Computers once intimidated a Georgia Northwestern Technical College (GNTC) graduate who holds a patent on technology to make cryptocurrency transactions more secure.

Evelyn Cronnon shares the patent, which was awarded in 2025 and utilizes fully homomorphic encryption, with two collaborators. Their technology allows cryptocurrency transactions to be conducted without decrypting private information or exposing an individual’s encryption key; the technology prevents threat actors from taking over a digital wallet.

“In the 40 plus years I’ve taught in technical colleges, Evelyn is the only one of my students I know of who has earned a patent,” said Dr. Dwight Watt, instructor of Computer Information Systems Technology at GNTC.

A cloud security engineer for Premise Health, Cronnon said she enjoys her challenging career because “it’s a constant puzzle to balance security, usability and cost. Every day is a little different. I’m always learning.”

Cronnon grew up in northwest Georgia and now lives in the Nashville area. She attended GNTC’s Walker County Campus in Rock Spring and earned an associate degree and diploma in Networking Specialist with a CISCO specialization in 2017. She previously earned certificates for CISCO Network Specialist, CompTIA A+ Certified Technician Preparation, Microsoft Network Administrator, and PC Repair and Network Technician at GNTC.

Cronnon went on to be a co-op student at Georgia Tech Research Institute while a student at Kennesaw State University where she received a bachelor’s degree in Information Technology.

She has been a frequent speaker at several security conferences and published research involving brain-computer interface technology with the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) Computer Society.

Cronnon’s achievements have exceeded her life expectations when she left high school during her junior year to help care for her ailing mother and become the family’s provider. She would go on to earn her High School Equivalency (HSE) at the Shirley Smith Learning Center in Ringgold.

“I didn’t have high hopes for myself or my future at that point in my life,” Cronnon said. “I suppose I just needed someone to believe in me until I could believe in myself.” 

Dr. Watt said when he met Cronnon, she had not considered Information Technology/Computer Information Systems as a major and career; however, as they spoke, she discussed her interest in computers, including computers she had already built. He deduced that computers might be “her calling.”

Cronnon was unsure about her abilities, but he saw her confidence blossom as she spent extra time doing additional work beyond what was required in her courses, wanted more information and started helping her classmates.

“I didn’t think I was good enough,” Cronnon said. “Dwight changed my mind.”

Dr. Watt was impressed with her knowledge and abilities after she found her niche in Networking and Cybersecurity and he encouraged her to pursue her bachelor’s degree after graduating from GNTC. He said he is proud of her and her accomplishments. 

“GNTC provided me with hands-on experience on a wide range of technologies that I needed to prosper,” Cronnon said. “When you’re actually on the job, you need depth of knowledge to collaborate across teams, figure out errors caused by technical systems colliding and to engineer solutions.”

She relies heavily on Watt’s classroom lessons and uses his explanations of technologies when speaking with others, she said. She also remembers stories Watt told about when various technologies were invented.

“Knowing the old technology has helped me to learn the newer innovations faster,” she said. “Everything has a foundation.” 

Cronnon said she chose GNTC because it was close to home. She attended class while juggling a full-time job and caring for her mother.

At GNTC, students’ efforts “aren’t dulled by external circumstances,” she said.

“It wasn’t easy, but anyone can succeed, and that’s a rare thing these days,” she said. “I still say GNTC was the best thing that ever happened to me.” 

For the foreseeable future, she is happy to continue growing in her current role and potentially move up to a more senior technical position. Someday she plans to return to college and conduct more research; she would also like to pursue her doctorate, she said.

“Perhaps I would even become a professor or instructor and help others the way my professors and instructors helped me,” she said. 

Georgia Northwestern Technical College delivers high-quality workforce education to the citizens of northwest Georgia. Students can pursue associate degrees, diplomas and certificates in a wide range of career pathways, including aviation, business, health, industrial and public service. Over the past year, 14,082 people benefited from GNTC’s credit and noncredit programs. The college has an annual credit enrollment of 9,342 students and achieved a 100 percent placement rate. An additional 4,740 individuals are served through adult education, continuing education, business and industry training and Georgia Quick Start® programs. For more information about GNTC, visit us at www.GNTC.edu.