GNTC students receive scholarships from ChaTech
Two Georgia Northwestern Technical College (GNTC) students were among the 18 recipients of scholarships awarded by the Chattanooga Technology Council (ChaTech) ranging from $1,000-$2,000.
Cybersecurity majors Brittany Wattenbarger of Walker County received a $2,000 scholarship and Lori Gallagher of Bartow County received a $1,000 scholarship. ChaTech partnered with Volkswagen Chattanooga, Chattanooga’s DevOpsDays, the ChaTech CxO Auction and Sirius to award a total of $22,000 in scholarships.
“Lori Gallagher and Brittany Wattenbarger are both excellent students with great communication skills,” said Dwight Watt, program director and instructor of CISCO and Computer Information Systems at GNTC. “Both are very appreciative of the scholarships they won.”
Wattenbarger says she will finish her degree at GNTC and then go on to complete a bachelor’s degree and hopes to attend graduate school to earn a master’s degree. The award winner says her career goal is to work for NASA in a Cybersecurity role.
“I am very grateful for the $2,000 scholarship and will put it to good use,” Wattenbarger said. “As a Cybersecurity professional I will need a reliable computer and plan on using the award to purchase one.”
For Gallagher, the $1,000 was an early Christmas gift. The Bartow resident said the money will be used to help pay for her last semester at GNTC. After graduation, she plans to get a job in the Cybersecurity field. She also plans to gain additional certifications through CompTIA.
“It has taken courage to keep pushing even when some of the courses were difficult,” Gallagher said. “Despite the difficulties I have encountered this year, I have made it this far. As I enter my last semester I know I can do this!”
The Chattanooga Technology Council (ChaTech) connects the local technology community to help drive economic growth for all. One aspect of their mission is to invest in the region’s technology workforce through events, programs and scholarships. This year, the council expanded eligibility beyond the eleven 2-year and 4-year schools included in the past to include IT professionals taking online graduate programs and students interested in boot camp training.
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, 12,454 people benefited from GNTC’s credit and noncredit programs. With an annual credit enrollment of 7,730 students, GNTC is the largest college in Northwest Georgia. GNTC has an additional enrollment of 4,724 people through adult education, continuing education, business and industry training, and Georgia Quick Start. GNTC is a unit of the Technical College System of Georgia and an Equal Opportunity Institution.
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John Popham
Marketing Media Specialist
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