May 8, 2026
Gainesville, Ga— Lanier Technical College held its 60th Annual Commencement Ceremony on May 8, 2026 at the college’s Hall County campus quadrangle. Following another record-breaking academic year of enrollment, 459 graduates walked in the ceremony to receive their certificate, diploma or degree from Lanier Technical College President, Tim McDonald. College Leadership, Board Members, Community Leaders, Academic Deans, Instructors and Staff were all on site to extend heartfelt acclamation to the graduates.
In his address to the cohort, President, Tim McDonald authored the essence of this commencement exercise,
“Class of 2026, your drive and determination has been inspirational to Lanier
Tech, regardless of where it originated. You have met and exceeded our
academic challenges, overcome many additional life challenges and embodied
the spirit of perseverance and resilience. There are more than 450 inspiring
stories that could be told today—stories of personal triumph, spiritual growth
and professional growth. Graduates, I encourage you to tell your story, tell it
often, and inspire others to find their purpose and follow their dreams just as
you have.”
The emotions of this commencement ceremony are more prevalent than ever for graduates such as Brandi Cutino who succeeded in one of life’s most-important yet challenging goals, raising her children. Now, she has completed her second goal as becoming an Associate of Science in Nursing graduate and will start a successful career as a Registered Nurse (RN).
Plentiful stories of finding a career passion and life fulfillment rang true for the Class of 2026. Joseph De Lima for example, after difficult life circumstances, found his path to success via Lanier Tech. Today, De Lima is an Engineering Technology graduate who has found his gift and love of engineering.
Lanier Tech’s newest cohort of graduates, similar to previous cohorts, is backed by a “Warranty to Employers” guarantee. Per Lanier Tech’s Academic Catalog,
“Curriculum standards have been developed with direct involvement of
business and industry. These standards serve as the industry-validated
specifications for each occupational program. These standards allow the Georgia
system of technical colleges to offer their business and industry partners this
warranty:
If one of our graduates, educated under a standard program, or his/her employer
finds that the graduate is deficient in one or more competencies as defined in the
standards, the technical college will retrain the employee at no instructional cost
to the employee or the employer.
This warranty is in effect for a period of two years after graduation.”
These graduates will now either continue their education and or confidently start their chosen career, providing essential expertise to Lanier Tech’s service delivery area.
About the Technical College System of Georgia
The 22 colleges of the Technical College System of Georgia (TCSG) are Georgia’s top resource for skilled workers. TCSG offers world-class training in more than 600 associate degree, diploma, and certificate programs to students who are trained on state-of-the-art equipment by instructors who are experts in their fields. The system also houses Georgia’s Office of Adult Education, which promotes and provides adult literacy and education programs, including the GED® testing program, throughout the state. In addition, TCSG partners with companies through Quick Start, the nation’s top customized workforce training program, and through its colleges, which work with local industry to provide workforce and training solutions. For more information, visit TCSG.edu.
