Thirteen students nominated for SGTC GOAL program

South Georgia Technical College (SGTC) instructors have nominated thirteen of their students for the Georgia Occupational Award of Leadership( GOAL) competition, according to SGTC GOAL Coordinator Cynthia Carter. 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 as well as one Board of Regents college with a technical education division. Chosen for recognition by their instructors are Americus campus students Kristen Morgan Whaley of Americus, Cosmetology; Janiyah Johnson of Stockbridge, Early Childhood Care and Education; Gage Greene of Williamson, Heavy Equipment Dealers Service Technology; Leah Windham of Oglethorpe, Marketing Management; Tonya Barrett of Ellaville, Computer Information Systems; Annie Streeter of Americus, Accounting; Racarda Blackmon of Americus, Computer Information Systems; Lisa Allen-Streeter of Plains, Business Technology; and Judashia Eley of Americus, Criminal Justice Technology. From the Crisp County Center campus, nominees include Mackenzie Cripe of Cobb, Early Childhood Care and Education; Christopher McGee of Cordele, Marketing Management; Ramona Williams of Cordele, Criminal Justice Technology; and Russell Wright of Tifton, Accounting. "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 Carter. A screening committee of administrators at SGTC will review each of the instructors’ nominations then conduct personal interviews with the students. After the nominees have been ranked, four finalists will then be chosen to compete to be the SGTC GOAL winner for 2017. The 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 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 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. South Georgia Technical College’s previous GOAL nominee, Ashley Rodgers, a Marketing Management student from Oglethorpe, was selected as the state GOAL winner for 2016. She has been serving her term by traveling the state of Georgia as an ambassador and student voice for technical education.