South Georgia Technical College’s Americus campus named Dwandelyn “Gwen” Hall of Americus, an accounting student and full-time employee of the college, the Student of Excellence for March 2019 recently. She was announced as the winner of the five nominated students at a recent ceremony held in the John M. Pope Center on the college’s Americus campus.
Hall was nominated for the award by her instructor, Brenda Hudson-Boone, who introduced her to the room of nominees’ family members, friends, instructors and students.
Gwen is a 1994 graduate of SGTC, where she initially earned diplomas in computer programing and microcomputer specialist. After working for several years within the community, she accepted a job as the accounts payable technician at SGTC, where she has worked for eight years. With the help of her family, she recently decided to go back to college to earn her degree in accounting.
“Although is a full time mother, a full-time wife, student and employee, she is always in class and her assignments are always completed. I don’t know how she finds the time to do what she is doing,” Boone said of her student.
It’s clear that Hall has a busy schedule – she can be found walking between Odom Center (her office building) and the Haynes building (where her classes are held) several times a day. When she gets home, she fulfills her duties of being a mother of two and a wife to her husband, all while completing her homework assignments.
Because of her busy schedule, Hall said this semester has been her most challenging yet. But she said it is because of her instructor’s dedication to her and the other students’ education that she has been able to succeed.
Hall accepted her nomination certificate and later accepted her student of excellence plaque from academic dean Dr. Andrea Oates.
The student of excellence is selected based on a number of criteria, including grades, work ethics, participation in clubs and organizations, and amount of program completion.
As the winner, Hall was awarded with a plaque of recognition, a personal letter of recommendation from SGTC President Dr. John Watford and a $50 check for her accomplishments. Additionally, her name will be displayed on SGTC’s digital marquee as well as inscribed on a plaque in Hicks Hall among previous Student of Excellence winners. Each nominee was awarded with a nomination certificate and an exclusive student of excellence t-shirt.
The ceremony recognized the top students from each area of the business programs, which included: Shontavius Woods of Plains, business technology; Pie Smith of Americus, computer information systems; Jordan Jackson of Cordele, marketing management; and Sam Matice of Prince Albert, Saskatchewan, Canada, sports and fitness management.
Each month, students from certain divisions selected for that month are nominated for the Student of Excellence award by their instructors. In addition to Brenda Hudson-Boone, the nominating instructors included: Donna Lawrence, business technology; Andrea Ingram, computer information systems; Mary Cross, marketing management; and Chris Ballauer, sports and fitness management.
