Wiregrass announces spring and summer graduates
Wiregrass Georgia Technical College held the Spring and Summer 2019 Commencement Exercises on Thursday, July 11 at the UGA Conference Center in Tifton. The ceremony honored 1135 students who were awarded their associate degree, diploma or technical certificate of credit as well as 113 GED graduates. Among those graduating, the college awarded 155 Associate Degrees, 244 Diplomas, and 1,248 Technical Certificates. Some students received Technical Certificates in multiple areas.
For one graduate in particular, this graduation ceremony meant celebrating another milestone in a student’s journey in America after leaving her home county. Dunia Sanchez Izquierdo graduated with her Associates of Science in Nursing. Her journey started years prior when she was still living her native country, Cuba. Growing up there as a child she was always fascinated by the doctors and nurses and how they would help others in need. After moving to the United States, she was enrolled in school at Brooks County High School where she had several key teachers who encouraged her to follow her dreams in the medical field. Her first step was to learn English, and as fast as she could. As her high school graduation got closer, she began to apply for scholarships and grants to help her start her college education, and was awarded a scholarship that allowed her to attend Wiregrass Tech. In Spring of 2012 she became the first member of her family to graduate from college earning a diploma in Medical Assisting.
While working for a local cardiologist, Dr. Sid Staton, both he and his nurse, Nancy Stalvey, RN., encouraged her to continue her education and pursue her RN degree. Her next journey found her saving money, continuing to perfect her English and applying to Wiregrass again. She applied for financial assistance and learned she qualified for a WIOA Scholarship that would pay for her RN degree. “When I think about my time and experience at Wiregrass, I find it hard to put into words how this college has changed my life,” shared Dunia. “My instructors were paramount in my education and took this little ball of clay and molded me over and over again until I had mastered each skill and achieved each goal.” Each step of Dunia’s journey has been a celebration of seeing great accomplishments: learning a new culture, a new language, and receiving and education. She is currently an RN at South Georgia Medical Center in the Dasher Heart Center Cardiopulmonary Unit. “Nursing school can be very challenging in many ways. I definitely can say that after leaving my country, culture, language, my entire family and all my friends back home, “nursing school” was definitely the hardest of all to do,” shared Dunai. “But, everything was worth it!”
Here are the graduates from Atkinson and Coffee counties:
Atkinson
Nayeli Aguilar, Norman Batten, Sarai Bernardino, Royce Bryant, Wynter Bryant, Dalton Burkett, Shanterica Butler, Gloria Carachure, Rut Cardenas, Ladasheuna Coleman, Berenice Colmenero, Harley Crews, Jacqueline Cruz, Dulce De Leon, Martavius Dennis, Mackenzie Dillingham, Sabra Dockery, Jacqueline Fuentes, Emilia Gomez, Gavin Hall, Jasmine Hall, William Hamilton, Ernesto Herrera, Corey Lewis, Levi Lott, Serena Martinez, Abilene Mendoza, Jacquelyn Mitchell, Clayton Mizell, Juan Montalban, Kirsten Morrell, Yajaira Oropeza, Justin Peach, Salem Peeples, Karen Perez, Lizzy Perez, Marilin Perez, Dumonta Perry, Wendi Powell, Berenice Ramirez, Kristina Ramirez, Rubi Ramirez, Anai Reyes, Luis Rodriquez, Libni Rojas, Cameron Smale, Emilee Soles, Priscilla Sosa, Kendall Spivey, Haley Swanson, Alyssa Taft, Charity Titshaw, Jennifer Vega, Eden White, Beau Wildes, Martika Wooten, and Aliyah Zimmerman
Coffee
Trinity Ackerman, Ariel Adams, Ann Alexander, Armoni Anderson, Daniel Anderson, Megan Anderson, Latorya Armour, Gabriel Arnold, Sergio Avalos, Zy’Kevius Bailey, Bryce Banks, Cassandra Banks, Zachery Belcher, Anitra Blackshear, Damion Bonaparte, Clinesha Brockington, Jorja Bryant, Devin Burke, Laytonya Butler, Londrell Campbell, Corey Carver, Ashly Castaneda, Alejandro Castro-Ortega, Robert Cato, Linda Cervantes, Koriyunta Colson, Shekoyia Conley, Angelica Contreras, Damien Cook, Savannah Cothern, Ethan Courson, Landon Courson, Jordan Crews, Qwa-nysia Crockett, Nayeli Cuello, Trevante Curtis, Brittan Davis, Antonio Dawson, Ashlee Deen, Johnathan Deen, Kimberly Douglas, Destiny Durham, Mercedes Esmeralda, Zhadrianna Flagg, LeFronzi Floyd, Benjamin Foskey, Dillan Gray, Jaden Gray, William Griffin, Jadyn Guthrie, Kylee Harper, Ke’Asia Harrell, Jerry Harris, Nathan Hattaway, Dyanna Hayes, Damaris Hernandez, Osbaldo Hernandez, Tiffany Hersey, Tyechia Hill, Carly Holbrook, Nyjeeri Holland, Destiny Hollinger, Essence Howard, Angela Howell, Nathanael Huelett, Elizabeth Hunt, Fredrick Ingram, Lexoutica Jackson, Naomi Jefferson, Jeanerie Johnson, Zaria Johnson, Tom Jones, Jaheim Killebrew, Josiah Killiebrew, Kyle Kovaleski, Lakresha Lanier, Sarah Lawson, Nyla Leggett, Anessia Lewis, Alyssa Lott, Harrison Lott, Daniela Lugo, Travius Mack, Natalie Maddox, Amber Massey, Briseyda Mazariegoz, Braxton McAllister, Alyia McDonald, Nicholas McDuffie, Johnny McFatten, Kenneth Meredith, Ethan Merritt, Halley Merritt, Jesse Merritt, Jontavius Mincey, Dieasha Mobley, Ivory Moore, Jacob Music, Edvin Najarro, Rakera Odums, Emma Olliff, Diana Ortiz, Kiara Pace, Daisy Pacheco, Karina Pacheco, Marshanti Paulk, Ethan Peacock, Daisy Perez, Brandon Phillips, Felipe Pinzon, Jr., Michael Pittman, Cassandra Powell, Aliyah Preston, Jonathan Ramirez, Brice Ray, Eric Ray, Morgon Reyonlds, Grace Ring, Alexis Rish, Matthew Roberts, Stacy Rodriquez, Susana Rojas, Calvin Rollins, Milyn Roundtree, Kendall Royals, Katarina Serrano, Katie Shatto, Aaron Smith, Angelique Smith, Ashley Smith, Eric Smith, Shelvy Smith, Zachery Smith, Jenna Spivey, Tiffany Spruce, Kaylee Stevens, Anthony Stewart, Isaiah Styles, Te’nia Styles, Joshua Tanner, Matthew Teston, Heath Thompson, John Thurman, Cha-nyai Traylor, Brandon Trowbridge, Kyla Tucker, Patience Vaughn, Halie Vick, Kate Vickers, Marcia Vowell, Molly Waldron, Chase Westberry, Jade White, Diamond Williams, Nycosha Williams, TyKerra Williams, Cheyanne Wilson, Anslie Wright, Halen Wright, Tyterionna Wright, Zulma Zepeda