Fine Arts Students and Student Organizations @ GPC
Students working in the arts at GPC.
Hamilton
Cuningham
‘GPC faculty
believed in me’
by Jenn Mason
Math never interested Hamilton
Cunningham. Music was his passion, and
playing the trumpet seemed much more
exciting than hitting the books—a fact his
high school academic record reflected.
Cunningham, who lived in Atlanta,
dropped out of school and floundered a
bit before obtaining his GED and joining
the U.S. Air Force. After working two
years as an aircraft weapons loader, he left
the military to pursue a college education.
Because of his less-than-stellar high
school record, he needed a place where he
could clear the academic cobwebs. Cost
also was a factor. He turned to Georgia
Perimeter College.
When Cunningham walked into his first
college course at 8 a.m. on a Monday, he
had not taken math in years. The course
was Algebra.
“For the first few weeks I was totally
lost,” he said. “At one point I was begging
to just get a D, and my professor was like,
‘Why shoot so low? Aim for an A.’”
With his professor’s support, some
extra tutoring and a lot of hard work,
Cunningham pulled through.
“I didn’t get an A, but I did get a B,” he
said. “Now I’m studying economics, and
that has a lot to do with my professors
letting me know it was attainable.”
It wasn’t long before success became
the norm for Cunningham. A Music major
at GPC, he received the Outstanding
Freshman Music Student award and the
Lewis Belcher Jr. Leadership Award.
Inspired by the support he received
at GPC, including assistance that came
through his participation in GPC’s
Leadership Academy, Cunningham began
volunteering. He worked with Refugee
Family Services, a Stone Mountain-based
organization dedicated to helping refugee
women and children attain self-sufficiency
through education. In an ironic twist not
lost on Cunningham, he became a math
tutor for the organization.
“In a lot of ways, the GPC faculty
believed in me more than I did when I first
got there,” he said. “I know how much it
changed my life, and if I can be worked
with, anyone can.”
In 2007, Cunningham became the fifth
GPC student to be awarded the prominent
Jack Kent Cooke Undergraduate Transfer
Scholarship. The $90,000 award is designed
to help high-achieving community college
students continue their studies at a fouryear
college or university. Cunningham
used the scholarship to transfer to
Howard University in Washington, D.C. to
pursue a bachelor’s degree in economics.
Though he is busy with studies,
Cunningham, who is now 25, continues
to find time to give back. He serves as a
mentor for the Washington, D.C. chapter
of Concerned Black Men.
He also continues to garner recognition
for his achievements. Cunningham was
named a 2009 Truman Scholar, a prestigious
national award that provides up to $30,000
toward graduate school for students
committed to working in public service.
This year he was selected as a National
Guard Youth ChalleNGe Champion.
Cunningham earned his GED through the
ChalleNGe program, a 22-week boot camp
for at-risk youth. He followed that with
military service and later enrolled in college.
As a Champion, he was invited to speak at
the program’s annual gala in February.
Cunningham hopes to combine his
love of music and studies in economics
by pursuing a career in the non-profit
sector, helping to alleviate the arts funding
crunch. He will graduate from Howard
in May, and to hear Cunningham tell the
tale, his trumpet will be as excited about
commencement as he will.
“I’m in a rough spot in my relationship
with music right now,” he said with a laugh.
“She just wants more time than I can give
while I focus on graduating.”
Student Organizations
Theatre Arts Guild - Jennifer Jenkins, Director
Clarkston Drama Club - Sally Robertson, Faculty Advisor
Animation Society - David Koffman, Faculty Advisor
