�Ӱ�ԭ��

The number two has special significance at �Ӱ�ԭ�� (GGC). During two commencement ceremonies today, GGC celebrated over 850 graduates. It was also the second commencement held on campus in GGC’s new Convocation Center.

Today is also the 20th anniversary of GGC. The audience heard a special, congratulatory video message from University System of Georgia Chancellor Sonny Perdue, who signed the college into existence on May 10, 2005, when he was governor. Today’s graduates

�Ӱ�ԭ�� (GGC) proudly marks its 20th anniversary, celebrating two decades of academic innovation, student success and economic impact.

On May 10, 2005, a bold vision for higher education in Gwinnett County came to life when then-Governor Sonny Perdue signed legislation introduced by then-Senator Don Balfour, establishing the nation’s first four-year, public college created in the 21st century, and the first in Georgia in over 100 years.

In 2006, GGC welcomed its first cohort of

Hundreds of friends and family gathered at �Ӱ�ԭ�� (GGC) on May 6 to witness a time-honored passage for nursing students: their pinning ceremony. The long-standing tradition welcomes graduates into the nursing profession, and GGC’s 39 graduates became the newest members by accepting their pins. On May 10, the students graduate from GGC with their bachelor’s degree in nursing. The last step to earning their registered nurse designation is to pass the National Council Licensure

Nolberto Sanchez said life hasn’t supplied him with a crystal ball, but it’s thrown plenty of curve balls.

When he walks across the �Ӱ�ԭ�� (GGC) stage to receive his diploma in biochemistry this month, he’ll know it was adjusting to those unexpected pitches that were the key to his success.

“If I could offer one nugget of thought, something that’s resonated in my own experiences, it would be this: Stay open to the unexpected and remain adaptable,” he said.

Sanchez grew up in the

There will be a lot to celebrate on Saturday, May 10 at �Ӱ�ԭ�� (GGC). Leading the way will be over 850 students excited to turn their tassels during two commencement ceremonies on the GGC campus at 10 a.m. and 2 p.m.

GGC itself is celebrating these graduates, and its . GGC was signed into existence by then Governor Sonny Perdue on May 10, 2005.

Along with the emotions of joy and a few tears, highlights include:

• Morning commencement student speaker Sumayyah Yoonas o

Sumayyah Yoonas planned to finish medical school long before her children started kindergarten, but, as she said, “Life has a way of taking our carefully drawn maps and scribbling new routes in permanent marker.”

Yoonas grew up in Dubai and immigrated to the U.S. in 2005 with her husband, Adnan, who works in health care administration. Yoonas put her dreams of being a doctor on hold to raise the couple’s three children.

In 2010 she passed the GED exam, which allowed her to start working as a

�Ӱ�ԭ�� (GGC) political science graduate Andre Cross will break through more than a few barriers when he walks across the stage to receive his diploma in May.

His parents were born in Liberia in West Africa as members of the Kru tribe, an indigenous people known for fierce resistance to enslavement and capture during the Atlantic slave trade. His mother fled to the U.S. with other family members before the First Liberian Civil War in 1989. The couple settled in Loganville

Niecia Say’s journey to �Ӱ�ԭ�� (GGC) took her across the ocean and back with more than her fair share of challenges and heartbreak to overcome along the way.

Say was born in Decatur, Georgia, to Dr. Martial Venance Say, a professor of chemistry, and Olivera Atse, a caregiver. When she was 10, the family moved to Ivory Coast in West Africa, where her father was offered a job at the University of Félix Houphouët-Boigny in Abidjan. Say moved to France with her sister in 2018, where

Controllers in hand. Fingers moving quickly. Buttons clicking. Eyes focused on the screen. It’s a common scene for “gamers” as they compete with themselves and others at home, during lunch, on campus, after work, and yes, sometimes late into the night.

Myles Bivins, middle, explains his game

For �Ӱ�ԭ�� (GGC) students taking the Honors 3000 Video Games and Society course, it was more about broadening their understanding of video games and the impact they have.

Marcus Haynes, lecturer of English, challenged his students

When you think of the top terms for health care providers, physicians and nurses immediately come to mind. However, in the ever-evolving world of health care, there’s a role that’s growing both in need and importance: patient navigator.

Yahriel Duran and Lexi Homer participated in a patient navigation scenario, assisting a fictional patient facing financial hardship, weight, nutrition problems and other medical issues in the sim lab of the Allied Health and Sciences Building at �Ӱ�ԭ��. Photo by Daniel Melograna/�Ӱ�ԭ��

“It’s a relatively new profession, one that got its start through the American Cancer Society (ACS),” said Dr. Nina Cleveland, assistant professor of health science and Health Sciences department chair for �Ӱ�ԭ�� (GGC).

GGC’s patient navigation