AMERICUS —  

AMERICUS — Instructors at South Georgia Technical College (SGTC) have nominated thirteen of their students for the Georgia Occupational Award of Leadership (GOAL) competition, according to Cynthia Carter, 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 25 technical colleges as well as one Board of Regents college with a technical education division.

 Chosen for recognition by their instructors on the Americus campus are Jenilee C. Johnson of Oglethorpe, Culinary Arts; Armenta Arlicia Battle of Buena Vista, Cosmetology; George Andrew Winhdam of Oglethorpe, Horticulture; Anthony Jerome Jackson of Americus, Electrical Systems Technology; Christopher Allen Rushing of Americus, Practical Nursing; and Jacob Ross Tyree of Ellaville, Criminal Justice Technology. Nominees from the Crisp County Center include Tammy Renee’ Spurling of Cordele, Business Administrative Technology; Berkima L. Williams of Cordele, Early Childhood Care and Education; Dorris William Persall, III of Cordele, Electronics Technology; Lonnie Noel Robinson of Cordele, Electrical Systems Technology; Reba J. Craig of Cordele, Accounting; Ricky H. Green of Cordele, Marketing Management; and Saul Vazquez, Jr. of Byromville, Welding and Joining Technology.

 "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 South Georgia Tech 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 2013.

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 Chevrolet, the statewide corporate sponsor of Georgia’s GOAL program.