GTCC Success Stories

People come from across the Triad to find success at GTCC. Click below to read some of their stories.

Tonalmitzin (left) and Yectli Guzman-Perez

Guzman-Perez siblings shine in science at GTCC, but also work to put a spotlight on their Hispanic heritage

Published on September 24, 2024

When Yectli and Tonalmitzin Guzman-Perez were young children in Mexico, their parents worked hard to instill a love and appreciation for education, especially the sciences. Fast forward a few years and a move to the United States and the siblings are reaping the rewards of their parents’ efforts as students at Guilford Technical Community College.

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Shackti Martinez (left) and Muhammad Abu Khass (center) accept an award during the national Federation for Advanced Manufacturing Education (FAME) USA conference in Fort Worth, Texas.

GTCC duo big winners at national manufacturing conference

Published on July 11, 2024

When Shackti Martinez and Muhammad Abu Khass stepped into the spotlight for their Manufacturing Core Exercise (MCE) presentation at the national Federation for Advanced Manufacturing Education (FAME) USA conference in Fort Worth, Texas, recently, their expectations were measured.

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“I used the resource center, all the resources there. If I wasn’t up there to do any work, I was up there chatting with other veterans. It was where I hung between classes,” said Tyler.

GTCC’s Veterans Resource Center helped make transition from Navy back to the classroom much easier for Justin Tyler

Published on May 22, 2024

For the past two years, Triad native Justin Tyler has been very comfortable in a Guilford Technical Community College classroom. He graduated from GTCC earlier this month with an Associate of Arts in general studies, and this summer will return to the classroom, this time at the University of North Carolina Charlotte where he will major in criminal justice.

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Jenna Daniels crosses her arms standing in front of a fire engine.

Fire chief: High school program fuels calling to serve

Published on June 13, 2023

For Jenna Daniels, firefighting has never been a career. It's a calling. "I was always around it growing up. My dad, my brothers, my uncle, and my cousins were in the fire department, and I would come around and hang out. I was always around it," Daniels said.

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Jess Maxwell portrait

Stylist hopes to pay it forward for new cosmetology students

Published on June 12, 2023

Jess Maxwell understands the importance of roots … and not just the ones she colors in her profession as a hair stylist. She’s had her own private salon in Greensboro for years where she has developed a reputation that truly reaches far and wide, especially when it comes to color and extensions. She’s done work in Rome and Paris for the modeling agency, 3BBM, where her styles have appeared on the cover of magazines

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April Thompson profile

Pandemic, brain cancer leads instructor to chart new course

Published on June 1, 2023

April Thompson teaches Guilford Technical Community College students how to overcome adversity and strive for excellence as they begin their college careers. She certainly knows the topic well. In fact, if not for an ingrained ability to battle back through difficult times, she probably would not be working as an instructor through GTCC’s Inclusion for Impact Internship program.

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Nicholas Stewart holds excellence award.

Student follows in mother's academic excellence footsteps

Published on May 8, 2023

Excellence runs in Nicholas Stewart’s family and he and his mom have the awards to prove it. Stewart, who graduates from Guilford Technical Community College in May, has been named a winner of the North Carolina Community College System 2023 Academic Excellence Award.

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Dental assisting student works on equipment.

GTCC serves community, hosts Give Kids A Smile event

Published on April 4, 2023

For 17 elementary school students, the annual Give Kids A Smile event at Guilford Technical Community College delivered brighter smiles through dental checkups. GTCC dental hygiene and dental assisting students, meanwhile, received valuable, hands-on experience.

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Fati Seyni, head covered with a pink scarf, stands in a garden setting.

Alum's strong sense of belonging at GTCC leads to job

Published on March 16, 2023

When Fati Seyni first walked onto Guilford Technical Community College’s Greensboro campus five years ago, her goal was to learn to speak English. Today, she's a full-time employee and can't imagine a better place to work.

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Chloe Redfern exploring Belize.

Student's long-time interest sets her college path in stone

Published on February 14, 2023

Chloe Redfern loves rocks. That love is guiding her toward becoming a geological engineer. And Guilford Technical Community College’s Career and College Promise (CCP) program, has given her quite the head start on her path to a four-year degree.

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Khoa Nguyen, GTCC Student Ambassador

Vietnam native reboots college career after pandemic swoon

Published on January 10, 2023

Khoa Nguyen understands the value of second chances. Nguyen headed to the UNC-Chapel Hill after graduating from Western Guilford High School in 2020. COVID was already running rampant late that summer and UNC students were quickly sent home to work remotely.

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Charles Tucker, GTCC student ambassador

GTCC’s many opportunities help simulation and game design major expand his skillset

Published on November 17, 2022

On the surface it seems that Charles Tucker, a student at Guilford Technical Community College, is majoring in completely mismatched subjects: Simulation and game design, and English. Dig a little deeper though, and it becomes clear that these are perfectly matched majors. After all, someone has to write the scripts for animated games, and that requires a solid set of writing skills.

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Jeshika Lamsal is the GTCC Student Government Association president.

Nepal native thrives on being involved at GTCC

Published on October 18, 2022

When Jeshika Lamsal and her family moved from Nepal to Texas, it would have been easy for her to blend into the background at her new school. The same could be said three years later when the family relocated to Greensboro.

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GTCC alum E.J. Coleman.

Alum looks back fondly at GTCC's impact on his career

Published on October 11, 2022

After E.J. Coleman graduated from Southern Guilford High School he couldn't get out of town and into a four-year college quick enough. "I just wanted to hang out with my buddy. We wanted to go to college to wrestle together like we did throughout high school,” Coleman said.

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Madison Gore is a GTCC culinary student and student ambassador.

Culinary student hopes to kick off career working abroad

Published on October 3, 2022

Madison Gore admits her post-graduate work goal is a bit different from many and could be way more complicated than most. But she believes the experience and knowledge she picked up during her three years in the GTCC Student Ambassador Program will help guide her once she lands a job.

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Shelton Smith portrait

Unexpected call helps man gain fresh perspective on career

Published on February 14, 2022

Shelton Smith's path is altered in a positive way after a call from Angie Carter, the education navigator for the Food Nutrition Services Employment and Training program at Guilford Technical Community College. The purpose of the program is to help underserved community members increase education and employment opportunities.

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With help of Guilford Apprenticeship Partnership (GAP) and A&T transfer programs, Vasidki Conneh is able to chart his own path toward an engineering career that began at GTCC.

GTCC, GAP program launch career plan for Ivory Coast native

Published on February 2, 2022

Just over decade after immigrating from the Ivory Coast, Vasidki Conneh was valedictorian of his senior class at Dudley High School. Today, he is less than a semester away from graduating from Guilford Technical Community College’s Manufacturing Technology program.

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Career and College Promise Program at GTCC helping high school senior get an early jump into the real world

Published on January 18, 2022

Selena Collins wants to “jump into the real world” as soon as possible. At the rate she is going, the 17-year-old Greensboro resident will be making that leap much sooner than later. Collins is a senior at Western Guilford High School. She’s winding down her first semester at Guilford Technical Community College and by the time she graduates high school in the spring, she will have enough college credits to enroll in a four-year school as a second semester sophomore.

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Pop Star Sybil Newman Now Finds Her Passion Through GTCC’s Titan Link

Published on September 21, 2021

Through GTCC’s Titan Link Sybil Newman insists she is not an angel. Hundreds of Guilford Technical Community College students, past and present, would insist differently. Newman heads up the college’s Titan Link program, a program that helps not only GTCC students, but also faculty and staff, smooth over rough patches in their lives. From financial to hardware to software to childcare and transportation, Newman and her group work wonders to make life more navigable for those who may be in need.

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Age, Pandemic Haven’t Slowed Non-Traditional Student Walson As She Chases Her Passion At GTCC

Published on June 29, 2021

For decades Edith Walson has worked with preschool age children. It has been a lifelong passion for her, a passion she fueled by volunteering in her church and with refugee children in the AmeriCorps program. Now, with her own children grown and out on their own, the 61-year-old Walson has embarked on the next step in pursuing her passion: the Early Childhood Education program at Guilford Technical Community College.

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With Undergraduate Degree In Hand, Robinson Passes On Law School And Joins GTCC Welding Program

Published on June 28, 2021

When Holland Robinson graduated from the University of North Carolina at Wilmington in 2019, her sights were set on becoming a lawyer. With a major criminology with a concentration in criminal justice and a double-minor in campaign management and prelaw, it seemed natural. It turns out, she’s pretty much a natural at welding, too. She just didn’t know it at the time.

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Graham Earns Employee Of Month Honors For Hard Work In Keeping Two Departments Running Smoothly

Published on June 28, 2021

Sierra Graham has two job titles at Guilford Technical Community College, but she has many more jobs. Graham is the administrative assistant for the dean of human services and public safety division as well as the fire occupational extension and fire academy. For her diligent work to keep both areas running smoothly, Graham has been named Guilford Technical Community College employee of the month for May.

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Davis Selected GTCC March Employee Of Month For Stellar Performance Under Pandemic Pressure

Published on April 26, 2021

Tracey Davis has one of those jobs that is vital, but in normal times, unheralded. The past 18 months have not been “normal times,” and as the manager of student accounts at Guilford Technical Community College, Davis and her position have been center stage. First there was the pandemic, which is still a part of our everyday life. Then there was the data breach at GTCC.

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GTCC Paralegal Instructor Keynote Speaker For National Webinar

Published on April 12, 2021

With most of her classes held virtually for the past year, Pam Hollern has grown very accustomed to communicating via Zoom and other virtual platforms. But these days the program director of paralegal technology at Guilford Technical Community College finds herself on a larger virtual stage.

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Teachers’ Encouragement Has GTCC Student Thinking Bigger

Published on March 30, 2021

When Michelle Bowden enrolled at Guilford Technical Community College two years ago, she planned on earning an associate degree and continue her work in a childcare center. But that was two years ago, before she stepped on campus and experienced the culture of GTCC.

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GTCC C-STEP Program Keeps Student’s Dream Of UNC Alive

Published on March 24, 2021

Sophia Wilkins always dreamed of going to the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill. Now, thanks to Guilford Technical Community College’s C-STEP transfer pathway, that dream is on the verge of reality. The C-STEP transfer pathway is a partnership with UNC Chapel Hill that guarantees a student admission to the four-year institution upon completion of the C-STEP associate degree program at GTCC.

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Two Curriculums, Two Jobs, And A Child Don’t Slow GTCC’s Boston

Published on March 8, 2021

As a non-traditional student, Courtney Boston knows she has to take a less traveled, more difficult route to reach her dream of becoming an attorney. If that means enrolling in two curriculums simultaneously at Guilford Technical Community College, working a fulltime job as a paralegal for a law firm and a part-time job as a weekend manager at a restaurant all while rearing a three-year-old boy, well, that’s just fine with her.

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McCauley Earns Top Employee Honors For Grace Under Pressure

Published on March 2, 2021

Faced with a campus-wide academic schedule that was totally disrupted by COVID-19, Tiffany McCauley did what she always does: she performed flawlessly under pressure. Which is why she was recognized as GTCC’s January employee of the month.

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GTCC Instructor Keeps Students Moving In Virtual Setting

Published on February 24, 2021

Shannon Burghart has always believed in lots of physical activity in her classes at Guilford Technical Community College. The associate professor of early childhood education understands that physical movements stimulate the brain.

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GTCC Truck Driving Training Program ‘Life-Changing’ For Former Chef

Published on February 4, 2021

Troy Singley had been a chef for many years. But when his restaurant job disappeared last spring as the COVID-19 pandemic began to rage, he was at a crossroads. The 55-year-old New Jersey native knew he needed to find a more storm proof-career and he began to explore the options. A new Guilford Technical Community College program caught his eye and it put him on the road to a new livelihood, both figuratively and literally.

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‘Never Give Up’ Is More Than A Motto To Adult Education Student Kelly

Published on February 1, 2021

When she was 16, she was forced to leave high school to help care for her six siblings. A decade later, she enrolled in Guilford Technical Community College’s adult education program, only to be blindsided by life. But today the 36-year-old Kelly is immersed in GTCC’s adult education program again and is on course to complete the program this spring.

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Balogh Has Traveled The World, But GTCC Is Her New Home

Published on January 12, 2021

She was born in Germany and has lived in Spain, Florida, Georgia, St. Maarten, Israel, and California. These days Greensboro is home. Guilford Technical Community College is like a second home for the 40-year-old Balogh as she utilizes the college’s Adult Education Program to help her switch gears in life

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Determined Mohamed On Way To Nursing Degree At GTCC

Published on January 12, 2021

When Rabila Mohamed came to the United States three years ago, she spoke only a few words of English, but she was armed with a fierce determination to succeed. With that determination and the help of Guilford Technical Community College, she has never looked back as she works her way toward a career as a registered nurse.

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Extra GTCC Hours Paying Dividends For High School Senior

Published on January 12, 2021

Sarah Oakley figures working a little overtime in the classroom now is going to save her a lot of time down the road. The 17-year-old Oakley is a senior at Southwest Guilford High School and will graduate in the spring. But she is also on schedule to graduate from Guilford Technical Community College this year. She enrolled in the college’s Career and College Promise program in 2019 and since has simultaneously taken both high school and college classes.

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GTCC Graduate Finds Connection in Online Degree Program

Published on December 9, 2020

Wilson earned her associate’s degree in Medical Office Administration – Medical Billing and Coding through the GTCC’s eDegree program. She chose the online learning platform because of the convenience and the security it offered her.

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Plumley Helped Lead GTCC Back From Cyber Incident

Published on December 1, 2020

Guilford Technical Community College faced an unparalleled emergency last fall when it was hit with a cyberattack. Countless staff members stepped to the fore to aid in the recovery, but none was more vital than network administrator Jeremy Plumley. Which is why he was recognized as GTCC’s November employee of the month.

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Berri Cross Patiently Helps Students Through Difficult Times

Published on November 2, 2020

Regardless of the question or problem or dilemma a Guilford Technical Community College student presents Berri Cross, she patiently and calmly finds the correct answer or points them in the right direction. Which is why she was recognized as GTCC’s October employee of the month.

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Titan Link Continues Assisting Students in the Wake of COVID-19

Published on April 3, 2020

Transitioning from in-class to distance learning can be challenging. Especially if you don’t have a reliable computer or electronic device. Titan Link, GTCC’s services support program that helps students with life issues that arise outside the classroom, recognized there would be a need among students as the college prepared for remote learning in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak last month.

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GTCC Student Represents United States at WorldSkills Competition

Published on October 16, 2019

“Having the opportunity to represent the United States on the global stage at WorldSkills was not only an honor but also a privilege. To be able to do something I love just makes it that much more enjoyable,” says GTCC student Alex Millikan who represented the United States at the WorldSkills Competition in Kazan, Russia.

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For Josh Hudson, Entrepreneurship is a Driving Force

Published on July 12, 2019

“I’m passionate about the trade and the craft. I want to be the best and inspire others to go after their dreams,” says Josh Hudson, a GTCC graduate who owns and operates Greensboro-based Hudson Autoworks. Hudson earned his associate degree in Collision Repair and Refinishing Technology from GTCC in 2012.

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GTCC Student Draws on Life Experiences to Shape Career Goals

Published on December 6, 2018

It is often said that what influences people the most are the experiences they go through in life. For Guilford Technical Community College student Casey Trivette, the saying holds true. Trivette, who will graduate with an associate degree from GTCC’s Medical Assisting program in 2019, has used her personal experiences, as well as those around her, to shape her career goals.

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GTCC Small Business Center Provides Springboard to Success for Female Entrepreneur

Published on October 29, 2018

Standing at the crossroads of a career she knew and a desire to blaze her own path, Diane Summerville chose the road less traveled when she started her own business. With coaching from Guilford Technical Community College’s Small Business Center, she founded New Day Transitions, Inc., a move management firm that helps seniors transition from the homes they have known and loved to a smaller home or retirement community.

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Global Scholars: Three GTCC Students Take the Trip of a Lifetime

Published on October 22, 2018

Three Guilford Technical Community College students joined others from Davidson Community College and Forsyth Technical Community College on an adventure they won’t soon forget. Through a partnership with Universidad Nacional de Villa María in Argentina, eight area community college students spent two weeks in Argentina as part of a faculty-led study abroad program.

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GTCC By Train: For Jared Ranes, It’s Worth the Trip

Published on October 19, 2018

His mornings begin at 5:30 a.m. but Jared Ranes says he wouldn’t trade the long days for the world. He uncommon commute takes from his home in Clayton, North Carolina, to GTCC’s High Point campus where he is enrolled in the concert lighting and sound program.

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Mike Blanke - GTCC graduate

My GTCC Story: Mike Blanke

Published on September 10, 2018

Mike Blanke was standing in an empty hangar when it happened. The moment he became fascinated with flight. An airshow and 1940s swing dancing lessons brought him to Monroe, North Carolina. He didn’t realize it then but that afternoon would have a profound impact on his trajectory.

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