Middle Georgia Technical College

Middle Georgia Technical College Names Finalists for GOAL Award

Warner Robins - Warner Robins - Four Middle Georgia Technical College students have been selected as the college's finalists for the Georgia Occupational Award of Leadership (GOAL), according to Janet Kelly, coordinator for the MGTC's GOAL program. These four students will now move on to the final round of judging to become MGTC's GOAL winner, or Student of the Year.

Chosen as semifinalists are Mark Craddock of Warner Robins, nominated by Evelyn Grove, Radiologic Technology; Rhonda Mincey of Perry, nominated by Susan Walker, Criminal Justice Technology; Vanessa Phillips of Warner Robins, nominated by Antonio Shelley, Industrial Systems Technology; and Jessica Worsley of Bonaire, nominated by Anne Sartain, Practical Nursing.

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

Students are nominated for the award by their instructors based on GPA, work ethic, and several criteria set by the GOAL program. The nominees complete one round of judging, after which the four finalists are selected. The finalists will then go through another round of judging, involving a speech and interview process to determine the College winner.

Each college GOAL winner will compete in regional judging. MGTC's GOAL representative will compete with nine other college winners from across the central region which spans from Columbus to Augusta. The regional competition will take place at Heart of Georgia Technical College in Dublin March 23.

In May, all college winners will come to Atlanta where the nine semi-finalists, three finalists from each of the three regions, will be announced and compete for the title of state GOAL winner.

"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.

According to Kelly, a screening committee of administrators at MGTC selected the four finalists from a list of students nominated by their instructors. The College winner will be chosen by the selection committee, made up of community leaders.

Serving on MGTC's 2011 selection committee are Dollie Horton of Fort Valley, Dr. William Moorhead of Fort Valley, Linda Shingler of Byron, and Mike Daley of Warner Robins.

The state GOAL winner becomes the student ambassador for the Technical College System of Georgia and receives a grand prize of a new car provided by Chevrolet, the statewide corporate sponsor of Georgia's GOAL program.

Photo: (L to R) 2011 MGTC GOAL nominees include Mark Craddock, Rhonda Mincey, and Vanessa Phillips. Jessica Worsley is not pictured.