Greenville Technical College celebrates graduates at commencement

Commencement for Greenville Technical College graduates was held at the Greenville Convention Center on Friday, May 5. Included were 364 registered participants (additional students graduated but did not participate), 11 military veterans, 133 graduates with a GPA of 3.4 or higher, and 23 graduates with a perfect 4.0 GPA.

Two students were honored for academics and community service at Commencement with President’s Awards.

President’s Award recipient Margaret Gergley is passionate about being a change agent for the dental hygiene profession and the area that she calls home. An officer in the Student American Dental Hygiene Association, she has helped plan and execute fundraising opportunities for her class. She worked with GTC nursing students to initiate sleep apnea screenings that can be performed chairside and presented at the American Dental Hygiene Association Annual Session on the link between obstructive sleep apnea and oral cancer, impressing even experienced professionals. She has worked with Healthy Smiles in Spartanburg to polish children’s teeth and provide oral hygiene instruction. With a 4.0 GPA and a record of going the extra mile on campus and in the community, she is known by both faculty and students in the Dental Hygiene program for her professionalism, integrity, and honesty.

Timothy McMahon, also a President’s Award recipient, has worked hard as a student in the Welding program, maintaining As and Bs each semester, and finishing with a cumulative 3.89 GPA. Thanks to a strong work ethic, he utilizes his time well by showing up for class each day and staying in the welding booth for the entire class period. A class leader, he looks behind his own skills, never hesitating to take the initiative to help fellow students who are struggling or falling behind, mentoring them and assisting them as they catch up and grasp the material. His impact on others will continue as future students benefit from a user manual for robotic welders that he helped write. With a commitment to excellence for himself and a desire to help others succeed alongside him, Timothy has been an asset to the program and will certainly be a credit to the college as he enters the welding profession.

Julie McArdle was recognized as professor of the year. McArdle teaches art history and art appreciation while also serving as the Academic Program Director for the Department of Visual Arts. As an instructor and advisor, she encourages students as they complete pre-requisites and requirements and then leave classrooms covered in charcoal, ink, paint, etc. as they master their artistic skills. She has served on college-wide and divisional committees focused on academic assessment and curriculum development and has also had the pleasure of taking students to visit museums and galleries in the U.S. and Italy. A product of the community college system, McArdle knows how important these institutions are to education and personal advancement. She holds a bachelor’s degree in art history from the University of Alabama at Birmingham and a master’s degree in art history from Vanderbilt University.

Albert Beedie was honored as adjunct professor of the year.Since joining Greenville Technical College in 2018 as a Forklift Safety trainer, Beedie has helped 250 students become safe lift truck operators. He has also been instrumental in helping the Economic Development and Corporate Training team establish a Construction Academy, where students complete carpentry and electrical training programs. Before moving to Greenville, Beedie spent 21 years with the United States Marine Corps, defending our great nation. He also spent many years as a driver’s license examiner, defending the state of Maine’s roads against unsafe drivers. In addition, he worked for nine years as a safety training officer with the Greenville City Public Works Department.