West Georgia Technical College (WGTC) celebrated summer commencement exercises August 2, awarding over 150 associate degrees and technical diplomas to graduates across West Georgia.Georgia Power Area Manager Patrick Harris delivered the keynote address, encouraging graduates to keep learning and working hard even after graduation.

“Don’t let this be the end,” Harris said. “Even though today’s graduation represents your last stop on this educational journey, don’t let it be your last stop in learning. The key to your success is being willing to put in the hard work and have the mindset to go above and beyond.”

Harris earned a B.S. in Mathematics from Fort Valley State University and a B.S. in Electrical Engineering from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. He obtained a M.S. in Electrical Engineering from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, and he is currently pursuing his MBA from the University of Illinois-Urbana Champaign.

In addition to his role as Area Manager, Harris is the statewide second Vice President of the Citizen of Georgia Power volunteer organization. He has served as Georgia Power’s chair for the American Heart Association Heart Walk and the Relay for Life events. Currently, Harris serves on the chamber board for the Carroll, Haralson and Polk County Chambers of Commerce, and as a co-chair of the Kappa Youth Leadership League.

WGTC President Dr. Julie Post closed the ceremony by asking the graduates to take a moment to celebrate their families and friends in the audience.

“Before we dismiss for the evening, I want you to give a round of applause to your supporters – your children, your parents, your grandparents, your friends – in this room for helping you on this journey,” Post said. “Without their support, this night may not have been possible.”

The ceremony was held at the Conference Center of WGTC’s Murphy Campus in Waco to accommodate students and families from all seven counties of WGTC’s service area. For those who were unable to attend in person, a recording of the ceremony can be viewed on the West Georgia Tech YouTube page, here: https://youtu.be/bxRWf5kEBXk

West Georgia Technical College, with campuses in Carroll, Coweta, Douglas, Haralson and Troup counties and class sites in Heard and Meriwether counties, offers more than 120 associate degree, diploma and technical certificate programs of study. A unit of the Technical College System of Georgia, West Georgia Tech is one of the largest of the state’s 22 technical colleges. For more information, please visit westgatech.edu.