South Georgia Technical College President, Dr. John Watford, recently announced the six finalists for the honor of representing SGTC in the annual Georgia Occupational Award of Leadership (GOAL) competition to be held in Atlanta next April. The students chosen as finalists were: Joshua Bartlett of Vienna, Electrical Systems Technology; Damon Brown of Americus, Culinary Arts; Katlin Champion of Americus, Marketing Management; Diquita Mathis of Pinehurst, Criminal Justice; Zackary Mincey of Buena Vista, Welding; and Eddie Williams of Cordele, Barbering.
Students were nominated by their instructors. An internal screening committee composed of SGTC staff and administrators reviewed the nominations and interviewed each student. The committee members ranked the nominees, and the top six were chosen as finalists.
“These individuals have demonstrated exceptional leadership qualities, dedication, and a commitment to excellence,” said Joshua Curtin, SGTC Assistant Vice President of Student Affairs and coordinator for the college’s GOAL program. “We are proud to have them represent our college in the next stage of the GOAL competition.”
The six finalists will 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 nominees from each of the three regions will make up the nine regional finalists, who will be named in April at the state GOAL conference in Atlanta. The nine regional finalists will then move to the state level and compete for the title of State GOAL winner, the Technical College System of Georgia’s Student of the Year.
The student who earns the State GOAL Winner title will also take on the important responsibility of traveling the state as the ambassador for the entire technical college system. To make that travel easier, the winner will receive a new car from Kia Automotive, the statewide corporate sponsor of Georgia’s GOAL program.