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From Staff Reports

AMERICUS – Two Georgia REACH (Realizing Educational Achievement Can Happen) Scholars have selected South Georgia Technical College to continue their postsecondary education and are getting a jump start on their careers by enrolling summer semester.  Both were admitted into the REACH program as middle school students and are now high school graduates.

Ty’Quillious Mohone of Eatonton, GA and Kanarvious Turner of Unadilla, GA, are currently enrolled in the SGTC summer semester and living on-campus.  Mohone is in SGTC’s high performance engines/motorsports program and Turner is enrolled in the college’s welding program.

Mohone is in his third semester at South Georgia Technical College.  He graduated from Putnam County High School in 2021 and arrived at South Georgia Technical College Fall Semester 2021.  “I chose South Georgia Technical College because it had on-campus housing and it was near me,” said Mohone. “This is a great place to come for free knowledge and my instructor, Mr. Kevin Beaver, is awesome.  He is very respectful and knowledgeable.  He shares a lot of tips and tricks about engines.”

Mohone said he chose the high-performance engines/motorsports program because it interested him.  When he was younger, members of his extended family had built a dragster and taken it to a local track.  They would allow him to go and even help on the pit crew sometimes.  He hopes to one day open his own shop.

He was enrolled in Central Georgia Technical College’s welding program as a dual-enrollment student prior to his high school graduation.  The REACH program allowed him to expand his post-secondary search and enroll at South Georgia Tech and live on campus after graduation.

“I love South Georgia Tech,” said Mohone.  “The REACH program allowed me to be able to continue my college education and have it paid for.  I think I am getting a very good education and I have the opportunity to study something that I am interested in as a career.”

As a freshman, Mohone and the other motorsports students had the opportunity to visit the Crisp Motorsports Park and the Watermelon Capital Speedway in Cordele.  They also helped build a car that is currently racing.  “This is hands-one education and I like that,” said Mahone.

Just like Mohone, Kanarvious Turner was identified as a REACH Scholar in middle school.  He is a graduate of Dooly County High School and he was also a dual enrollment student.  He attended the South Georgia Technical College Crisp County Center campus.

Once he graduated from high school, Turner said he decided to switch to the Americus campus and live on-campus.  He is living with another former dual-enrollment student from Crisp County that also decided to switch to the Americus campus.

“This is a great school,” said Turner.  “I really enjoyed the welding program while I was in high school and now I want to complete the program.  My goal is to open my own welding business with my friends.”

Both agree that the REACH program helped them to stay on track and complete their high school education while having greater access to college which will prepare them for the 21^st Century Workforce.

When a student is chosen as a REACH Scholar, the student is provided with a mentor and academic coach as well as given additional college-related support and the promise of a financial scholarships upon successful program completion.

REACH Georgia is the state’s first needs-based mentorship and college scholarship program. It was launched in 2012 as a key component of the state’s Complete College Georgia Initiative. Its mission is to ensure that Georgia’s low income, academically promising students have the academic, social, and financial support needed to graduate from high school, access college, and achieve postsecondary success. The program is currently available in all 180 school systems throughout the state and REACH serves more than 3,000 students throughout Georgia.

The program is administered by the Georgia Student Finance Authority (GSFA), a companion student finance entity of the Georgia Student Finance Commission (GSFC). GSFT is the state agency that administers the HOPE Scholarship and Grant Program as well as other state- and lottery-funded financial aid programs.  It also manages the career and college preparation website, GAfutures.org and provides educational services such as free financial aid consultation and FAFSA completion assistance to high schools and postsecondary institutions across the state.