Seventeen students at South Georgia Technical College (SGTC) have been nominated by their instructors for the Georgia Occupational Award of Leadership (GOAL) competition, according to SGTC Assistant Vice President of Student Affairs Vanessa Wall, who is the coordinator for the college’s GOAL program.
GOAL, a statewide program of the Technical College System of Georgia, honors excellence in academics and leadership among the state’s technical college students. GOAL winners are selected at each of the state’s 22 technical colleges.
Chosen for recognition by their instructors at South Georgia Technical College are: Dawn Ammons of Ellaville, cosmetology; Katelin Bloodworth of Mauk, Culinary Arts; Jonathan Camp of Senoia, Aviation Maintenance; Michael Logan Drivers of Americus, Computer Support Specialist; Elizabeth Guerrero of Ellaville, practical nursing; Shaybrielle Mallory of Fort Valley, practical nursing; Courtney McGriff-Taylor, Pineview, Business Technology; Jordan Carter Mizell of Americus, practical nursing; Jamesia Monts of Americus, criminal justice; Chase Norris of Americus, aircraft structural; Syrrel Ruff of Cordele, practical nursing; Jesse Salazar of Americus, motorsports vehicle technology; Kenyatta Slaughter of Buena Vista, marketing management; Charittie Walker of Arabi, criminal justice; Emily Weaver of Mauk, culinary arts; David Wilkerson of Americus, culinary arts; and Coronda Williams of Dawson, cosmetology.
The SGTC nominating instructors were: Dorothea Lusane-McKenzie, cosmetology; Chef Ricky Watzlowick, culinary arts; Charles Christmas, aviation maintenance; Andrea Ingram, computer support specialist; Jennifer Childs, Christine Rundle, and Brandy Nipper, practical nursing; Teresa Jolly, business technology; Teresa McCook and Wanda Bishop, criminal justice; Jason Wisham, aircraft structural; Kevin Beaver, motorsports vehicle technology; Mary Cross, marketing management; and Patrick Owen, electrical systems.
“The purpose of the GOAL program is to spotlight the outstanding achievement by students in Georgia’s technical colleges and to emphasize the importance of technical education in today’s global workforce,” said Wall. “These 17 students have been nominated by their instructors as the best of the best! Please join me in congratulating each of them for being an outstanding representative of their program of study.”
A screening committee of administrators at SGTC will review each of the instructors’ nominations then conduct personal interviews with the students. The personal interviews are set for March 10th. After the nominees have been ranked, four finalists will then be chosen to compete to be South Georgia Tech’s GOAL winner for 2021. The four finalists will be announced on March 11th.
Those four finalists will then take part in another round of interviews and evaluations by a selection committee of representatives from local business and industry. That panel will consider the students’ qualities like academic achievement, personal character, leadership abilities and enthusiasm for technical education.
The student judged most outstanding will be designated as the college’s GOAL winner and move on to the regional competition. Then three students from each of the three regions will make up the nine regional finalists, who will then move to the state level and compete for the title of State GOAL Winner, TCSG’s Student of the Year.
The student who earns the State GOAL Winner title is also awarded the important responsibility of traveling the state as the ambassador for the entire technical college system. To make that travel easier, the winner also receives a new car from Kia, the statewide corporate sponsor of Georgia’s GOAL program.