The Honorable Bo Watson, District 11 State Senator and Speaker Pro Tempore, will address Chattanooga State Community College graduates at Commencement on May 5 at 10 a.m. at the Memorial Auditorium. State Senator Bo Watson is serving in the second year of a four-year term in the Tennessee Legislature. He is a strong supporter of local education and Chattanooga State in particular.
During commencement, Chattanooga State will award 503 AA/AS/AST degrees, 689 AAS degrees, 175 embedded certificates and 398 technical certificates for a total of 1,765 degrees and certificates in the college division. There are 88 summa cum laude (4.0 GPA), 88 magna cum laude (3.75-3.99 GPA) and 144 cum laude (3.50-3.74) graduates in the Class of 2012.
The divisions awarding the most associate degrees include Nursing and Allied Health, Business and Information Technologies, and Engineering Technology. The areas of study awarding the largest number of technical certificates are emergency medical technician basic EMT, dental assisting, emergency medical technician paramedic, process technology and advance process technology.
Middle College High School at Chattanooga State has a total of 58 graduates with 21 of the graduates simultaneously receiving an associate degree, which represents a 35 per cent increase over last year. Grace Ellen Hopkins and Ruth Bell Hopkins are co-valedictorians. Carl Thomas Ashby is salutatorian.
The Tennessee Technology Center (TTC), which has traditionally participated in the spring Commencement exercises, will hold its graduation ceremony in August this year.
Several Chattanooga State faculty and staff members will retire this year. The list includes Wanda Faulkner, graduation analyst 2, Admissions/Records, 18 years of service; Rachel Hargett, executive secretary, Student Affairs, 19 ¼ years of service; Ed Kelly, director, Plant Operations, 25 years of service; Vicky Leather, dean, Library Services, 31