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Lanier Technical College Graduates 1,111 in Its 48th Commencement Ceremony

The oldest graduate is 64 and the youngest graduate is 16.

In an emotionally uplifting, commencement ceremony at Free Chapel, 1,111 students graduated from Lanier Technical College on Friday, June 13.

Dr. Ray Perren, President of Lanier Technical College, energized the audience and graduates. “You see before you the men and women who are taking their rightful place as the central part of the workforce for Northeast Georgia. From air conditioning to IT to people who work in our doctors’ offices and hospitals to the people who will repair our damaged automobiles to people who will weld our buildings, Lanier Tech graduates are in every part of our workforce. You cannot go anywhere without running into a Lanier Tech graduate.”

Over 1,000 students from over 40 different programs were eligible to participate in the ceremony with 16% earning the Associate of Applied Science degree, 43% earned a College Diploma, and 63% earning a Technical Certificate of Credit. The Practical Nursing Program had the largest number of graduates at 18%, Early Childhood Care and Education had 13%, Medical Assisting graduated 12%, Welding and Joining Technology had 11%, Cosmetology 10%, and the remaining 36% earned their credentials from the remaining programs. 

Of the graduates, 26% are from Hall County, 16% represent Forsyth County, 13% from Jackson County, Barrow County 9%, Dawson County 7%, Lumpkin County 4%, and Banks County had 3%, and 23% of the graduates came from outside of Lanier Tech’s service area. 

Of the total number of graduates, 70% are women and 30% are men. The oldest graduate is 64 years old, and the youngest graduate is 16 years old. 

Dr. Perren added, “You’re a smart bunch, too. Your average Grade Point Average (GPA) is 3.497. That’s fantastic, but the best statistic of all is that almost 100% of you are already employed or are planning to continue your education.” 

“This class of 2014 represents the new reality of American education and business. In the next 10 years, 80% of the job opening will require training beyond high school, but will not require a four-year college degree. America business and industry are going to count on people just like you in order to move our economy forward.” 

“I charge you to go forth and use the knowledge and skills that you learned at Lanier Tech to make our world and our community a better place.”

The keynote speaker, Dr. David Byers, the Rick Perkins Instructor of the Year for the Technical College System of Georgia, charged the graduates toembrace adversity. Dr. Byers, the Program Director of Lanier Tech’s Dental Hygiene Program, is the first-ever Rick Perkins recipient from Lanier Technical College. 

“Tonight IS a big deal. Many times you don’t realize the impact that you make at other levels. Last year Georgia was rated as the number one location in the nation where businesses want to build or expand. We all know how the economy has been over the past years. So how do you improve the economy? You create jobs. How do you create jobs? That’s what the Technical College System of Georgia is doing. That’s Lanier Tech’s mission; we train people to get jobs. To make a difference with the economy, to entice these businesses to want to build in Georgia, we train a workforce. The major enticement to those businesses is you, the graduates. You are the cutting-edge workforce that these businesses are looking for. You have the skills, you have the knowledge, and you have the motivation to make a difference. You deserve the praise from tonight.” 

Using a personal story about obstacles and adversity from his early career with the Indian Health Service, Dr. Byers shared how he and his wife overcame adversity and challenged the graduates to embrace adversity. The Byers moved from the lush green climate of Georgia that they had always known to the brown, dusty desert climate of Arizona and an entirely new culture. Another obstacle in the journey was that the Byers’ furniture arrived two weeks after they did, so they slept on the floor, and didn’t have their “stuff”. They also didn’t have much money, and they had no one to rely on but themselves. 

“We didn’t have our stuff, and we didn’t have money, but I had a new job, and we welcomed the challenges with an open-face. My first day at work was chaotic and scary. I had new dentists and colleagues to met, new assistants, new systems to understand, and I had Navajo clients who didn’t speak English and were of another culture. It was scary; it was fun."

"As you go through life’s journey, you will come across many forks in the path, you will come across many obstacles as well; YOU get to decide what you do. Anything that you choose to do is only going to be as good as you as decide to make it, or allow it to be. Enjoy life’s journey as you go along.

Lanier Technical College has a 100% placement rate (83.5% in field), an education guarantee, and offers over 40 programs of study in some of the nation's fastest-growing career fields including healthcare, energy, business and industry, and public or private service. More information about Lanier Technical College and the programs of study may be obtained by calling 770-531-6300 or by visiting www.laniertech.edu.

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