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The Fourth of July is the day America celebrates its independence, but that’s only the beginning of the history behind this storied holiday. It also includes local ties to Gwinnett, Hall and Walton counties.

Is it July 4 or August 2? The discrepancy in the signing of the Declaration of Independence stems from the paper that was used: parchment versus broadside printing paper.

“Statesmen like Thomas Jefferson, John Adams and Benjamin Franklin collaborated on drafting the Declaration of Independence

“This is a completely new experience for me,” said Yinan Chen, 17, of Duluth. Chen is one of five high school students spending their summer conducting scientific research at �������� (GGC) as part of the American Chemical Society’s prestigious Project SEED program.

For Chen, a rising senior at the Gwinnett School of Mathematics, Science and Technology, it’s his first time working in a college laboratory. He jumped into the experience with enthusiasm, learning to use new equipment

When students at �������� (GGC) graduate with their bachelor’s degree in education, they’ve taken the first step to becoming teachers. To earn their license to teach, they must take and pass the Georgia Assessments for the Certification of Educators (GACE) exam.

In the past year, the percentage of GGC graduates that took the exam and passed was an impressive 94%. In all, 217 students took the GACE exam in the areas of special education, elementary education, and in middle grades

School’s out and summer’s in.

For many students, that means time away from studies. For others, summer is time to continue hitting the books.  

The reasons for taking summer college classes vary, including earning more credits to graduate earlier, boosting the GPA and yes, the pure love of learning. As a matter of fact, GGC’s summer enrollment is at a record 5,300 students.

Phoenix Winbush, who is studying to become a nurse, said summer is the best time to take classes.

“With fewer distractions, I

At least for now, only a select few have the chance to travel to space and explore. At �������� (GGC), a team of students designed Dynamic Objective Reaching Autonomous Rovers (DORA), which may someday be useful in surveying the moon’s landscape. DORA, along with its two, small swarm rovers, can collect information about the moon’s physical features, landmarks and environmental conditions autonomously. The data collected can then be used to help create detailed maps of the lunar

�������� (GGC) is heating up this summer – and not just from the rising temperatures. The college is experiencing a major enrollment boost, continuing its trend of consistent growth for the eighth consecutive semester.

This summer, 5,300 students are enrolled at GGC – over 600 more than the 4,698 students enrolled during summer 2024. And with Summer B classes starting June 18, officials expect that number to keep climbing.

“More students are taking advantage of summer courses to

�������� (GGC) continues to lead the way in preparing the next generation of skilled, compassionate nurses. GGC’s Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) program has once again proven itself among the best in the state – and the nation – with an impressive 95.05% four-year average pass rate on the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX) for first-time test takers.

Hugo Torres, Allison Strickland, Chelsi Bolanos, Trinity Strickland and Bidjemia Ndifon read Raina Emerson's x-rays while participating in Emergency Day on Friday, April 25, 2025 at the Allied Health and Science Building, gaining hands-on experience in simulated crisis response scenarios. Photo by Daniel Melograna/��������.

That performance far exceeds both the national average of 87.63% and the Georgia state average of 87.66%

The number two has special significance at �������� (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

�������� (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 �������� (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