Perimeter College

Micah Ford began at Perimeter College without a clear direction for his life. By the time he left, however, he’d found his passion for learning and entrepreneurship. In 2019, Ford became the only Perimeter student selected for the Georgia State University Main Street Entrepreneur’s Fund, a program that supports underrepresented student entrepreneurs, recent alumni and Georgia State community entrepreneurs with seed funding and mentorship to start and grow new ventures. Ford won $5,000, which he used to expand and develop a clothing line he’d created called NvrBeenStandard. He says the venture is going well, with a fall line that includes a sweatsuit, zipped hoodie and filtered masks.

His Path:

Ford, 22, came to Perimeter after attempting and dropping out of college elsewhere. Then, after losing his job at a retail store, he received an ultimatum from his mother. “My mom said I had to go back to school.” Ford enrolled reluctantly but quickly learned that being engaged could make a difference. In addition to his studies, he assumed leadership roles with the Student Government Association, Panther Activities Council, Entrepreneurship Club, Psychology Club and the Phi Theta Kappa and Alpha Beta Gamma honor societies. “Perimeter is a good place to get your feet wet and get involved and try things,” he said.

The Latest:

This fall, Ford transitioned to Georgia State’s Atlanta Campus, where he is studying business administration. He continues to run his clothing business and explore ways to expand it, along with staying involved in student life as the arts and culture director for Georgia State’s Spotlight Programs Board. Ford says he feels focused and motivated — a sharp contrast to where he was only a few years ago. “I believe I’m following my passion,” he said. “I don’t know, I’m just having fun with it.”

Further Information:

https://www.eni.gsu.edu/2019/10/15/main-street-entrepreneurship-seed-fund-announces-inaugural-class-of-21-companies/

https://www.nvrbeenstandard.com

https://spotlight.gsu.edu

Joseph Dunagan’s move from college to career was a quick one. Even before he graduated from Perimeter College in 2019 with an associate of science degree focused on radiologic technology and received his clinical certification from the School of Radiologic Technology at Grady Health System, Dunagan had accepted a job at an Atlanta-area spine clinic.

“I was very surprised at how soon the offer came, but I was glad because I couldn’t wait to start working,” Dunagan said.

His Path:

A few years ago, Dunagan was working as an emergency room technician when he learned about the radiologic technology pathway at Perimeter. The two-year program enables students to take general education courses at Perimeter and clinical training at either Grady or Emory Decatur Hospital School of Radiologic Technology. Dunagan lived near Perimeter’s Newton Campus location, so he attended classes there and continued his full-time work as an ER tech until starting the program’s clinical side.

“In high school, everybody interested in the medical field all have their sights set on being a nurse or a doctor,” Dunagan said. He added that radiology is “a very good option for anybody interested in working in the medical field and advancing their education or just having a solid stable career.”

The Latest:

Dunagan reports high job satisfaction after working for the past year in one of the nation’s fastest growing professions. He’s considering building upon his rad tech education and skills by becoming a Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) technologist, but says — for now — he’s “happy.”

Further Information:

https://news.gsu.edu/2020/02/13/radiologic-tech-grads-moving-quickly-to-careers/

https://perimeter.gsu.edu/health-professions/

https://www.gradyhealth.org/education-training/schools-of-imaging-technologies/the-school-of-radiologic-technology/

https://www.dekalbmedical.org/residencies-and-schools/radiology-school

https://perimeter.gsu.edu/perimeter-campuses/#newton-campus

https://www.bls.gov/ooh/healthcare/radiologic-technologists.htm