Middle Georgia Technical College

Nine Middle Georgia Tech Students Nominated for GOAL Award

Warner Robins - Instructors at Middle Georgia Technical College have nominated nine students for the Georgia Occupational Award of Leadership (GOAL), according to Janet Kelly, coordinator for the college's GOAL program.

GOAL, a statewide program of the Technical College System of Georgia (TCSG), honors excellence in academics and leadership among the state's technical college students. GOAL winners are selected at each of the state's 27 technical colleges as well as the two Board of Regents colleges with technical education divisions.

GOAL winners from each TCSG campus will compete in March and April in regional preliminary judging and three finalists from each region will go on to compete for the state title in Atlanta in May. The state winner will serve as an ambassador for technical education in Georgia over the course of the next year.

Chosen for recognition by their instructors are Erin Groce, a Paralegal Studies student from Perry, nominated by Marion Crombie; Kenneth Rainge, an Industrial Systems student from Cordele, nominated by Tony Shelley; Antonia Smith-Lindjeck, an Early Childhood Care and Education Student from Montezuma, nominated by Cathy Hoover; Miranda Hatfield, a Surgical Technology student from Cochran, nominated by Lorna Cox; Kristy Langston, a Practical Nursing student from Bonaire, nominated by Anne Sartain; Anthony Ritchie, an Industrial Systems student from Clarkesville, nominated by Tony Shelley; Jody Mohler, an IT Professional student, nominated by Cindy Rumney; and Kevin Heidenreich, a Practical Nursing student from Warner Robins, nominated by Anne Sartain.

"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 Kelly.

A screening committee at MGTC will review each of the instructors' nominations then conduct personal interviews with the students. Four finalists will then be chosen to compete to be Middle Georgia Technical College GOAL winner for 2010.

The top four finalists will take part in another round of interviews and evaluations by representatives from local business and industry. That panel will consider the students' qualities such as 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 preliminary judging. Nine finalists from across the state, three from each region, will compete for the title of state GOAL winner and selection as the Technical College System of Georgia's 2010 Student of the Year.

The state GOAL winner earns the important responsibility of traveling the state as the ambassador for the entire Technical College System of Georgia. To make that travel easier, the winner also receives a brand new automobile from Chevrolet, the statewide corporate sponsor of Georgia's GOAL program.