Middle Georgia Technical College

Middle Georgia Technical College Names Finalists for GOAL Award

Warner Robins - Four Middle Georgia Technical College students have been selected as finalists for the Georgia Occupational Award of Leadership (GOAL), according to Janet Kelly, coordinator for the MGTC GOAL program.

Chosen as finalists are Miranda Hatfield, a Surgical Technology student from Cochran; Erin Groce, a Paralegal Services student from Perry; Antonia Smith-Lindjeck, an Early Childhood Care and Education student from Montezuma; and Kenneth Rainge, an Industrial Systems Technology student from Cordele.

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 28 technical colleges as well as the two Board of Regents colleges with technical education divisions.

All college GOAL winners from across the Technical College System of Georgia will compete in regional preliminary judging. Nine students, three winners from each region, will compete at the state level for the title of Georgia GOAL winner. This competition will take place in Atlanta May 26-28.

"The purpose of the GOAL program is to recognize outstanding students at technical colleges across the state," said Kelly. "At Middle Georgia Tech, GOAL also spotlights the outstanding achievement by students in Georgia's technical colleges and emphasizes the importance of technical education in today's global workforce."

According to Kelly, a screening committee of administrators at Middle Georgia Technical College selected the four finalists after interviewing nine students nominated for the award by their instructors.

"The next step is for a panel of business, civic and industry leaders from the community to interview and evaluate these four students and select one to be the college's 2009 GOAL winner," explained Kelly. "The one judged most outstanding will compete in the Central Region preliminary judging. Three finalists from our region will interview at the state GOAL competition in Atlanta and vie to be named as the 2010 statewide GOAL winner."

The state GOAL winner becomes the student ambassador for the Technical College System of Georgia and receives a grand prize of a new automobile and the GOAL medallion.

MGTC's 2010 GOAL winner will be announced March 3 at the Winter Quarter Awards Day ceremony.