News

Sydney Pelaez said if there is one thing you should know about her, it’s that she likes to set goals for herself, both realistic and lofty, and then knock them out of the park.

Exhibit A of this trait was her decision to leave the familiarity of Tampa, Florida, where she grew up, and move 500 miles north to Gwinnett County, Georgia, as soon as she graduated from high school.

She came to play for Georgia Gwinnett College’s (GGC) women’s softball team, mainly, but there was more to it than

Floyee Gresham wanted to be a teacher since she was a high school student in Villa Rica, Georgia. She pursued that path until she found herself working as a paraprofessional supporting students and teachers in the Gwinnett County school system. She enjoyed that career, but the desire to be a full-time teacher never left her.

In 2018, she caught wind of Georgia Gwinnett College’s (GGC) paraprofessional track for the Bachelor of Science in Education in special education. With this degree

Juan Cruz Parisi Sitjar knows what it takes to win. More importantly, like all champions, he knows how to take a loss. If you ask him, he’ll tell you learning how to move on from your losses is more important than celebrating your wins, and he’s had plenty of experience with both.

Born in Argentina in 1995, Parisi Sitjar learned to cope with adversity early in life. When he was five years old, his father was nearly killed at work by gunfire. The experience was so traumatic, the family moved

Kevin Becerra-Cardoza excelled at everything he put his mind to as a student at Georgia Gwinnett College (GGC), including being named to the President’s List, the Dean’s List and being inducted into four national honor societies.

He didn’t let any opportunity to learn and grow as a GGC student go to waste, filling his undergraduate career with club organizations like the Student Government Association, the Organization for Latin American Students, the Volleyball Club and the Four Pillar

When she was a young girl growing up in Nigeria, Chenanniah Mac-Cephas wanted to be one of the youngest lawyers ever to pass the bar exam.

“That’s what my dad and I would talk about, and that was what I thought at the time would bring me financial freedom,” said Mac-Cephas. “Well, financial freedom in the sense of what a nine-year-old thought it was.”

She was on the right track to accomplishing that through much of her youth. Her parents enrolled her in Accelerated Christian Education (ACE

There was an air of excitement this morning when more than 650 Georgia Gwinnett College (GGC) students turned the tassels on their graduation caps at the college’s spring 2023 commencement.

Many of them went through challenges to cross the finish line of their college career. That fact was not lost on commencement speaker Dr. J. Marshall Shepherd, who spoke to students about turning challenges into opportunities. Shepherd, an international expert in weather and climate, talked about his

Sam Kaplan, 72, of Lawrenceville, has added many items to his resume over the years. On May 11, he will have another addition – college graduate.

“This is my first undergraduate degree,” said Kaplan. “I’m the first of my seven siblings to earn a degree.”

Kaplan, who graduated from high school in 1969, had not considered college. He worked in various roles. He ran a cleaning service and then a telemarketing company. He worked in customer service for a wholesale distributor of electronics

Alexis McMillian has always been keenly aware of the tragedies and comedies of life, so it’s no wonder she felt pulled toward film from a very young age.

A child of the foster care system, the odds were stacked against her from the beginning; but when she was five months old, she was taken in by a foster family and stole their hearts. They adopted her when she was about two years old.

“No writer gets to produce their first script,” said McMillian. “Rewrites are inevitable. My first rewrite

Georgia Gwinnett College (GGC) is taking steps to increase retention and graduation rates among a population that has historically dealt with challenges by hosting the Inaugural African American Male Initiative (AAMI) Summit, held April 28 on the college’s campus.

The event, sponsored by GGC’s AAMI-Elite Scholars program, created a forum for African American males to share experiences and discuss positive solutions. Throughout the day, students shared their perspectives about the challenges

Camille Covarrubias spent most of her life in Mérida, Venezuela, a small city in the middle of the Andes mountains. Steep green hillsides rise high from the edges of the town and end in sharp rows of snow-capped mountains. It was a beautiful place to grow up, breathing crisp mountain air and enjoying mild temperatures year-round.

After high school, she became a nursing student, inspired by her grandparents, who were both doctors.

“I remember sitting in my grandma’s office, who was an