To our colleagues and partners,

As we conclude the last month of another incredible year at Georgia Highlands College, I’m thrilled to highlight a theme that truly embodies our growth and evolution at GHC:

We are not just a great place to START—we’re also the place to FINISH.

This is a phrase I want to give Jed Gillespie full credit for. He is a faculty member in our School of Business and Professional Studies. (Thanks, Jed!)

In this update, you’ll see why GHC is making a mark as a career-focused institution now with 10 career-targeted bachelor’s degrees! Our commitment to student success has earned us national recognition for outcomes that prioritize career readiness and academic excellence—all while maintaining one of the lowest tuition costs in the state and country. Did you know that less than 14% of GHC students take out student loans, and fewer than 25% graduate with any debt?

At the heart of GHC’s mission is delivering the BEST college experience. We do that by making sure our students engage in hands-on learning in a real-world curriculum from the START. That way our graduates FINISH with a powerful resume and a clear career path forward. 

By choosing GHC, students aren’t just earning a degree—they’re making a transformative investment in themselves.

As I enter my third year as president, I’m deeply committed to strengthening our ability to build real generational leaders and relationships for our students within our communities. This update is a testament to our shared success, reflecting the mission-driven work we’re accomplishing together. Thank you for your continued support and for sharing in our vision. I’m excited for you to read about all we’ve achieved and for what lies ahead!

Go Chargers!
Mike

Mike Hobbs
President
Georgia Highlands College

I’m thrilled to open this special section with a powerful photo from our recent commencement, where our Board of Regents celebrated with GHC graduates Armani Skrine, Pedro Robledo, and John Chorn—the first students to complete our Building Information Modeling Management bachelor’s degree. These graduates, like so many others, received job offers even before completing their studies, a testament to the high demand for GHC’s career-ready programs.

As you read through this section, you’ll discover how GHC supports students throughout our community—from kindergarten to career. With over 84% of our graduates starting their careers right here in the region, our mission is clear: to prioritize students who are rooted in our community, who study here, work here, and ultimately choose to remain here for their career and to raise their families.

SECOND ANNUAL FISHING RODEO FOR ELEMENTARY STUDENTS (AND UP!)

It is never too early to have students from our community on a college campus. For the second year in a row, we have hosted a Fishing Rodeo at our Paris Lake on the Floyd Campus. Partnering with our local wildlife and natural resources leaders, our faculty and staff from our Environmental and Natural Resources bachelor's program turned this into an event full of learning and fun! What better way to learn about careers centered on the environment than catching a fish on a beautiful lake next to a natural wetland ecosystem that includes a 1,200-foot boardwalk and two observation platforms at Georgia Highlands College!

HEALTHCARE DISCOVERY CAMP FOR MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDENTS

In close partnership with our local healthcare leaders, like Atrium Health Floyd, the Healthcare Discovery Camp at GHC is a three-day camp for rising 5th–8th graders that provides hands-on learning about healthcare careers. Campers explore the world of healthcare through interactive learning, hands-on experiments, and real-world applications. We're grateful to have excellent faculty and staff from our Nursing program, Dental Hygiene program, and Health Science bachelor's program to make this event possible. 

GHC & RIFF STUDENT FILM ACADEMY FOR HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS

Several hundred high school students attend the Student Film Academy each year, and because of our partnership with the Rome International Film Festival, these students get to explore film and digital media careers with experts in many fields. Our faculty and staff in our film program and the recently added digital media and communication bachelor's program also have the opportunity to share pathways to those careers and other emerging careers students may not be thinking about.

PROFESSIONAL CERTIFICATES AND CAREER TRAINING FOR THE CURRENT WORKFORCE

While we love creating career-ready learning opportunities for K-12 students, we’re also equally focused on supporting those already in the workforce who want to advance or start new careers. That’s why we’ve invested in our Center for Professional Education, launching programs like the Glenda Mitchell Paralegal Certificate. This program offers 12 weekly modules taught by experienced local attorneys, combining practical insights with classroom learning. Our growing criminal justice bachelor's program complements this certificate, providing a pathway to both a rewarding career and a bachelor’s degree.

A DESTINATION FOCUS FOR CURRENT COLLEGE STUDENTS

At GHC, being a "destination college" means guiding students toward their career goals. Through strong partnerships, we make it easy for students to earn the "destination degree" they need. Starting spring 2025, for instance, in addition to our students at GHC, students at Lurleen B. Wallace Community College can complete an Associate’s in Building Construction and transition into GHC’s Bachelor of Science in Building Information Modeling and Management (BIMM) program. From there, students at GHC can join a dual degree program with Georgia Tech, earning both a BIMM degree from GHC and a Construction Science degree from Georgia Tech in just four to five years. This pathway not only supports easy transfer to Georgia Tech from GHC but also equips students with two degrees, enhancing job opportunities in the high-demand construction industry.

LARGEST GRADUATION RATE INCREASE IN THE UNIVERSITY SYSTEM: We were happy to be acknowledged by Chancellor Perdue for having the largest 3-year graduation increase in the State College sector this year. The University System Office awarded GHC a trophy that we have been circulating across the college in each department. This honor would not be possible without the tireless effort of our faculty and staff who prioritize student success and enrollment initiatives that lead to graduation!

NEW STEAM CAFÉ & OVER 6,000 HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS ON CAMPUS: Our business office led by our Vice President for Finance and Administration Jamie Petty has been hard at work making our campuses more welcoming and optimized for our students and community this year. One new addition is the recent opening of a “Starbucks” style café on our Cartersville campus. (Special shout-out to GHC Foundation Trustee Lance Barry for joining us for the grand opening!) Our business office efforts in conjunction with the work of our faculty and staff putting on numerous community events and student academies has led to OVER 6,000 high school students visiting our campuses this year.

FOUNDATION TRUSTEE SPOTLIGHT: Dr. Gayland Cooper exemplifies what it means to be a Trustee on the GHC Foundation Board. His positivity brightly shines in any room he enters, and his commitment to the success of our students, our college, and the GHC Foundation is a testament to the kind of leadership that makes the GHC Foundation a pillar to our success. He always shows up for GHC. He attends almost every GHC event, and he even spends time on campus quite a bit. In fact, one weekend, he caught the biggest fish I think I have ever seen come out of Paris Lake on our Floyd Campus! Thanks for all you do, Dr. Cooper!

FACULTY SPOTLIGHT: I want to talk about our entire faculty in our nursing and dental hygiene programs collectively! I could go on and on about each faculty member, but I want to share some stats that say it all: 100% pass rates on licensure exams within the first year, 100% work placements for all graduates, and several accolades and awards for the state and nationally. I want to extend the collective gratitude of our students, community, and college for all you do!

STAFF SPOTLIGHT: Meredith Head Bruno, who oversees our marketing and recruiting, was recently honored with a prestigious Cartersville-Bartow Chamber Impact Award. Because of her work and many others at the college in those areas, Georgia Highlands College joins the fastest growing colleges across the system with one of the highest fall over fall enrollment increases in the state.

PROGRAM SPOTLIGHT: In my 30+ years in higher education, GHC’s summer field course trip to Wyoming stands out as one of the most impactful experiences for students. Having joined the trip twice, I’ve seen how this unique environment transforms learning. Each day, students engage in high-impact activities—like lecture hikes, fossil digs, and exploring volcanic landforms—that push their understanding far beyond the classroom. Watching them discuss their experiences around the campfire, connecting each day’s discoveries to their studies, is unforgettable. This course embodies experiential learning at its best, creating deep, hands-on connections with the material that a traditional classroom simply can’t achieve.

Recently, GHC hosted an on-site visit from the Aspen Institute as part of the selection process for the 2025 Aspen Prize—GHC is one of just 10 finalists out of 1,000 colleges nationwide for this $1 million award. While winning would be an incredible achievement and help fund our student success programs, the highlight for our leadership was hearing our students (pictured above), unprompted, share how GHC has changed their lives. Every student invited showed up, speaking from the heart about the impact GHC has had on them.

Increasing enrollment, national accolades, and growing career-targeted programs are great... but nothing compares to hearing our students say, "You changed my life."

As you consider year-end giving, please think about the lasting difference your support for GHC makes in the lives of students who live, learn, START, and FINISH here. Reach out to me at presidentsoffice@highlands.edu if you'd like to discuss how your gift will build a future for a neighbor in your community. Or click the image below to Give Today!

Please also plan to join us for the upcoming President's Holiday Celebration on December 19 at 6PM at the Historic Desoto Theatre in Downtown Rome. We will have lots of fun and games, and we will be showing the movie Elf. Bring your family to this holiday event presented by the Glenda Mitchell Law Firm for our GHC community! This event is free and open to the public. To RSVP, please visit our event page online. Or click the image at the bottom of this update.

Thank you for an incredible year at Georgia Highlands College. We look forward to another year of growth and success, and I’m excited to share our progress with you in the new year. In the words of our students, "Thank you! You are changing lives."