GNTC Student Chris Roberson Selected for Phoenix Patriot Foundation’s Veteran Scholarship
Military experience provides individuals with in-depth technical experience and an aptitude for detail, which makes them great candidates for technical education. As a result, many of the 22 colleges in Technical College System of Georgia (TCSG) have financial aid incentives specifically for veterans.
Georgia Northwestern Technical College (GNTC) student Chris Roberson, a resident of Cedartown, was selected to receive the Phoenix Patriot Foundation’s Veteran Scholarship, a $1,000 scholarship awarded to injured military veterans. Roberson was one of two TCSG students selected for the scholarship.
Roberson, a former A5 Sargent in the Army, was deployed to Korea in 2009. He also served in Kuwait, Qatar, and United Arab of Emirates in 2012-13. He is currently pursuing a diploma in GNTC’s Air Conditioning Technology program.
“This scholarship will not only help me pay for college, I can also use it to pay for my tools,” said Roberson. “In the world of HVAC that can be very expensive, and so this is going to be great.”
To qualify for the scholarship, a student must be enrolled in a TCSG college, be an honorably discharged post 9/11 veteran who was injured or wounded, have a 2.0 or higher GPA, have completed at least 12 hours of credit, and complete the application process.
Roberson also was asked to be an ambassador for the Phoenix Patriot Foundation’s Veteran Scholarship.
“I am going to utilize this opportunity as much as I can to gain enough knowledge so I can pass it along to other veterans,” said Roberson.
Roberson graduated from Cedartown High School in 2007 and was an honor student at Cameron University in Oklahoma in 2015-16. He served as a volunteer firefighter for the Polk County Fire Department and the Temple Fire Department. Roberson chose GNTC’s Air Conditioning Technology program so he can start the process of taking over Bowen Service Company, his family’s business.
Veterans gain valuable technical experience when they serve in the military and a large amount of that experience translates into the problem-solving skills and precision that is taught in the industrial programs at GNTC.
“People that were in the military have a good work ethic and are always on time,” said Roberson. “I would say technical education is a great career opportunity for veterans.”
The Technical College System of Georgia (TCSG) Foundation Scholarship Committee, in coordination with the Phoenix Patriot Foundation, selects the recipients for the veteran scholarship.
“We are pleased to provide this assistance to veterans striving to better themselves through education,” said John Paulson, CEO of the Phoenix Patriot Foundation.
Georgia Northwestern Technical College provides quality workforce education to the citizens of Northwest Georgia. Students have the opportunity to earn an associate degree, diploma, or a certificate in business, health, industrial, or public service career paths. This past year, 16,402 people benefited from GNTC’s credit and noncredit programs. With an annual credit enrollment of 7,750 students, GNTC is the largest college in Northwest Georgia. GNTC has an additional enrollment of 8,652 people through adult education, continuing education, business and industry training, and Georgia Quick Start. For more information about GNTC, visit us at GNTC.edu. GNTC is a unit of the Technical College System of Georgia and an Equal Opportunity Institution.
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