Chris Melton, a Georgia Northwestern Technical College graduate, will graduate with high honors from the Georgia Institute of Technology with his bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering on Dec. 18.

Melton was awarded his diploma in Industrial Systems Technology and Electrical Control Systems from GNTC in 2005.

He also took night classes at Georgia Highlands and Southern Poly Tech before transferring to Georgia Tech.

“When I graduated from high school, I was unsure about what I wanted to do in life. I chose GNTC because they offered a wide variety of programs allowing me to find something I liked to do,” Melton said.

The high honors is awarded to those with a 3.35 grade point average or above.

Melton discussed the benefits of attending GNTC first. “All of the courses at Georgia Tech are heavily theory based and it is very easy to get lost in all of the math. Since I attended GNTC first, this helped me keep in mind real world constraints and application when solving problems,” Melton said.

“My experience at GNTC was great,” Melton said. “I really enjoyed the hands-on aspect of the classes. The instructors were extremely effective teachers because they all had years of industry experience.”

Barry Williams, GNTC dean of Industrial Technologies, will attend Melton’s graduation. “Chris was always eager to learn and would go the extra mile,” Williams said. “I encouraged him to continue his education and pursue his bachelor’s degree. I wish I had a class room full of Chris Melton’s.”

Melton currently works for Allatoona, Buford, and Carter’s Dam as an electrical engineer Co-Op through the US Army Corps of Engineers. His primary responsibility is to provide engineering and technical support for the power plant maintenance staff. He hopes to be offered a full-time position after graduation.