Georgia Northwestern Technical College is celebrating another major achievement for its nursing program, with every graduate in its latest Associate of Science in Nursing class passing the national licensing examination on the first attempt.

The accomplishment also has a direct Chattooga County connection, with graduates from both Summerville and Trion among the 18 new nurses.

GNTC announced that all 18 graduates who completed the Associate of Science in Nursing program in December 2025 passed the National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses, or NCLEX-RN, on their first attempt this year.

Even more notably, this marks the fourth consecutive year that 100% of GNTC’s ASN graduates have passed the NCLEX-RN on their first attempt.

Summerville And Trion Graduates Among New Nurses

Two of the graduates are from Chattooga County.

Annalisa Stowe of Summerville and Tjede S. Howard of Trion were among the 18 students who earned their nursing degrees on December 4, 2025, before taking the national examination required to practice as registered nurses in Georgia.

Other graduates came from communities across Northwest Georgia, including Calhoun, Rock Spring, Chickamauga, Cartersville, LaFayette, Dalton, Silver Creek, Lindale and Ringgold.

The GNTC Associate of Science in Nursing program is based at the college’s Walker County Campus in Rock Spring.

Exam Measures Readiness To Become A Registered Nurse

The NCLEX-RN is used nationwide by state nursing boards to determine whether graduates have the knowledge and competency necessary to begin practicing as registered nurses.

The examination covers areas including health maintenance, disease progression, diagnostic procedures, patient safety and a nurse’s ability to exercise clinical judgment when making decisions about patient care.

GNTC Registered Nursing Program Administrator Lauren Elsberry said the results reflect both the perseverance of students and the work of the faculty who prepare them.

Elsberry said the program’s goal extends beyond simply graduating students and helping them pass the licensing examination, with an emphasis on preparing nurses who possess the knowledge, clinical judgment and compassion needed to serve their communities and strengthen the healthcare workforce.

The results continue a strong run for the program. GNTC’s published nursing outcomes show 100% first-time NCLEX pass rates in 2023, 2024 and 2025, in addition to the latest group taking the examination in 2026.

The achievement comes as hospitals and other healthcare providers throughout Northwest Georgia continue relying on colleges such as GNTC to prepare the next generation of nurses for the region’s healthcare workforce.