TCAT Dickson President Laura Travis conferred more than seventy diplomas and technical certificates during commencement April 22 for Dickson and Williamson campus graduates including three for Cheatham County residents.
Deniece Thomas, Commissioner for Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development, was tapped as guest speaker for the spring 2025 commencement ceremony. “I’ve watched this great state grow by leaps and bounds. Everyone needs workers. Everyone needs people. We all hear the same thing – no one wants to work. I think they (graduates) have proved that to be wrong,” Thomas said.
“I get to sit down with my boss, Governor (Bill) Lee who asks, ‘Do we have the workforce?’ Being here today I know I can say we have the workforce who is trained, able, and ready to meet the need. This is a great state to live in and a great state to work in.” Thomas said.
Thomas encouraged graduates to never quit when facing adversity. “You will find if you dig way deep, you can do things you never thought you could. This is one story in your book. Never let anyone take your pen away. You continue to author your book,” she said.
Two of the Cheatham County graduates received recognition for having earned third-party certifications during their enrollment. Heating, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration graduate Ryan McMillan earned Section 608 EPA, Low GWP Refrigerant Safety, Employment Ready Air Conditioning, System Diagnostic and Troubleshooting, Employment Ready Gas Heat, Employment Ready Heat Pump, Multimeter, and Air Flow certifications. Cosmetology graduate Abigail Elizabeth Gill earned Domestic Violence and Braiding certifications.
Gill and Practical Nursing graduate Kho Be were applauded for being inducted into the National Technical Honor Society (NTHS). To be inducted into NTHS students must maintain an “A” average, attend at least 95 percent of their total program hours, and be nominated by their instructor. Be also received an award for perfect attendance.
President Travis conferred the following degrees for Cheatham County residents: Ryan McMillan – Heating, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration; Kho Be – Practical Nursing; and Abigail Elizabeth Gill – Cosmetology with honors.
Dickson’s hometown college since 1964, TCAT now has campus locations in Dickson, Clarksville, and Franklin and primarily serves students in Dickson, Montgomery, Cheatham, Stewart, Houston, Humphreys, Hickman, and Williamson counties in addition to neighboring communities and Kentucky residents.
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