMPIONSHIP PLAYER NOW WORKING FOR ONE OF THE LARGEST STAFFING AGENCIES IN THE COUNTRY Georgia Highlands College alumna Auriana Broughton is proof success on the college basketball court can transform to success off the court and into a great career. Auriana played basketball for both GHC and Lipscomb University.

Now she works for Insight Global.

Based in Atlanta, Insight Global is a premier provider of employment and staffing solutions to Fortune 1000 customers across the United States and Canada with more than 33,000 employment placements each year.

Insight Global clients come from a broad array of industries, including aerospace and defense, energy, banking and finance, communications, healthcare, insurance, retail, telecom, and technology.

“I work on the Corporate Operations Security team at Insight Global,” Auriana explained. “I make sure that cleared contractors are going to work for valid, compliant programs. I ensure their clearance statuses are up to date and properly explained to our Account Managers, and I brief and debrief contractors for and from cleared scopes of work.”

Auriana will admit she didn’t always have such a clear focus and a steady determination to accomplish big goals in her life. After being told she would never play basketball for a Division I college,

she didn’t keep her grades up in high school, and when she went out of town to college her first year, she had a bad experience.

Luckily, she’ll tell you, she took another chance at college and playing basketball by applying to Georgia Highlands College. She was accepted to the college and the women’s team.

“GHC allowed me to do something I was told I couldn’t,” she said. “[Then] I graduated GHC and signed a full-scholarship to play basketball at a Division I program at Lipscomb University.”

While on the team at GHC, Auriana said the focus on being a great student as well as a great athlete propelled her and helped her grow into the person she is today. “[My coach and mentor] made me a better basketball player, a better leader, and overall a better person,” she said.

“I overcame things I didn’t think I could and accomplished something I have dreamed of since I was a little girl.”

Auriana and the women’s basketball team went on to win a conference championship the year she played. She carries that memory with her and uses all she learned at GHC to make the most of her time in her current career.

“GHC influenced me to strive to be better and to push myself,” she said.

“[The college] provides hope to those who may have lost it, a second chance for those who may need a fresh start athletically, and it provides opportunity.

For me it was all three. Athletically, it gave me hope that I can still compete.

Academically, it gave me a second chance because I didn’t do as well as I should’ve in high school. Overall, it provided me with an opportunity to compete, learn, and create bonds with my teammates that will never be broken.”

ALUMNUS SIGNS TO ATLANTA BRAVES This year, Georgia Highlands College (GHC) alumnus Bryson Horne received a phone call that resulted in reaching a long-time goal: an offer to sign with the Atlanta Braves as an undrafted free agent.

“It was pretty surreal because I had been talking with them for a little while, but actually getting that phone call was a lifelong dream,” Horne said. “This is something I’ve worked for my whole life and to make it a reality was amazing.”

For his career at GHC ending in 2019, Horne belted out a .345 batting average with 24 doubles, 8 home runs, and 76 RBI’s. He also stole 17 bases as a Charger and was issued 63 free passes while being named an All-Georgia Collegiate Athletic Association performer in his sophomore season.

Not only was Horne a dominant

force in the batter’s box for GHC, he also played a big role in the Charger’s defensive strategy, manning multiple positions as a sophomore. Enrolled in the General Studies pathway at GHC and attending classes at the Cartersville site while living in Canton, Horne then transferred to Columbus State University (CSU) to continue his academic, athletic, and future professional career.

“Going to GHC really helped prepare me for baseball and for life,” Horne said. “I think I grew a lot and matured during my two years at GHC.” Horne said he appreciates his experience as a student and as an athlete at GHC, praising the work of GHC Head Baseball Coach Dash O’Neill and Pitching coach/Recruiting Coordinator Brock Moss during his time as a Charger.

“If any kid out there is considering

college baseball, really consider GHC,” Horne said. “I thoroughly enjoyed my time there going to school and playing baseball.”

For more information on the GHC Chargers, visit www.ghcchargers.com

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Foundation Spotlight

Taking Charge FOUNDATION DONORS REFLECT ON IMPORTANCE OF GHC SCHOLARSHIPS

Since 1973, the Georgia Highlands College Foundation has worked to enhance education and to create opportunities for students, faculty, and staff to succeed as well as expand the horizons of the institution. Thanks to the generosity of donors, the Foundation offers hundreds of scholarships and impacts thousands of lives.

GHC Foundation offers scholarships based on varying factors such as program of study, academic excellence, and financial need. In addition, scholarships have been established in memoriam of individuals who have made a considerable impact in the lives of others, helping to carry their torch and continue their service of helping others.

Two such scholarships are the Jim and Leatha Richie Scholarship and the Wesley C. Walraven, Sr. Academic Scholarship.

Steve Edwards, Larry Howard, and Carol McCann came together to honor the memory of a beloved Summerville couple by establishing the Jim and Leatha Richie scholarship. The $1,000 scholarship is available to a graduating high school senior and resident of Chattooga County.

The Richies, who owned and operated Richies Men and Boys Shop and Richies Clothing in downtown Summerville for over 52 years, are known in the Summerville community for their generosity and history of hiring and mentoring local teenagers.

“The Richies were very good people and were loved in the community,” Edwards said. “They didn’t have children of their own, but they had a lot of children because they hired kids like me to work in their store. They taught

me how to work my first job, and next to my parents, they probably had a greater influence on my life than anyone else.”

McCann, a niece of the Richies, said the couple was an institution in the Summerville community, often taking young people under their wing as they would navigate the road toward adulthood.

“This scholarship was created to honor the Richies for all of the wonderful things they have done – things that they have never talked about,” McCann said. “They had a way of helping young people they employed that might not otherwise have the means to further their education.”

Both Edwards and McCann said the Richies valued education and that establishing a memorial scholarship with the GHC Foundation is a kind and rewarding gesture toward anyone who has made a positive difference in your life.

“I think donating to the Foundation is a wonderful way to honor and salute an individual who has meant so much in your life,” McCann said. “And, in turn, it gives a chance to a young student who is deserving of the trust that they will go on and succeed.”

Wesley C. Walraven, Jr. worked with family and friends to establish the Wesley C. Walraven, Sr. Academic Scholarship. The scholarship was created in memory of his father, the founding Academic Dean and later Vice President of Academic Affairs at GHC, who died of cancer in 1995 at age 58.

The scholarship covers full tuition and fees for two consecutive years and is awarded to a Pepperell High School graduating senior with an interest in science and math. To date, 24 students have been awarded this scholarship.

“Family came first to my father, but GHC was a close second,” Walraven said.

“It was important that we do something via the college that would honor my father’s memory for years to come.”

Walraven said his father came from a modest background. He and his wife, Linda, worked very hard to meet the financial requirements necessary for him to obtain a college education and ultimately complete the doctoral program at University of Georgia.

“He cared very much about people from a similar background having the opportunity to have a post-secondary edu(Pictured left to right) Steve Edwards, Marie Edwards, Carol McCann, cation,” Walraven said.

Leatha Richie, Jim Richie, Connie Howard, and Larry Howard.

46 | Fall/Winter 2020

Recipients of the scholarship have shown their appreciation and gratitude over the years, thanking the scholarship organizers for their donations and for bringing their dreams of a college education closer to reality.

Walraven recalls attending a recent public meeting in which he observed a young woman address the large audience.

“She was passionate, articulate, and her facts were well-researched,” Walraven said. “After the event ended, she came over to thank me for being able to attend GHC through the Walraven Family Wesley C. Walraven, Sr. Scholarship. I will always remember that moment.”

Walraven said the scholarship has also provided him with the opportunity to help students in his hometown of Lindale.

“By donating to the GHC Foundation, or by creating a scholarship through the Foundation to support local students, you can invest in your own community,” Walraven said. “We need to be smart and vibrant to keep growing, and the way to ensure that is to provide the best educational opportunities to our citizens.”

Through GHC Foundation scholarships, students like Jessica Avila have been able to continue on their academic journey.

“Thank you from the bottom of my heart for your kind generosity in awarding me the Bill and Pat Eakes Nursing Scholarship for the 2020-2021 school year,” Avila said in a thank-you letter. “I am very appreciative for the funds that covered my tuition this year. 2020 has shown the importance of healthcare workers. Through your generous scholarship and the amazing nursing program at Georgia Highlands, I will accomplish my dreams and goals of becoming an RN and join this group of heroes in 2021.”

Student Krystal Ellis described receiving a scholarship through the GHC Foundation in 2020 as “life changing,” and stated that she began her collegiate career in 2010 but decided to pause her journey following the death of a sibling. As she worked toward building a career, Ellis said it was evident she needed to return to college in order to maintain a high quality of life and that the scholarship helped ease the financial burden associated with a college education.

“It has not been an easy feat, working fulltime and going to school fulltime,” Ellis said in a thank-you letter. “You can only imagine my overwhelming happiness to discover someone cared about my progress in life and in my education. Receiving the email that I had been granted this scholarship means more to me than I could ever say.”

GHC FOUNDATION BOARD OF TRUSTEES

Greg Patton, Chairman Patton Financial Associates

Randy Quick, Chair-Elect & Treasurer Rome Radio Partners, Inc. Luke Lester, Past Chairman Bond, James Bond Inc. Mary Transue, Secretary GHC Sr. Vice President Advancement & Enrollment Mgmt.

Foundation Executive Director Dee Bishop Sarah H. Burkhalter David Caswell Melanie C. Collier Mary Louise Lever Steve Moore John Quinlivan Matt Sirmans Sue Spivey Tommy Strickland Mark Weaver Dr. Donald Green, Ex-Officio GHC President Liz Jones Director of Foundation & Annual Fund Jamie Petty, Ex-Officio GHC Vice President Finance & Administration Donnie Denson, Ex-Officio Alumni Association Chairman GHC ALUMNI ASSOCIATION BOARD MEMBERS Donnie Denson Chairman Harold Boyd Retiree Representative Susan Claxton Michele Crowe Caleb Freeman Dan Knowles Dr. Lynn Plunkett Steve White

highlands.edu | 47

Foundation Spotlight

Changing Lives

Foundation Spotlight

Take Charge - Change Lives FUND AN EDUCATION. FUND A DREAM. FUND A FUTURE.

The Georgia Highlands College Foundation has supported GHC and the education, dreams, and futures of students since 1973. The Foundation relies on your support and that of likeminded donors to make this mission a reality.

A donation of just $200 can make the difference in whether a student is able to complete their degree. Your gift, no matter the size, will make a tangible impact in the lives of students.

Your contribution to the Foundation will directly support programs like: Scholarships • Athletics • Foundation Camp • Food Pantry • and more!

Join our legacy of giving by contributing to the Foundation today.

Give online at givetoday.highlands.edu or by mail at GHC Foundation, 3175 Cedartown Highway, Rome, GA 30161.

To learn more about how you can take charge and change lives, contact Liz Jones, Director of the GHC Foundation and Annual Fund, at lijones@highlands.edu or by phone at 706-368-7509 or by email at GHCFoundation@highlands.edu

In Memoriam EMPLOYEE BHUKAN RATHORE MAY 7, 2020

HAROLD PRESSLEY JUNE 28, 2020

DONATE TODAY AT GIVETODAY.HIGHLANDS.EDU

Hello Baby!

RETIREES

VERA BROCK JULY 7, 2020

Taylor West and Zackary Samples welcomed a daughter, Cora-Leigh Michelle, June 25, 2020

DORIS JABLONSKI NOVEMBER 26, 2019

ALBERTA JOHNSON JULY 7, 2020

Bethany and Mason Duvall welcomed a son, Thatcher, July 25, 2020

RICHARD HAYS MARCH 27, 2020

48 | Fall/Winter 2020

Brad and Christa Gilmore welcomed a daughter, Scout Elise, September 14, 2020

Georgia Highlands College women’s basketball is led by Head Coach Brandan Harrell and Assistant Coaches Consuelo Saxton and Eric Burkhalter. The team competes in Region XVII of the Georgia Collegiate Athletic Association of the National Junior College Athletic Association Division 1.

The team is based at the Floyd campus and plays all home games at the Floyd campus gymnasium in Rome. For a full game schedule, team roster, and season updates, visit ghcchargers.com. Watch for a basketball season recap in the next issue of the Highlander.

Men’s Basketball

Georgia Highlands College men’s basketball is led by Head Coach J.J. Merritt and Assistant Coaches Greg Schiefen, Julian Reinhart, and John Williams. The team competes in Region XVII of the Georgia Collegiate Athletic Association of the National Junior College Athletic Association Division 1. The team is based at the Floyd campus and plays all home games at the Floyd campus gymnasium in Rome. For a full game schedule, team roster, and season updates, visit ghcchargers.com. Watch for a basketball season recap in the next issue of the Highlander.

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Charger News

Women’s Basketball

Chargers = Champions

by Jason Hitzeman Sports Information Director

In 2011, Former GHC President Randy Pierce introduced athletics to Georgia Highlands College. GHC’s sports teams would be known as the Chargers and include women’s and men’s basketball competing out of Rome and softball and baseball competing out of Cartersville. With a focus on athletic and academic success, Charger Athletics has positioned itself near the top of the Georgia College Athletic Association (GCAA) standings both on and off the field. In eight years of competition, the Charger teams have claimed a total of five GCAA conference championships and 7 runner-up finishes. GHC’s teams have made five trips to the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) national tournaments, highlighted by back-to-back Final Four appearances in men’s basketball in 2015 & 2016. Off the court, Charger athletes have over a 90% graduation rate, with most athletes transferring to four-year programs.

SOFTBALL

Booth

The Lady Chargers softball team has experienced success from the moment they first took the field during the 2013-14 season. In their inaugural season, the team posted a 13-7 GCAA record and advanced to the GCAA tournament as one of the Top-four teams in the regular season. This trend continued with four more GCAA tournament appearance over the next five seasons, highlighted by a runner-up finish in 2018. The team has seen players garner over 40 postseason awards, including GCAA Most Valuable Player for Andria Booth in 2017. GHC softball has seen 38 players continue their playing careers at four-year schools. Notable among Lady Charger alumni is Andria Booth. Andria moved on to Gardner-Webb University after her time at GHC and promptly led all NCAA Division-1 players in hits in 2018. She was also named to the Top-50 Players of the Year and was the first Charger Softball alumnus invited to the National Pro Fastpitch Draft. Andria’s sister, Alia, also played for the Chargers and continued her softball career at D-I Georgia Southern, where she was joined by teammate Shayla Smith. In a first for the softball program, 2015 alum Lindsey Miles was a walk-on member of the University of Georgia softball team that played in the College World Series.

BASEBALL

Also debuting in 2013, the baseball team played hard through their first thre seasons but were unable to produce a winning record or secure a spot in the GCAA tournament. That trend changed during the 2016-17 season when the Chargers won a school record 40 games, finishing with a 40-21 record and a second place GCAA regular season finish. That season also saw the Chargers claim the GCAA tournament championship and secure a sport in NJCAA District tournament before falling just short of a trip to NJCAA World Series. The team has continued its on-field success in subsequent seasons, including a league-best 21-4 record before COVID-19 halted the 2019-20 season. In seven seasons, the Charger men have garnered 19 post season honors, including a GCAA Player of the Year honor for Skylar McPhee in 2019. GHC has seen a total of 73 baseball players sign with four-year schools to continue their academic and athletic careers. In addition, Dalton Geekie became the first ever GHC player to be selected in the MLB draft when the Atlanta Braves chose him in the 22nd round of the 2015 draft. Since then, three more Chargers have gone on to sign professional contracts.

Jonathan White (2017) signed with the Washington Wild Things of the Independent Frontier League, Noah Bryant (2018) was selected in the 17th round by the Kansas City Royals, and most recently, Bryson Horne signed with the Braves as a free agent in June 2020.

Geekie

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WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

Blankinship

The Lady Chargers basketball team has experienced success on the court from the beginning. Debuting in 2012, the Lady Chargers roster had a number of experienced players who helped GHC to a 24-7 record and a second place regular season finish in the GCAA. The Lady Chargers have never had a losing season, going 170-90 over their eight seasons of play. The team has never finished lower than 4th in the regular season standings, has four runner-up GCAA tournament finishes, and one GCAA tournament championship.

After a 30-point first-round win in the 2016 NJCAA tournament, the Chargers came up just short against the #1 team and eventual national champion in their second-round game. The Lady Chargers have earned a total of 23 postseason honors in their eight seasons of play and seen 36 players transfer to four-year schools. Notable alumni include Seandre Lee (2011-2012) who was a two-time GCAA Player of the Week and Kayla Carter (2015-16) who was a member of the All-Conference and All-Tournament teams, while also earning the GCAA tournament MVP award in 2016. Both players went on to finish their playing careers and graduate from University of West Georgia. Deana Blankinship (2014-2016) and Pam Diokpara (2015-2017) was both members of the GCAA AllConference and All-Academic teams, went on to finish their careers and graduate from the University of North Georgia and Young Harris College, respectively. Most recently, Jahnaria Brown (20182020) completed her time at GHC as the GCAA Freshman of the Year (2019) and with GCAA All-Conference, All-Tournament, AllAcademic and NJCAA All-American honors. She is currently preparing for her junior season at Southern Methodist University.

MEN’S BASKETBALL

The GHC men’s basketball team debuted in 2012 and the first season did not go as planned. The team failed to win a single game on its way to an 0-30 season.

However, that is the only losing season the Charger men have experienced. In the 2013-14 season, the team recorded a modest 16-16 record but an improbable run on the GCAA tournament saw them come a rebound away from qualifying for the NJCAA National Tournament. 2014-15 saw the beginning of three consecutive GCAA titles and trips to the national tournament.

That stretch included a 56-game winning streak, which is the longest for any Georgia college on any level. In those three trips to the NJCAA national tournament, the team advanced to the Final Four twice and the Elite Eight once. The team has also collected 42 post-season honors, including 2 GCAA Player-of-the-Year awards (Kyvon Davenport 2017 & Tevin Wade 2020). The team has had over 40 players go on to play at 4-year programs, including Ty Toney (Eastern Michigan), Kyvon Davenport (University of Memphis), Ty Cockfield (Arkansas State), and Trevin Wade (Wichita State). Most recently, the Chargers had their first player commit to a Power 5 school when Langston Wilson signed to play at the University of Alabama. Additionally, the Chargers have seen alumni playing professional basketball abroad, including Toney, Davenport, Cockfield, and Ty’Lik Evans who was named the Eurobasket Player of the Year in helping is German team to a league championship.

Davenport

highlands.edu | 51

We want to know about your life after GHC! Whether you’ve taken one class or completed a degree, you’ll always be a part of the GHC family.

Update your contact information so we can stay in touch.

Also, let us know where you’re working, what you’ve accomplished, and anything going on in your life.

Visit alumniupdate.highlands.edu to update your info now!

HLAND IG S H C

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EGE LL O

WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU!

GEOR G I

ATTENTION ALUMNI

YEARS 19 70 - 2020